The Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the only armadillo species widely established in the United States, known for its distinctive bony shell, or carapace. This armor gives the animal its Spanish-derived name, meaning “little armored one.” While the shell offers protection, it does not make the armadillo invulnerable to the natural and environmental threats it faces. Understanding these threats requires identifying the animals that successfully prey upon it and the non-biological factors that limit its survival.
Apex and Opportunistic Predators
Armadillos share their habitat with large carnivores capable of breaching their bony defense. Apex predators include cougars and jaguars, which possess the strength and specialized hunting skills to regularly include armadillos in their diet. American black bears and red wolves also prey upon them where their geographic ranges overlap across the United States. These larger predators typically rely on surprise and sheer force to overcome the armadillo’s defenses.
Opportunistic predators are more numerous and account for a substantial portion of armadillo mortality. Coyotes are a major threat, though they frequently scavenge vehicle-killed animals rather than actively hunt. Bobcats and alligators also readily consume armadillos, with the alligator’s powerful jaws easily crushing the carapace. Large raptors, such as eagles and owls, primarily target smaller, more vulnerable juvenile armadillos.
Overcoming the Armored Defense
A predator’s success hinges on exploiting the specific weaknesses of the Nine-banded Armadillo’s armor. Unlike the Three-banded Armadillo, this species cannot fully roll into a protective ball. This structural limitation leaves the animal with a soft, unprotected underbelly vulnerable to attack. Predators like jaguars quickly flip the armadillo over to access the soft abdomen and deliver a fatal bite.
The strength of the carapace is also directly related to the armadillo’s age. Juvenile armadillos have carapaces that are significantly softer and more pliable than those of adults, making them far more susceptible to predation. Smaller predators, including foxes, feral pigs, and raccoons, target these young animals whose armor is not yet fully hardened. When faced with a threat, an armadillo’s instinctive defense is to sprint toward dense cover or rapidly dig a shallow trench, lodging itself firmly into the soil.
Leading Causes of Mortality (Non-Predatory)
The greatest threats to the armadillo population often come not from biological predators, but from environmental and human factors. Vehicular collisions, or road mortality, are a significant cause of death across the species’ range. Armadillos have an involuntary defensive reaction of jumping straight up into the air when startled. While effective against a lunging predator, this often leads to their demise under the chassis of an automobile.
Beyond this anthropogenic factor, the armadillo’s physiology makes it highly vulnerable to environmental extremes. The animal possesses a low metabolic rate and lacks the significant fat reserves or thick fur needed for effective thermoregulation. This results in a poor tolerance for cold temperatures, and prolonged cold weather is a major source of mortality, particularly at the northern edges of their expanding range. Drought conditions also pose a threat, as the armadillo’s primary food source—insects and invertebrates—becomes scarce in hardened, dry soil, leading to starvation or forced migration.