The nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, is the sole species of armadillo found throughout Florida. This distinctive armored creature is classified as a generalist omnivore, meaning its diet is varied and opportunistic. The armadillo’s food choices are primarily driven by what it can effectively forage, which is closely tied to its unique physical adaptations and behavior.
Primary Food Sources: Subterranean Invertebrates
The core of the nine-banded armadillo’s diet consists of invertebrates found just beneath the soil surface. Studies show that insects and other terrestrial invertebrates make up a substantial majority of the diet by volume, often exceeding 90 percent. This reliance on underground prey means the armadillo functions primarily as an insectivore.
A major component of this diet is beetle larvae, commonly referred to as grubs, such as those from May beetles. Other favored insects include termites, ants (like Florida carpenter ants and imported fire ants), grasshoppers, and adult beetles.
The armadillo also consumes soft-bodied invertebrates like earthworms, millipedes, and centipedes. Spiders and scorpions are readily eaten as well. These small creatures are typically lapped up whole using the armadillo’s long, sticky tongue.
Occasional Dietary Components
While the bulk of its sustenance comes from invertebrates, the armadillo supplements its meals with other food sources. Plant matter constitutes less than ten percent of its total diet. This vegetative material includes fungi, seeds, berries, and occasionally tender plant roots or tubers.
The armadillo also consumes small vertebrates and their eggs when encountered. They opportunistically eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Small, sluggish reptiles and amphibians, such as lizards or frogs, are sometimes eaten, especially during cooler weather.
Armadillos will utilize carrion, acting as occasional scavengers. When feeding on a carcass, they are often more interested in the fly larvae, or maggots, inhabiting the decaying matter than the meat itself.
Specialized Foraging Techniques
The armadillo’s foraging success relies on specialized sensory tools and behaviors. Since it has poor eyesight, it uses an exceptionally keen sense of smell to locate food. This developed olfactory sense allows it to detect prey, such as grubs and worms, buried up to six inches beneath the soil surface.
To access subterranean food, the armadillo employs a characteristic rooting and digging technique. It uses powerful foreclaws to create numerous small, conical holes in the ground while searching for insects. These shallow depressions, typically only an inch or two deep, are evidence of the armadillo probing the soil.
The armadillo is primarily a nocturnal forager, which maximizes its food intake. During the night, the ground is cooler, causing invertebrates like earthworms and grubs to move closer to the surface. This nocturnal activity makes subterranean prey easier to locate and access.