The nine-banded armadillo, Texas’ official small mammal, is a distinctive presence across most of the state, excluding the Trans-Pecos region. These cat-sized creatures, typically weighing 8 to 17 pounds, are easily recognized by their unique bony shell. This armor, composed of hard plates with flexible bands, covers much of their body, head, and tail. Their elongated snout and powerful claws are well-suited to their feeding and burrowing behaviors.
Primary Food Sources
Armadillos in Texas are primarily insectivores. Invertebrates, mainly insects, make up over 90% of their diet by volume. Their preferred meals include a variety of insects and their larvae, such as grubs, beetles, and cockroaches. They also consume termites, ants, wasps, and scorpions, often acting as natural pest controllers. Other common invertebrate prey include spiders, millipedes, centipedes, and earthworms.
Opportunistic Foraging
While invertebrates form the core of their diet, armadillos are opportunistic omnivores, consuming other items when available. This includes small reptiles and amphibians, such as frogs, snakes, and lizards. They may also eat bird eggs. Plant matter, such as seeds, fruits, and roots, can also be part of their diet, often consumed incidentally while foraging for insects. Occasionally, armadillos feed on carrion or fungi.
Locating Food
Armadillos possess a keen sense of smell, their primary tool for locating food and compensating for poor eyesight. They use their powerful noses to detect insects and larvae buried several inches deep in the soil. Once detected, they use their strong legs and sharp claws to dig into the ground, excavating their prey. This digging behavior is fundamental to their foraging strategy, allowing access to hidden food sources. Armadillos are primarily nocturnal, venturing out after dusk to hunt for food.
Common Diet Misconceptions
A common misconception is that armadillos primarily consume garden plants or raid bird nests. While they may disturb gardens through their digging, this behavior typically seeks insects and grubs, not the plants themselves. Their foraging for underground insects often leads to small holes and uprooted plants, which can be mistaken for direct plant consumption. Though they may occasionally eat bird eggs, studies suggest this is not a significant part of their regular diet, and the impact on bird populations is often overstated. Armadillos are insectivores, and their digging habits directly result from this dietary preference.