What does the armadillo eat?
The armadillo is a peculiar animal native to the American continent, which has the greatest diversity of species to the south of the region. It is an easily recognizable animal because most species have a shell that covers the body and acts as armor. Taxonomically it is located in the order Cingulata and in the family Dasypodidae, where there are around 20 species of armadillo, some with a greater range of distribution than others, and with certain variations in terms of shell, fur, coloration, size and shape of the arm. snout.
But one of the aspects that raises the most doubts is what does the armadillo eat. For this reason, in this AnimalWised article, we want to present you with information related to the feeding of this mammal, so be sure to read it to find out what it feeds on.
Type of feeding of the armadillo
The type of feeding of the armadillo is omnivorousTherefore, it has a fairly varied diet, which includes food sources of both animal and plant origin. Thus, it can eat insects, reptiles, plants or fruits. What fruits does the armadillo eat, plants or animals? Depending on the availability of said foods in their habitat. However, even if we are dealing with an animal with a varied diet, depending on the species we can see variations in diet, such that some, for example, are mainly insectivorous, and in certain cases, they even opt more for the consumption of certain types of insects, such as ants and termites. We also found some scavenger armadillosIn fact, they have been identified in human cemeteries digging in order to look for food.
One of the characteristics of armadillos is that they are excellent diggers thanks to their powerful claws. Many of them open underground caves where they spend much of their time, which is why they are considered fossorial animals, that is, they they live much of the time underground. In this sense, it is quite common for them to locate food sources down there, such as the aforementioned ants. Learn in this other article more Animals that live underground.
The habits of the armadillo they are usually crepuscular and nocturnal, so that they feed mainly during these hours, although in the less hot seasons they can also do so during the day. Some species such as the six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus) and the pygmy armadillo (Zaedyus pichiy) usually eat throughout the day despite the hot temperatures that the group normally tries to avoid.
What does the baby armadillo eat?
Armadillos are mammalian animals, so the baby armadillo, when it is born, feeds on the milk offered by the mother. However, some species at birth, such as the long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), are quite precocious, so they open their eyes quickly and move easily, so they begin to explore outside the burrow and consume certain foods such as insects, plant matter or carrion.
On the other hand, species such as the giant armadillo (priodontes maximus) have pups that are born blind, which makes them more dependent on their mother and they last longer consuming breast milk. Therefore, they begin to eat other types of food weeks later.
In certain cases, some young are kept together until they reach sexual maturity. While this occurs, they can share feeding areas until they become completely independent.
What foods does the adult armadillo eat?
As we have mentioned, the armadillo is an omnivorous animal, so has a varied diet. However, according to the species there may be a certain preference for some foods, although this is also related to their availability in the habitat where it develops.
The adult armadillo generally feeds individually, although during the mating season there are cases of newly formed pairs that feed together.
To better understand how varied the diet of the yellowtail can be, we are going to see what some specific species eat. starting with him greater fairy armadillo (Calyptophractus retusus), also known as pichiciego major, we see that it usually feeds on:
- insects
- larvae
- worms
- Snails
- Eggs
- Estate
- Seeds
- tubers
- Fruit
He hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus) coincides in some foods with the previous species, but differs in others. Thus, their diet is based on the following:
- insects
- rodents
- Lizards
- Carrion
- worms
- larvae
- Vegetation
For his part, he lesser pichiciego (Chalmyphorus truncatus), or pink fairy armadillo, which is one of the most curious and smallest of all armadillos, feeds mainly on ants and plants.
Another example that we can mention is the diet of the pygmy armadillo (Zaedyus pichiy), inside which we find the carrion. As we have commented, although it is not common in all species, some of them are considered scavengers. Thus, the diet of the pygmy armadillo consists of:
- insects
- worms
- Lizards
- rodents
- vegetable matter
- Carrion
He Giant armadillo (priodontes maximus) is undoubtedly one of the most popular species in the group, which is why it is common to wonder what a giant armadillo eats. Well, it mainly feeds on termites and ants, but it is also another one that can feed on carrion. Also, eat worms and reptiles.
He southern bare tailed armadillo (Cabassous unicinctus) is another one that eats mainly termites and ants, although it can also consume other invertebrates.
Continuing with the examples of specific feeding, the andean hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) is one of the most select, since it feeds mainly on beetles. In a complementary way, it can also eat plant matter.
He northern bare tailed armadillo (cabassous centralis), like others mentioned, follows a more varied diet, since it can eat:
- larvae
- beetles
- termites
- Ants
- worms
- bird eggs
- reptiles
- amphibians
Interestingly, the six banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus) feeds mainly on plant matter such as fruits, tubers, and nuts. In a complementary way, you can eat:
- termites
- Ants
- frogs
- Carrion
Finally, we highlight the feeding of the southern long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus hybridus), which consists of:
- Crickets
- beetles
- termites
- spiders
- amphibians
- reptiles
- Leaves
- Fruit
How much does the armadillo eat?
Now that you know what armadillos eat, it’s natural to wonder how much an adult can eat. The truth is not known precisely how much food does an armadillo consume. However, it is known that this type of animal spends about 16 hours sleepingso the time spent on feeding is less.
Generally, burrows are built in areas close to food sourcesSo they stay close to them. In the case of the species that mainly consume termites and ants, of which we have already seen that there are quite a few, when they locate a nest they insert one of their claws to open it and then use their sticky tongues to eat, so that they can finish off the nest in a short time. the nest of insects because they consume it practically in its entirety.
The armadillo is an animal that does not have good eyesight or taste, although vision can vary from one species to another. As for smell and hearing, they are much more developed senses, which is why they use them mainly to locate their food. Their strong and well-developed claws are also important for feeding, since with them, while digging, they can locate certain types of food. Without a doubt, armadillos are really curious and particular animals, and not only because of their very select type of diet in some cases, but also because of their way of eating and way of life.
If you want to read more articles similar to What does the armadillo eat?we recommend that you enter our section on balanced diets.
Bibliography
- Animal Diversity Web. (2020). Available at: https://animaldiversity.org/
- ITIS (2022). dasypodidae. Available in: