How do I stop an armadillo from tearing up my property?
It really depends on what part of your property you are trying to protect. If it
is a small area, like a flowerbed, you can sprinkle mothballs to keep the
animals away. They don't like the smell. If you are talking about your whole
yard, the only really effective solution is to put up a fence, buried at least
1 foot into the ground to prevent them from tunneling under. This is not an
elegant solution, nor is it an inexpensive one, but it is the only way you can
be really sure that your yard will not become an armadillo's insect buffet.
Other remedies (not as foolproof, but less expensive) include leaving your dog
chained up outside at night, to scare off potential lawn-wreckers, and leaving
out food at a different spot to lure them away from your lawn. Of course, you
are then either stuck with a barking dog all night, or the expense of
maintaining an armadillo feeder that is sure to attract all kinds of
neighborhood wildlife. If you live in armadillo territory, you will get
armadillos in your yard; that's the risk you run.
How can I remove a problem armadillo from my property?
Removing an armadillo that has burrowed in your yard or under your house can be
quite a problem. You must first evict the animal from its den, and then close
up the hole so it can't return. Throwing mothballs down the hole can help
encourage the armadillo to come out. You can place a live trap over the
opening, so that it will be caged as it emerges; make sure you release it well
away from your property so it won't find its way back. If you are trying to
trap it in the yard, you can use earthworms in a nylon stocking as bait. Once
you know it is out of the hole, you can fill the hole in with dirt. To keep it
from returning, you can bury a section of chain-link fence against the
foundation of your house or shed (or whatever it burrowed under). This won't
stop the animal from digging near your foundation, but it won't be able to dig
underneath it.
Are
armadillos dangerous?
Not really. They are wild animals, and any wild animal should be treated with
caution and respect, but the average armadillo is not a dangerous creature.
They are capable of harming people with their strong claws if they are handled
incorrectly, but in most cases they will run away when they feel that they are
in danger. Most people who have had encounters with the animals have reported
that the armadillo pretty much ignored them unless they did anything overtly
threatening.
Do
armadillos carry diseases, such as leprosy?
Wild armadillos have been known to be infected with the bacterium that causes
leprosy (Hansen's disease). The only cases of transmission from armadillos to
humans have occurred in rare incidents in which people ate undercooked
armadillo meat.
Do people
really eat armadillos?
Yes. In many areas of Central and South America, armadillo meat is often used
as part of an average diet. I have heard that some peoples of South America
keep small varieties of armadillos as edible housepets. During the Depression,
armadillos were often eaten by hungry people. They were called "Hoover
hogs" by people angry with then-President Herbert Hoover's broken promise
of a chicken in every pot. The meat is said to taste like fine-grained,
high-quality pork.
Is an
armadillo's shell really made of bone?
Yes, it is. The shell is made up of thin bone plates, known as scutes. The
armadillo is the only mammal that has bone plates in its skin. Fossilized
scutes have been found in South America that are up to fifty million years old.
Scutes as old as forty thousand years have been found in North America, around
Illinois.
Do
armadillos make any noises?
Armadillos make grunting sounds as they forage for food. They also may squeak
or squeal when they feel threatened. The screaming hairy armadillo is
especially known for the loud squeals it makes.
Do
armadillos really smell bad?
Armadillos produce a musky odor that some people find to be repulsive. The
scent seems to be stronger when they feel threatened.
Why do
armadillos get hit by cars so often?
Three reasons. First, armadillos will eat carrion, which in the US is often
roadkill. Animals that eat roadkill often become roadkill themselves, because
they are on the road more often than other animals are. Second, armadillos are
nocturnal. It is hard to see animals by the side of the road at night, so it is
harder for motorists to avoid hitting them. Third, armadillos jump up in the
air when they feel threatened. This often works to startle a predator, but
against an automobile it doesn't work; they just end up jumping right into the
front or underside of the car, with disastrous results.
Where in the
United States am I likely to see an armadillo?
In the US, armadillos can be found all over the Southeast. They are scarce in
the drier areas of Texas, and are not found west of the Rockies. The
northernmost point that an armadillo has been spotted is the southern tip of
Indiana, although this is surely an isolated case. Due to their inability to
withstand extremely cold weather it is not likely that they will increase their
range any further north.
Where can I
buy an armadillo (Live or dead, for food or otherwise)?
I know of no company or restaurant that sells live armadillos. I have heard
that some shops in San Francisco's Chinatown sell dead armadillos for food.
What color
is an armadillo?
They range from brown to khaki to a pebbly grey.
How long do
armadillos generally live?
I'm not exactly sure about this one. The best information I have about the
lifespan suggests up to 14 years in captivity. Extrapolating from other
similar-sized mammals, I would guess that the average lifespan in the wild
would be between five to seven years.
How big does
an armadillo get?
An adult nine-banded armadillo is about the same size as an average housecat.
The body length ranges from 15 to 17 inches; the tail is 14 to 16 inches long.
They weigh between 8 and 17 pounds; males are heavier than females.
Do
armadillos really always give birth to 4 identical young?
Yes and no. The nine-banded armadillo nearly always gives birth to four
identical young, just as humans nearly always give birth to one child at a
time. However, just as people sometimes give birth to twins, armadillos will
occasionally bear litters of three or five young. Despite the number, the young
are always identical. They form from the same egg, share the same placenta
during development, and are all the same sex. This regular production of
genetically identical young makes armadillos valuable to medical researchers.
(Other types of armadillo, like the giant or six-banded armadillos, give birth
to varying numbers of young.)
I heard that
armadillos will dig up and eat dead bodies. Is this true?
This unfortunate rumor comes from the armadillo's inclination to dig where the
dirt is soft, such as a freshly-filled grave. They aren't after anything more
than the insects in the dirt. They dig there for the same reasons that birds
follow a plow as it turns the soil – that's where the bugs are the easiest to
find. People sometimes call armadillos "gravediggers" as a result of
this myth.
Do
armadillos destroy crops?
Farmers have blamed armadillos for ruining melon crops, among other things.
Raccoons are probably the biggest culprits. Armadillos seem to suffer from the
same problem that hyenas do – their bad reputation appears to be a result of
being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When farmers come out in the
mornings, the slow-moving armadillos are seen taking advantage of the raccoon's
leftovers, so they get the blame for ruining the crop. (Hyenas were long
thought to be scavengers, because when naturalists observed them at dawn on the
savanna, they were seen skulking around behind the lions feasting on a fresh
kill. Thanks to night observations, we now know that the lions often steal a
carcass that the hyenas actually hunted down and killed.)
Do
armadillos eat bird eggs or chicks, like quail?
Some people have accused them of doing so, but it probably isn't a very likely
scenario. Game hunters have suggested that the decline in population of
ground-nesting birds is related to armadillo predation. The rise in the cat
population in the US is probably much more to blame; feral cats and housecats
alike are wreaking havoc on the small animal populations worldwide. Although
armadillos will eat carrion, such as dead birds, they don't appear to actively
hunt for eggs or chicks.