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Posted by on Jul 22, 2016 in TellMeWhy |

What Do Armadillos Eat?

What Do Armadillos Eat?

What Do Armadillos Eat? The armadillo isn’t fussy about its diet. It eats worms, grubs and berries. It also likes termites and beetles. Sometimes, it eats small snakes. And if the armadillo can’t find anything else to eat, it will settle for carrion (rotting meat) or garbage.

Hunting mostly at night, the armadillo scratches with its nose among the dead leaves and weeds and roots in the soil, like a pig. When it uncovers a nest of ants – one of its favorite foods – the armadillo quickly laps them up with its long, sticky tongue. Then it chews the food with its peg like teeth.

Armadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts. Most species dig burrows and sleep prolifically, up to 16 hours per day, foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants, termites, and other insects.

They have very poor eyesight, and utilize their keen sense of smell to hunt. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging, and long, sticky tongues for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels. In addition to bugs, armadillos eat small vertebrates, plants, and some fruit, as well.

Content for this question contributed by Chuck Baum, resident of Pomona, Los Angeles County, California, USA