🌿 FIELD NOTES: Armadillos Deserve a Second Look

Look a little closer.

More Than a Few Holes in the Yard

Armadillos don't always have the best reputation with homeowners. They're notorious for digging small holes in lawns and gardens while searching for food.

And yes, our backyard visitors do their share of digging.

But honestly? Between the armadillos and the moles that already frequent our yard, the armadillos haven't caused us much additional trouble. For the most part, they're pretty well-behaved neighbors.

Maybe we're a little biased. We're fans of these unusual little creatures!

But there's more to an armadillo than the holes it leaves behind. These remarkable animals play an important role in their environment, and some of their most valuable contributions happen right beneath our feet.

Fact #1: Nature's Little Pest Controllers

Those small holes armadillos leave behind aren't random acts of destruction. They're usually the result of an animal searching for its next meal.

Nine-banded armadillos, the species found in Florida, use their powerful claws to dig through soil and leaf litter in search of insects and other invertebrates.

Ants, termites, beetles, grubs, and other small creatures are all on the menu.

But here's something fascinating: armadillos rely heavily on their keen sense of smell to locate food, sometimes detecting prey hidden beneath the soil.

Their digging may occasionally frustrate homeowners, but it's also part of how they help regulate populations of soil-dwelling invertebrates.

So those little holes? They're often evidence of a hardworking insect hunter.

Fact #2: A Nose for Trouble

Armadillos might not have the sharpest eyesight, but their sense of smell is remarkable.

Nine-banded armadillos use their sensitive noses to locate insects and other food hidden beneath the ground. They often move slowly with their snouts close to the soil, sniffing as they search.

Once they detect something promising, those powerful front claws go to work.

They can even hold their breath briefly while digging, helping keep loose soil from entering their airways.

So while an armadillo may look like it's wandering aimlessly through the yard, there's a good chance its nose is leading the way.

Fact #3: Underground Homes for the Neighborhood

Armadillos don't just dig for dinner. They also excavate burrows that provide shelter from predators and extreme temperatures.

And those burrows can benefit more than just armadillos!

Once abandoned—or sometimes even while still in use—these underground spaces may provide shelter for other wildlife

In a 2022 study published in Ecology and Evolution, researchers in Arkansas documented 64 other vertebrate species interacting with nine-banded armadillo burrows, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

Some animals used the burrows for shelter, while others visited to hunt, forage, or take advantage of the habitat these remarkable diggers created.

That's quite a contribution from an animal often dismissed as a backyard nuisance!

This makes armadillos important contributors to their ecosystems. By creating shelter that other animals can use, they help shape the habitats around them.

So while we might notice the little holes scattered across our lawns, there's an entire underground world we rarely get to see.

Sometimes, what looks like a nuisance from above can be a valuable resource below.

Armadillo