Size: <\/p>\n\n\n
28-48 inches long with 9-15 inch tail. 6-18 pounds <\/p>\n\n\n
Signs of their presence: <\/p>\n\n\n
The animal itself <\/p>\n\n\n
Holes in the lawn, around 3-5 inches wide and 1-3 inches deep <\/p>\n\n\n
Uprooted plants and seedlings <\/p>\n\n\n
Small burrow entrances near a structure. Around 7-10 inches in diameter <\/p>\n\n\n
In some cases, cracks sidewalks, driveways, or foundation due to their burrowing <\/p>\n\n\n
Scat: Pellets around an inch long with bits of food visible <\/p>\n\n\n
Sounds: They will let out a shriek or squeal when in distress. They will emit a cricket-like chirp <\/p>\n\n\n
Diet: <\/p>\n\n\n
Insectivores. They mainly eat insects and other invertebrates; however, they are known to eat small reptiles, amphibians, and plant matter as well. They consume beetles, termites, ants, maggots, snails, grasshoppers, worms, and larvae. <\/p>\n\n\n
Typical activity patterns: <\/p>\n\n\n
Social style: Solitary excluding breeding season and taking care of the young. <\/p>\n\n\n
Daily activity: Mainly nocturnal. However, during colder months they will come out during the day to warm their body. <\/p>\n\n\n
Hibernates: No <\/p>\n\n\n
Migrates: No <\/p>\n\n\n
Where found: <\/p>\n\n\n
Armadillos are mainly found in the western region of the state. However, the population seems to be spreading into the eastern part of the state. <\/p>\n\n\n
Habitat:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Prefers forests with mature trees including pine, oak, and hickory. <\/p>\n\n\n Territory and Home Range: <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n May vary. During breeding season armadillos defend their home range in order to better their chances of breeding a female. <\/p>\n\n\n Breeding habits: <\/p>\n\n\n Pair bonding style: Polygamous. Males are thought to have more than one breeding partner <\/p>\n\n\n Breeding Dates: July-August. Gestation takes about four months. Implantation is delayed three to four months, so the young are not born at a bad time. <\/p>\n\n\n Litter Size: Four young are born from one fertilized egg. <\/p>\n\n\n Birthing Date: Around March <\/p>\n\n\n Weaning Date: Around 3 months <\/p>\n\n\n Amount of time young remain after weaning date: three to nine months. After they are weaned they will forage with the mother and leave in six months to a year. <\/p>\n\n\n Common nuisance situations: <\/p>\n\n\n Time of year: Any time of the year <\/p>\n\n\n What are they doing? <\/p>\n\n\n Their presence might frighten people due to disease risks <\/p>\n\n\n Digging up lawns in search of food <\/p>\n\n\n Damaging underground pipes <\/p>\n\n\n Damaging foundations, sidewalks, or driveways with their burrows <\/p>\n\n\n Ripping up young plants in search of food <\/p>\n\n\n Disease Risks: leprosy <\/p>\n\n\n Legal status in Tennessee: <\/p>\n\n\n Unprotected. Armadillos may be hunted year-round <\/p>\n\n\n Best practices <\/p>\n\n\n Fence off <\/strong>Vulnerable<\/strong> Areas:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Erect a wire fence around the foundation of your house. Bury the fence 2 feet deep and have it near 2 feet above ground. Put electric wire through the top of the fence to stop them from climbing over. <\/p>\n\n\n Put of the same fence for gardens and flower beds. Putting hardwood chips down may deter the armadillo as well. They will not want to dig through all the chips. <\/p>\n\n\n Make your yard uninviting:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the yard. This will irritate the nose of the armadillo <\/p>\n\n\n Get rid of the grubs and worms that the armadillo is digging for with pesticides <\/p>\n\n\n Spread castor oil repellents in the yard <\/p>\n\n\n This makes the grubs and insects taste bad and creates a foul smell in the burrows <\/p>\n\n\n Remove any wood piles, rotting woods, or other structures that bugs and grubs live in <\/p>\n\n\n Set up motion-activated sprinklers. Armadillos are skittish so a burst of water will deter them from an area <\/p>\n\n\n Trapping<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Trap the armadillos near their burrows or flower garden <\/p>\n\n\n Remove <\/strong>Artificial<\/strong> Food Sources:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Feed pets inside <\/p>\n\n\n Store birdseed, pet food, and animal feed indoors or in a secured container <\/p>\n\n\n Store compost in a sturdy container, such as a 55-gallon drum or a store-bought composter <\/p>\n\n\n Trapping strategies: <\/p>\n\n\n Live Capture:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Trapping armadillos can be extremely helpful in alleviating the issues. <\/p>\n\n\n Set a trap right in front of the burrow or along the wall or fencing closest to the damaged area <\/p>\n\n\n Create a funnel with wood guiding the armadillo to the trap <\/p>\n\n\n Lethal Traps:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n Set a body-gripping trap at the burrows entrance or on a trail traveled by the armadillos <\/p>\n\n\n Set them at dusk and make sure pets cannot get into the yard <\/p>\n\n\n Preferred killing methods: <\/p>\n\n\n CO2 chamber (if caught in a cage trap, simply place the trap in the chamber.) <\/p>\n\n\n Shooting, using a shotgun, rifle, bow, or crossbow (target the chest area) <\/p>\n\n\n Acceptable killing methods: <\/p>\n\n\n Shooting <\/p>\n\n\n Control strategies that don\u2019t work particularly well or aren\u2019t legal in Tennessee: <\/p>\n\n\n Mothballs have been used but have no effect on armadillos. <\/p>\n\n\n For information on legal pesticides click the following link, https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/environmental\/environmental-health-topics\/eht\/pesticides.html<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n Motion-activated lights have no real effect on armadillos since they have such poor eyesight <\/p>\n\n\n Pour vinegar around a vulnerable area to deter armadillos from entering <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Size: 28-48 inches long with 9-15 inch tail. 6-18 pounds Signs of their presence: The animal itself Holes in the lawn, around 3-5 inches … Continue reading Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)<\/span>