# What Do Nine-Banded Armadillos Eat?

> What nine-banded armadillos eat: Insectivore — insects, grubs, and other invertebrates, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Grasslands, forests, and suburbs in the Americas.

- **Species:** Nine-Banded Armadillo (*Dasypus novemcinctus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Insectivore — insects, grubs, and other invertebrates
- **Habitat:** Grasslands, forests, and suburbs in the Americas
- **Lifespan:** 12–15 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 48 km/h (30 mph) in short bursts
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/armadillo/what-do-armadillo-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/armadillo/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The nine-banded armadillo is the only armadillo species widespread in the United States, recognised by its bony armour plates and ability to jump vertically when startled. It digs for insects and grubs, gives birth to identical quadruplets, and is expanding its range northward.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Armour and anatomy

Armadillos are covered in osteoderms — bony plates fused into bands with flexible skin between. The nine-banded armadillo cannot roll into a complete ball (unlike three-banded South American species). Strong claws excavate burrows and unearth beetle larvae and ants.

## Help protect the Nine-Banded Armadillo

Armadillos expand northward into new roads and suburbs, but lose ground wherever grassland and forest are cleared.

[Donate to habitat protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/habitat-loss-wildlife-extinction/)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/armadillo/what-do-armadillo-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.