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Armadillo
The
nine banded armadillo ( Dasypus
novemcinctus) is a mammal that
was introduced into Florida in
the 1920s. We specialize in Tampa armadillo removal.
It
has done very well in urban areas
because of lush irrigated lawns
and gardens. It would be considered
a very benificial critter because
of its diet which consists mostly
of insects and grubs if it weren't
for its digging up lawns.
Armadillos
are one of natures most proficient
diggers. They can ruin your lawn
and garden with what I like to
call 'Dillo Divots'. They also
dig their burrows at the base
of your home which can crack foundations
or crack pipes.
Having
an armadillo removed from your
yard is not a job for an amateur.
Give us a call and we will take care of your armadillo trapping. We are expert armadillo trappers.
Call
today!
727-710-0373
Excerpt
from great publication:
The
Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus
novemcinctus)
Joseph M. Schaefer and
Mark E. Hostetler
Armadillos are prehistoric-looking
animals that belong to a family
of mammals found primarily in
Central and South America. The
earliest fossil ancestor of our
North American armadillo occurred
about 60 million years ago; it
was as large as a rhinoceros.
Our present-day nine-banded or
long-nosed armadillo, Dasypus
novemcinctus, is much smaller;
adults normally weigh from 8-17
pounds (3.5-8 kilograms) (Figure
1). This species occurs in Texas
and east, throughout the South.
It occasionally is found in Missouri
and South Carolina. However, cold
weather limits the northern boundary
of the armadillo's range. Armadillos
were not always present in Florida.
During the past century, they
expanded their range from Texas
into the Florida panhandle. From
1920 to about 1970, there were
several introductions of armadillos
into the Atlantic coast region
of Florida. Then the panhandle
and peninsular populations expanded
until they merged. Armadillos
are now found in uplands throughout
Florida, except in the Keys and
parts of the Everglades and Big
Cypress swamp.Description
Armadillos have a shield-like
shell covered with horny scales.
Joints in the shell are flexible,
which enable the animal to bend
and twist. Only the ears and belly
of the armadillo are without bony
armor (Figure 2). These peculiar
animals have 28-32 peg-like teeth
in simple rows well back in the
mouth. There are no front teeth.
Armadillos have poor eyesight
and hearing, but a keen sense
of smell. Both males and females
are about the same size, look
alike, and have similar habits.
Despite their awkward appearance,
armadillos are agile runners and
good swimmers, and even have the
ability to walk underwater across
small streams.Typical
HabitatArmadillos inhabit
dense shady cover, such as brush,
woodland or pine forests. Soil
texture is also a factor in the
animal's habitat selection. They
prefer sandy or loam soils that
are relatively easy to excavate.Armadillos
typically rest in a deep burrow
during the day and become more
active during the late evening,
night, or early morning. These
burrows are usually located under
brushpiles, stumps, rockpiles,
dense brush, or concrete patios,
and are about 7-8 inches (18-20
cm) in diameter and can be up
to 15 feet (4.5 m) long. Armadillos
often have several burrows throughout
their territory, but use only
one to raise their young.ReproductionAlthough
armadillos breed in late July,
the 5-month gestation period is
delayed which results in the young
being born in February or March.
Only one litter is produced each
year, and it always includes four
identical young of the same sex
because they develop from a single
egg. The young look like the adults
except that they are smaller and
their armor coat remains soft
and leathery for some time, becoming
harder with age.DiseasesCompared
to other common mammals such as
raccoon and opossum, armadillos
are remarkably free of parasites.
Twenty-six parasites and disease
agents have been identified from
armadillos in Florida. These include
2 arboviruses, 19 bacteria, 2
protozoans, 1 nematode, and 2
mites. All except the nematode
and mites may also infect humans
or other animals, but no severe
outbreaks of these situations
have been reported. Rabies has
never been diagnosed in armadillos
in Florida.In 1971, a captive
armadillo developed leprosy 17
months after it was inoculated
with the bacterium Mycobacterium
leprae obtained from an infected
human. Subsequently, armadillos
have been used in further study
of this disease. Leprosy in wild
armadillos has been reported at
rates ranging from 0.5% to 10%
in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi
and Mexico. However, no infections
have been found in the more than
2,500 armadillos examined in Florida.
The relationship between infections
in wild armadillos and in humans
is not clear.Causes of
DeathArmadillos are one
of the most common victims of
highway mortality in Florida.
The armadillo's instinctive response
of jumping upwards when startled
may be effective at avoiding a
lunging predator, but not an automobile
or truck passing overhead. Also,
many are killed by dogs and coyotes.Feeding
HabitsThese animals feed
primarily on insects and their
larvae. They also eat earthworms,
scorpions, spiders, snails, and
small vertebrates and their eggs.
Reports of armadillo damage to
birds' nests on the ground are
rare. People cannot help but appreciate
the fact that armadillos consume
large amounts of armyworms, cockroaches,
ants, wasps, flies, beetles, and
grasshoppers. They have been known
to dig up entire yellow-jacket
nests. Armadillos usually search
for food by rooting or digging
in ground litter, but will occasionally
eat berries and mushrooms.Type
of Damage Caused by Armadillos
Armadillos are, to some degree,
beneficial because they eat adult
insects and larvae. But their
feeding behavior also can cause
problems for property owners and
managers. When looking for insects
in the soil, armadillos dig numerous
holes in golf courses, lawns,
flowerbeds, and gardens. These
holes typically are 1-3 inches
(2.5-7.6 cm) deep and 3-5 inches
(7.6-12.7 cm) wide. They also
uproot flowers and other ornamental
plants. Armadillo burrows under
driveways and patios can cause
structural damage; and burrows
in pastures can pose a potential
hazard to livestock.
References
Fitch, H.S., P. Goodrum, and C.
Newman. 1952. The armadillo in
the southeastern United States.
J. Mammal. 33:21-37.
Howerth, E.W., D.E. Stallknecht,
W.R. Davidson, and E.J. Wentworth.
1990. Survey for leprosy in nine-banded
armadillos Dasypus novemcinctus
from the southeastern United States.
J. Wildl. Dis. 26:112-115.
Humphrey,
S.R. 1974. Zoogeography of the
nine-banded armadillo Dasypus
novemcinctus in the United States.
Bioscience 24:457-462.
Wolfe,
J.L. 1968. Armadillo distribution
in Alabama and northwest Florida.
Quart. J. Fla. Acad. Sci. 31:209-212.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes
1. This document is WEC 76 and
was previously published under
the title "Control of Armadillos."
It is one of a series of the Department
of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation,
Florida Cooperative Extension
Service, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences (IFAS),
University of Florida. First published:
January 1998. Reviewed: 2001.
Major revision: October 2003.
Please visit the EDIS Web site
at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for
more publications.
2. Joseph M. Schaefer, District
Director, County Operations, Everglades
Research and Education Center;
Mark E. Hostetler, Assistant Professor
and Wildlife Extension Specialist,
Dept of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation;
Florida Cooperative Extension
Service, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences (IFAS),
University of Florida, Gainesville,
Florida
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright
Information
This document is copyrighted by
the University of Florida, Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences
(UF/IFAS) for the people of the
State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains
all rights under all conventions,
but permits free reproduction
by all agents and offices of the
Cooperative Extension Service
and the people of the State of
Florida. Permission is granted
to others to use these materials
in part or in full for educational
purposes, provided that full credit
is given to the UF/IFAS, citing
the publication, its source, and
date of publication.
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