The main components of an armadillo diet are mainly grubs, beetles and spiders. Plants, worms, snakes and snails also might be part of an armadillo diet. All armadillos can eat the same fare, so taste and availability are often the determining factors in an armadillo diet. Armadillos are very adaptable, switching easily from one kind of diet to another when the need arises.
Depending on the species, armadillos occasionally enjoy variety in their diets. The nine-banded armadillo chiefly feasts on small amphibians and grubs but can survive solely on plant matter if necessary. The giant armadillo is big enough to consume small snakes and even scavenge the leftovers of larger predators. As the largest species of armadillo, these giants can use their considerable claws to trap and incapacitate larger, more dangerous prey than their smaller cousins.
The pink fairy armadillo, one of the smallest of its kind, sticks to eating worms, snails and other smaller fare. Its size and small amount of armor make it impractical for the pink fairy to challenge other vertebrates. It’s also a slow mover, making insects the perfect food for this little burrower.
In the wild, armadillos live in warm, subtropical climates that allow their prey to thrive. Nineteen of the 20 kinds of these small, armored creatures live in Latin America. Even the nine-banded armadillo, which traverses parts of the southern United States, sticks to the warmest climates in states such as Texas, Tennessee, New Mexico and Florida.
Armadillos are nocturnal creatures that sleep for most of the day and search for food at dusk and dawn. They are nearly blind, so the low light at these times of day isn’t a problem. Dusk and dawn are also the times of day when the main members of an armadillo diet are active. Armadillos use their long, pointed noses to snuffle along the ground for prey instead of searching for it by sight.
When an armadillo sniffs out a likely meal, it uncovers the prey with strong, clawed front limbs. Its long, tacky tongue darts into narrow termite mounds and anthills to extract particularly difficult meals. The insects get stuck in the armadillo’s saliva as the animal draws its tongue back into its mouth.