Seasonal Diets of the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in a Northern Part of Its Range

Food habits of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) were examined in specimens from southwestern Arkansas. Eighty-four actively foraging armadillos were collected from October 1986 through January 1988. Stomach contents were analyzed for food items present, percent occurrence and percent volume. Major food items were earthworms, beetles and their larvae and fly larvae, although some vertebrate material was noted. The diet showed a marked seasonal shift. Fly larvae were the dominant prey in winter and beetles and beetle larvae in all other seasons. The dietary shifts observed in this study differ from those in previous studies in more southern portions of the species' range.