Referred to as pups, baby Nine-banded Armadillos almost always come in fours. The fertilized egg breaks into four identical zygotes, yielding quadruplets.

No adult was to be seen supervising this quartet of constant movement. They nurse for two to three months then gradually venture off on their own.

Insects, larvae and other food found on or in the ground make up the Armadillo’s diet.

This fellow shows off his claw and snout, the tools used to maximize his grazing.

Francis Beidler Forest, SC
July 9, 2022

I wasn’t that surprised to spot this juvenile Armadillo as Ted had just seen an adult in the nearby woods. I was surprised that he didn’t run or jump. He didn’t even seem to know or care that I was there. Not that I was making that much noise but wild things tend to know we are there way before we know they are.

I watched him as he industriously rooted around in the soft ground hoping to get a full body view. The pine cone in the next image was of standard size, maybe six or seven inches (15 – 20 cm), giving a sense of his size.

Armadillos have poor eyesight and this little one never lifted his head to have a look around, just kept on digging and rooting for lunch.