The natural predators for armadillos include coyotes, dogs, bobcats, panthers, black bears, foxes and even raccoons. Armadillos also dig for food. One armadillo can eat as many as 40,000 ants in a single meal and up to 200 pounds of insects over the course of a year.
Are armadillos a prey or a predator?
On the other end of the food chain, smaller armadillo species are preyed on by coyotes, cougars, and bobcats, and occasionally even hawks and eagles. Part of the reason nine-banded armadillos are so widespread is that they’re not especially favored by natural predators.
A frequent query we ran across in our research was “What do armadillo eat also what is it’s predators?”.
Armadillos are sit-and-wait predators that mostly eat termites. Termites are an extremely important part of their diet so they often forage at termite mounds. These carnivores are slow-moving so prefer to sit-and-wait for any prey that is larger than a termite. They will also eat crickets, spiders and millipedes in the wild.
Are armadillos dangerous animals?
Well, Armadillos are not generally dangerous or aggressive but they are still wild animals. They can harm you with their strong claws If not properly handled. An average Armadillo will run away of it is threatened or they will withdraw their whole body into their carapace and seek protection.
Yes, the armadillo can move along fairly quickly, in a hopping fashion, if need be. Armadillos will not bite people, or anything really. They have teensy tiny mouths with small pegs for teeth. Most people seem interested in the fact that armadillos can carry the human form of leprosy.
No, armadillos are not dangerous, aggressive animals by nature. So the chances of encountering an aggressive armadillo are very rare. They are more likely to run, even if you try to chase or catch them, rather than attack you.
The armadillo can also transmit salmonella which is a serious health risk to humans. With all the disturbing problems armadillos present when living on your property; it is best not to take matters into your own hands to remove them.
How to repel armadillos from your yard?
The scent of mothballs also repels armadillos. Place mothballs around burrows as well as any areas you want to protect like your garden to stave off armadillos. Armadillos are also repelled by the scent of cayenne pepper. You can also soak a rag in vinegar or ammonia and leave it near the burrow to repel armadillos.