Life As An Armadillo: Armadillo Habitats Throughout the Americas
The armor-plated armadillo enjoys a variety of habitats throughout the Americas. As long as the climate is warm enough, you can find armadillos going about their business digging for insects and worms or munching on vegetation. Only one type of armadillo, the nine-banded variety, lives in the United States. They are a common sight in the south-eastern states ranging from Texas all the way to Florida. The cooler weather and lack of year-round food at higher latitudes prevent their spread northward, although changing climate has increased their range in recent years.
The rest of the nineteen species of armadillo live in Central and South America. Tropical rain forests, marshy wetlands, arid savannas and grassy plains provide homes for different types of armadillo. Their range extends as far as their food does. They live in places with dirt or sand that they can dig with their clawed feet in order to find food and make burrows. Rivers and streams pose no trouble for them, as most armadillos can swim or float across them to get from one land mass to the next.
Armadillos, from the giants that grow up to a yard long and fifty pounds to the small and sweet pink fairy armadillo, populate a wide variety of habitats throughout the Americas.
Posted in