--- title: "Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A bony-plated digger that smells invertebrates up to 20 cm underground and almost always gives birth to identical quadruplets." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/nine-banded-armadillo-1.webp" published: "2026-10-11" updated: "2026-10-11" --- # Nine-Banded Armadillo (*Dasypus novemcinctus*) > **Status**: Checked against 4 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A bony-plated digger that smells invertebrates up to 20 cm underground and almost always gives birth to identical quadruplets. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Neo-Classical & Baroque Chamber // Johann Pachelbel, "Canon in D" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZzSbwXZux8uAYPwfbuxux) > **Vibe Match**: One fertilized egg buds into four identical embryos. A canon is built the same way: one melody, copied note for note by voice after voice. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Dasypus novemcinctus* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2026-1.rlts.t268513068a268516717.en)) - **Superpower**: One fertilized egg splits into four identical embryos - **Habitat**: Most often forest and scrub, from Argentina and Uruguay through Central America into the southern United States - **Diet**: Mostly invertebrates such as beetles, plus small reptiles, amphibians and eggs; less than 10 percent fruit, seeds, fungi and other plant matter - **Tags**: mammal, armored, burrower, insectivore, nocturnal ## Natural History & Behavior ## One Egg, Four Clones Only a single egg is fertilized. When the embryo implants in the wall of the uterus, it buds into 4 identical embryos, and the birth is almost always four identical quadruplets. They are often born in early spring, after a gestation of about 4 months. The newborns have no hard armor yet. Their leathery skin does not harden for a few weeks, and the unprotected young are extremely vulnerable to predators. ## A Small Tank That Walks on Riverbeds This armadillo (*Dasypus novemcinctus*) is about 0.7 meters (2.5 feet) long from nose to tail tip and averages 5 kilograms (12 pounds). Males weigh slightly more than females: the average male weighs 5.5 to 7.7 kilograms, the average female 3.6 to 6.0. The armor is made of bony plates called osteoderms, covered in leathery skin. It adds up to about 16% of body weight. Despite the name, it typically has 9 visible bands, but the number can vary. This species is not capable of curling into a perfect ball like a three-banded armadillo. When threatened it usually freezes, though it can also jump straight up and sprint short distances. A frightened one usually seeks a burrow, where it arches its back and braces its feet so it is hard to pull out. > **Riverbed walker** > Small streams are no obstacle. An armadillo can hold its breath for up to six minutes, and it can swim across or walk along the bottom of a river. ## Nose First Its eyesight is poor and useless except at close distances, and smell is its main sense. It travels with its nose just above the ground and can smell invertebrates up to 20 cm below the surface. To dig a burrow it loosens the soil with its nose and forelimbs, then kicks the dirt away with its hind legs. Almost 500 separate food items make up the diet, and over ninety percent of it by volume is animal matter. Adult and larval beetles may be the largest part, but it also eats termites, ants and earthworms. Small reptiles, amphibians and eggs are a smaller part. Its teeth are simple pegs without enamel (the hard outer coat of a tooth) and keep growing for its whole life. ## Heading North The nine-banded armadillo has the largest range of any living armadillo species, from Argentina and Uruguay through Central America and into the southern United States. Beginning in the late 19th century it gradually spread to the northeast, and it is common as far north as Missouri. Cold probably limits how far north it can go: it lacks much hair or body fat, and it begins to shiver below 22 degrees Celsius. In the wild it typically lives 7 to 20 years, and one captive armadillo reached 23. The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern. It is also naturally infected with the leprosy bacterium, *Mycobacterium leprae*. In a screening of 645 armadillos from 8 locations in the southeastern United States, 106 (16.4%) had serologic or PCR evidence of infection. Cases of people catching leprosy by handling armadillos are extremely rare. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How big is a nine-banded armadillo? Around 2.5 feet (0.7 meters) measured from the nose to the end of the tail. On average it weighs 12 pounds (5 kilograms). *(Source: [National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide]())* ### Can a nine-banded armadillo roll into a ball? No. Only two armadillo species, both three-banded ones, can roll up completely. A startled nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight up into the air instead. *(Source: [National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide]())* ### How long do nine-banded armadillos live? Wild ones usually live between 7 and 20 years. One kept in captivity lived to 23. *(Source: [National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide]())* ### How many babies does a nine-banded armadillo have at once? Four, almost always, and they are identical. Only one egg is fertilized, and the embryo later buds into four. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web]())* ## Sources 1. [Dasypus novemcinctus. Animal Diversity Web.]() 2. [Nine-Banded Armadillo. National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide.]() 3. [Sharma et al. (2015). Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases.]() 4. [Arteaga et al. (2026). Dasypus novemcinctus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2026: e.T268513068A268516717.]() *Published October 11, 2026. Last updated October 11, 2026.* ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/nine-banded-armadillo/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/#website" }, "headline": "Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) | AnimalTracks.wiki", "description": "A bony-plated digger that smells invertebrates up to 20 cm underground and almost always gives birth to identical quadruplets.", "image": [ "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/nine-banded-armadillo-1.webp" ], "datePublished": "2026-10-11", "dateModified": "2026-10-11", "author": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "AnimalTracks.wiki Editorial Team", "url": "https://animaltracks.wiki" } ], "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/#organization", "name": "AnimalTracks.wiki", "url": "https://animaltracks.wiki", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://animaltracks.wiki/icon-512.png" } }, "mainEntityOfPage": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/nine-banded-armadillo/", "citation": [ { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Dasypus novemcinctus", "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dasypus_novemcinctus/", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Animal Diversity Web" } }, { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Nine-Banded Armadillo", "url": "https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Nine-Banded-Armadillo", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide" } }, { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "name": "Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States", "url": "https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2112.150501", "author": "Sharma et al.", "datePublished": "2015", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Periodical", "name": "Emerging Infectious Diseases" }, "identifier": "doi:10.3201/eid2112.150501" }, { "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "name": "Dasypus novemcinctus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2026: e.T268513068A268516717", "url": "https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2026-1.rlts.t268513068a268516717.en", "author": "Arteaga et al.", "datePublished": "2026", "isPartOf": { "@type": "Periodical", "name": "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" }, "identifier": "doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2026-1.rlts.t268513068a268516717.en" } ], "about": { "@type": "Taxon", "name": "Nine-Banded Armadillo", "scientificName": "Dasypus novemcinctus", "description": "One fertilized egg splits into four identical embryos" } }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/nine-banded-armadillo/#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How big is a nine-banded armadillo?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Around 2.5 feet (0.7 meters) measured from the nose to the end of the tail. On average it weighs 12 pounds (5 kilograms).", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Nine-Banded Armadillo", "url": "https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Nine-Banded-Armadillo", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide" } } } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can a nine-banded armadillo roll into a ball?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. Only two armadillo species, both three-banded ones, can roll up completely. A startled nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight up into the air instead.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Nine-Banded Armadillo", "url": "https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Nine-Banded-Armadillo", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide" } } } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long do nine-banded armadillos live?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Wild ones usually live between 7 and 20 years. One kept in captivity lived to 23.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Nine-Banded Armadillo", "url": "https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Nine-Banded-Armadillo", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "National Wildlife Federation, Wildlife Guide" } } } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many babies does a nine-banded armadillo have at once?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Four, almost always, and they are identical. Only one egg is fertilized, and the embryo later buds into four.", "citation": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Dasypus novemcinctus", "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dasypus_novemcinctus/", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Animal Diversity Web" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "MusicRecording", "name": "Canon in D", "byArtist": { "@type": "MusicGroup", "name": "Johann Pachelbel" }, "genre": "Neo-Classical & Baroque Chamber", "url": "https://open.spotify.com/track/5ZzSbwXZux8uAYPwfbuxux" } ] } ```