Animal #4 — Nine-banded Armadillo

dasypus novemcinctus

December 29, 1981 — 12:00 noon

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas

I found this Armadillo foraging in leaves and brush at edge of woods along road to Lodge Lake. It was scraping with its claws in the dirt and sniffing about. When I first saw it, it was about 20 feet away. I got out and approached. It paid no attention until I got within five feet, then it took off in a surprisingly fast, lumbering jog into the woods. After it went about ten feet into the trees, it stopped, turned, looked at me and went back to foraging.

It was about two feet long with an armored shell covering its entire body except the head which looked rather pig-like. It was a pinkish-gray overall.

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