SPECIES INDEX
Nine-Banded Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
This encounter was captured on film rather than in a still photograph — watch the clips below.
Identification
The only armadillo species found in the United States, easily recognized by its armored shell of bony plates (scutes) and nine flexible bands across the midsection that let it bend and twist, though unlike its three-banded cousins in South America, it can’t roll fully into a ball. It has a long, pointed snout and strong, sharp claws built for digging.
Diet & Foraging
Armadillos have poor eyesight and rely heavily on smell to locate insects, grubs, and other invertebrates buried in leaf litter and soil, digging with their claws as they forage. They’re primarily active at dawn, dusk, and at night, which makes a daytime sighting like this one somewhat unusual.
Habitat & Range
A common resident of Congaree’s floodplain forest and wooded habitat generally across the southeastern U.S. The species’ range has actually expanded significantly northward over the past century, pushed by a combination of milder winters and few natural predators, and nine-banded armadillos are now found as far north as parts of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic — well beyond their historical range.
Two Unusual Traits
Armadillos have a couple of genuinely strange abilities. They can hold their breath and walk along the bottom of shallow water, or swallow air to inflate their stomach and float across deeper water. And every litter is made up of four genetically identical quadruplets, all the same sex — a reproductive strategy shared by very few mammals.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a large, stable, and expanding population.
The Encounter
The armadillo became the defining encounter of an Apex Exposure Media outing at Congaree National Park. It was found moving through the leaf litter beneath the canopy, gathering leaves and digging through the forest floor. Unlike some of the faster wildlife encountered that day, this one gave time to stop, observe, and film — it stayed focused on foraging and never seemed bothered by the presence of the cameras.
Watch the Armadillo in Action
Filmed and edited by Heath for Apex Exposure Media.
Watch the Full Outing
This armadillo encounter was part of a longer Congaree National Park outing, filmed alongside feral hogs, an anhinga, and two woodpecker species.
Locations Documented
Apex Exposure Media has documented the nine-banded armadillo at the following location(s). This list will grow as new sightings are added.
- Congaree National Park, South Carolina — foraging through leaf litter beneath the canopy.