Care Guide Reference

Six Banded Armadillos
Euphratus sexecentus
South America

Since obtaining my pair of Six Banded Armadillos I have found them to be some of the most enduring creatures that I have ever kept.

They are fairly easy to maintain in captivity providing that you are able to provide them with a few simple requirements.

Firstly they are persistent scratchers and burrowers. So it is very important to ensure that there pen is of substantial construction. I have used 1 inch thick plywood to make a pen 8 feet x 6 feet the side walls are 2 feet high which keeps them in. They are unable to climb but will make for an escape if they can find something to perch on.

Underneath the plywood I have lined the wood with wire 2 inch square purely as a precaution should they scratch their way through the floor. Armadillos do not chew so you are able to put branches etc in the pen for them to play around with. I am a great one for environmental enrichment so I have drilled some deep holes in some pieces of seasoned oak, which I fill with meal worms they enjoy ferreting around trying to dig out the tasty tit bits.

Another idea is to use one of those balls which is used to put cat treats in Fill it up with meal worms and they have hours of fun rolling it around.

The armadillos have separate sleeping quarters which is heated permanently this is quiet a dark and quiet place which gives them an opportunity to get away from it all if they wish.

Out in the main run I have suspended a heat lamp. The armadillos spend at least two hours a day sunbathing. Sometimes they lay with their tummies facing upwards other days they just splay out under it.

As for substrate I have found that saw dust works quiet well. Especially as any spots where the armadillos have soiled can be cleaned up easily. They do have specific spots where they urinate and defecate.

These can be smelly if you dot remove them on a regular basis.

As for feeding there is not a lot of information around to tell you what they eat in captivity at least not in English so I went for the broad option and gave them just about everything that I thought was suitable to begin with.

So here is the list of what my armadillos seem to enjoy

Parsnips cut into small dice

Carrots as above

Broccoli cut into small florets

Diced apple

Diced pear

Celery sliced

Avocado small pieces

Potato cut into cubes

Sweet corn they love

Watermelon they love even more

Sweet potatoes cubed

They do not seem over keen on salad items

I feed them every other day on with cat food and on the other days they have chicks or mice plus mealworms.

I have tried crickets but as their eyesight is poor they all seem to make a run for it before they can be eaten. A way around this is to freeze the crickets

They love cockroaches, which again I freeze before feeding.