| The Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) occurs widely across all of the southeastern United States and southward into Central America. It can be common in parts of Texas where it is often regarded as a nuisance because it digs up suburban gardens in its search for food. There is sort of an interesting story behind the two photos shown here. In March, 1995, I was sitting in a blind at a water hole in south Texas. It was a very warm day, probably in the upper 90s, which is not all that unusual for March in that part of the country. It was late in the afternoon and I was set up with a long lens to photograph small birds coming in to drink. I noticed an Armadillo walking toward the water and realized I had too much lens on the camera to get shots of the whole animal, and I foolishly did not have a shorter lens with me. So, I took a number of close up shots of the critter as drank its fill and then actually lay in the water on its side as if cooling off. Never before or since have I seen an Armadillo lay in the water and seem so absolutely relaxed and at peace. After a few minutes, the animal wandered off. These shots were taken with a Canon T-90 and a Sigma 500mm F/4.5 lens on Fuji Sensia. Scroll down for more shots. |
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| The next set of shots were digital images in March, 2006, near Edinburg, Hidalgo Co., Texas. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens. The first two images show the animal drinking. Have you ever seen an Armadillo's tongue before? Below the images of the animal drinking are several shots of an Armadillo burrowing and digging and a shot of the animal laying in the water, which they will do to cool off on a hot day. |
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| The Armadillo in the next 4 shots was near Mission, Hidalgo Co., Texas, in April, 2008. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 300mm F/4 L IS lens. |
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| The next 3 images of Nine-banded Armadillo were taken in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in December, 2008, with a Canon EOS 40D and an EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS lens. |
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| The Nine-banded Armadilloin the next two shots on the right was foraging in dry grass along the roadside near Lake Marvin, Hemphill Co., Texas, in January, 2011. These images were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and a Sigma 50-500 lens. |
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| The armadillo on the right was also in Hemphill Co., Texas, in January, 2011. |
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