Armadillos are creatures that burrow underground and forage for their food. It is for this reason that they do dig holes. Typically, the armadillo is known to dig 2 types of holes. They create burrows to shelter themselves from the hot sun during the day, and they also dig shallow, conical holes that they use to graze for grubs and the like.
Armadillo burrows are often large enough for a person to easily stick their hand into, however blindly sticking your hand into a hole is always a bad idea as snakes love to move into old armadillo burrows. If you happen to come across an armadillo hole, the first thing to do is to try and find out if the hole is still active. Do this by filling it back up with soil. If the hole has been abandoned, it will obviously stay shut. If it is an active burrow, the hole will be re-dug over within the next few days. If the digging becomes a problem, your best bet is to trap the critters with a cage.
Armadillos are known to inhabit a home range of about 6 to 8 residential yards and have many burrows throughout their range. Sometimes as many as 12 in one area. They make, dig, and use many burrows and may not return to them for a few days.
Armadillos are found in North America and can often be found in places such as Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. They can also be found in other states. In the wild, these creatures prefer the shady, dense cover of brush, forests and woodlands, preferably next to a water source. Since they get most of their food by digging into the earth, they prefer loose and porous sandy soil or loam soil. Armadillos will dig their burrows inside rock piles, stumps, brush piles, and sometimes even underneath foundation. To avoid or trick their predators, these creatures often have more than one burrow in an area
Armadillos can do a lot of damage when they move into human territory. They have been known to burrow underneath sheds, homes, businesses, porches, decks, driveways, crawlspaces, woodpiles, and have even destroyed gardens, landscaping, trees, etc. They will enter foundation openings to get to these spots and will sometimes even create a hole in the foundation themselves. These creatures are equipped with very strong and powerful claws and legs that enable them to dig efficiently.
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