I have questions about 9-banded armadillo maternal care

It’s complicated sharing my place in the neighborhood with nine-banded armadillos and neighbors with pretty lawns. I have questions about nine-banded armadillos that I can’t seem to find the answer to:

  • How long does a mother armadillo stay with her newborns before she goes back out foraging?

  • How long after an armadillo is born does it go out foraging or learning to forage?

Here is the armadillo in question on her last observed excursion: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/154543435

So, last week my neighbor asked if he could trap and relocate the armadillo under my deck because it was tearing up his front lawn, and the lawns of others. I didn’t exactly say “no,” (they’re otherwise outstanding neighbors) but explained that (1) I like having 'dillos in my yard and (2) She has babies every year and I just saw her waddling about, slower than usual, in mid-afternoon to forage, which I think is a sign that she’s eating for 5 and will soon give birth to her quadruplets.

Neighbor decided to put bug killer down on his lawn and (I suspect) ask me again after the babies grow up.

That was the last day any of the neighbors saw an armadillo, even on their critter cams. We see some new holes, but not as many. There are also skunks in the 'hood and they leave similar, if usually smaller, holes in yards.

My best friend is angry at the neighbor for killing the armadillo with his pesticide-laden bugs and worms. I say we don’t have evidence of that yet and we don’t even have evidence that she’s dead. The burrow exits don’t smell stinky (I made her check :-) I suggested other alternatives, but examining them caused the questions above to pop up.

Does anyone know that much about armadillo reproduction or know a source for info? Google was not my friend on this one. It seems everyone wants to explain about their delayed implantation (which is cool, but I knew that), and no talk of rearing behavior was found other than how long before they’re weaned.

Thanks! Feel free to laugh. I feel silly already and want to share the joy.

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not sure how authoritative this is, but it’s something: https://animals.mom.com/armadillos-raise-young-9583.html

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Thanks!

I believe you will find some answers here: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_olink/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=akron1304698954
" Reproduction, Energy Budget, and the Sibling Effect in Nine-Banned Armadillo, Dasypus Novemcinctus"

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