Featured Soil Builder: The Little Armored One

It might surprise you to learn that watching a herd of majestic bison grazing on rich and diverse grasslands illuminated by the golden hour of a glorious sunset is NOT the trip highlight for people who come and visit our ranch. Instead, the most remarkable encounter that sends visitors into a complete frenzy happens at the sight of a nine-banded armadillo, exiting its burrow or foraging for food.

With the general ethos of "setting a place at the dinner table" for all forms of creation, we see the regal armadillo as an important keystone species that has the potential to create a net positive impact on our land.

Now let's discuss the armadillo's inherently encoded ecosystem engineering duties as well as what we have observed firsthand.

First and perhaps most importantly, armadillos are prolific diggers who create extensive burrow systems that benefit other critical wildlife. I have seen rare burrowing owls, rabbits, beneficial snakes, and field mice use abandoned armadillo homes as shelter and nesting sites for their young. If ground nesting baby owls don't melt your heart, then the other benefits of burrowing armadillos might win you over. These include soil aeration, nutrient cycling, seed dispersal, and improved water infiltration — all of which are critical indicators of land health and a desired outcome of any regenerative rancher.

Not only do armadillos provide shelter for native wildlife, they also provide a critical food resource for various predators that include coyotes, bobcats, and hawks! We have an "understanding" with our native predators which includes permission for them to fill their bellies with wildlife so they are never tempted to eat our livestock. So far this agreement seems to be working well as we have thriving populations of predators as well as a successful poultry program!

As insectivores, armadillos primarily feed on pest populations of insects, grubs, and other invertebrates. This not only creates natural  balance and control of undesirable insect populations, but connects the flow of energy from smaller insects and invertebrates to the apex predators previously mentioned in a complex food web that ties our community of life together.

It is through their innate ability to disproportionately create a positive impact on land that we cherish armadillos as regenerative beings. Here's to the great burrowers and insectivores of the land. May your armored bellies be full and your life affirming light shine brightly upon our land.

Written by Taylor Collins

Co-founder of Force of Nature, Land Steward at ROAM Ranch