The Armadillo
Meet the Armadillo: Costa Rica’s Armored Digger
The armadillo is one of Costa Rica’s most unusual mammals, instantly recognizable for its tough protective shell. With a body covered in bony plates, strong digging claws, and a habit of scurrying quickly into the underbrush, the armadillo is a fascinating example of adaptation. Although they are shy and often nocturnal, lucky travelers sometimes catch a glimpse of one on a night hike or foraging near the forest floor.
Key Facts
Size: 40–60 cm (16–24 inches) in body length, with a tail of 25–45 cm (10–18 inches)
Weight: 3–8 kg (7–18 pounds) depending on the species
Lifespan: Around 7–12 years in the wild
Diet: Insects, grubs, worms, fruit, and small vertebrates
Activity: Mostly nocturnal and solitary
Cool Facts About Armadillos
Armadillos are the only mammals with natural armor made of bony plates called osteoderms. While they cannot curl completely into a ball like some South American species, their shell gives them protection from many predators.
They are incredible diggers, using sharp claws to burrow quickly into the soil. These burrows provide shelter not only for armadillos but also for other animals once abandoned. Their digging also helps aerate the soil and recycle nutrients, making them silent gardeners of the forest floor.
Armadillos have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to detect insects underground. They can hold their breath for several minutes and even cross rivers by inflating their stomachs and intestines to float or sink and walk across the bottom.
In Costa Rica, the nine-banded armadillo is the most common species, and while they are shy, their rustling in the leaf litter often gives them away.
Habitat and Behavior
Armadillos live in a variety of environments, from tropical rainforests to dry forests and grasslands. They are solitary animals, emerging mostly at night to feed. By day, they rest in burrows that keep them cool and safe from predators.
Females usually give birth to identical twins or quadruplets, which is one of the most unusual traits in the mammal world. The young follow their mother closely until they are ready to dig and forage on their own.
Where to See Armadillos in Costa Rica
Armadillos are secretive, but they can be found in many of Costa Rica’s protected areas, especially during night walks. Some good places to look include:
Cahuita National Park, where armadillos are sometimes spotted along forest trails
Corcovado National Park, which has healthy populations of many elusive mammals
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where night tours often reveal their movements on the forest floor
Guided tours make it easy to learn more about their habits and increase your chances of seeing them in the wild. If we do not provide the tour ourselves, you will see we have included links to other tour operators that offer sightings. We have personally been on these tours ourselves and enjoyed them! :)
