1995/12/04 by M. L. Bolkovi, S. M. Caziani, Sandra M. Caziani +2 · 6 citations
Environmental Science · Psychology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation #Primate Behavior and Ecology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies
paper · doi:10.2307/1382612
Food habits of the mataco bola or three-banded armadillo ( Tolypeutes matacus ) of the Copo Reserve, Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina, were determined based on analysis of stomach contents of 66 individuals collected from July 1986 to April 1987. Food items consisted of 70% invertebrates, 20% plant material (mainly fruits), and 10% unidentified material. The occurrence of different items was seasonal. Beetle larvae occurred throughout the period, termites and ants were more frequent during the dry season, and fruits occurred during the rainy season (summer). Based on the results of this study, we confirm that the three-banded armadillo is an opportunistic insectivore and not a specialist.