Nine-banded Armadillo Scat and Tracks: How to Identify Them (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Armadillos dig: shallow cone-shaped holes in lawns and leaf litter are their most common sign, and their tracks show three prominent clawed toes on the hind foot and four on the front, sometimes with a tail drag mark between them. The measurements below for Nine-banded Armadillo are quoted from the wildlife agencies linked at the bottom of the page.

• Shape: Round, marble-like
• Contents/color: Made mostly of clay/soil, because armadillos swallow large amounts of dirt while eating soil-dwelling insects

• Front: Front footprint about 1.75 inches long, 4 toes, with the two middle toes close together and the two outer toes short and splayed outward
• Hind: Hind footprint about 2.25 inches long, 5 toes
• Toes: 4 toes on the front foot, 5 toes on the hind foot; toe prints and the palm pad print are often not distinctly separated
• Claws usually show
• Gait: Leaves a straight-line travel path with small foraging pits dug along the way

• Small foraging pits: Watch for digging and soil-turning marks left by armadillos rooting for insects

The Illinois source page states that the Nine-banded Armadillo's appearance is highly distinctive and is not easily confused with other animals in the state

Put something of known size next to it (a coin, a pen, a boot) and shoot straight down in soft light; low side light brings out the shape of tracks in mud or snow. For scat, photograph the whole deposit and one close-up showing contents. Note where it was: on a log, in the open, on a trail, near water. The app suggests the likely animal; confirm with the size and shape notes above.