February 2, 2026 – February 15, 2026

Miss Daisy and her surprises

When Daisy arrived she was underweight and weak.  That’s why she let me pick her up and hold her like a baby the first few days.  I do not recommend anyone attempt picking up and holding wild armadillos, you will not win.  Now, over a pound heavier and more comfortable with her surroundings and lifestyle, she has a mind of her own and if you try and stop her she will kick you.  This is good!  I’m so glad she is putting on the weight, because she is pregnant! During her stay at UGA, they detected a fetal heartbeat on ultrasound on December 22, 2025.  On January 7 they detected two fetuses on one side of her uterus, but couldn’t see the other side.

Weird Little Guys

Armadillos have a fascinating reproductive system.  There are SO many fascinating things about them.  I love species that have gone unchanged for millennia. Armadillos, horseshoe crabs, although I have never rehabbed a horseshoe crab.  I’m sure many people have, this is what wildlife rehab is all about!

Armadillos have “delayed implantation” after mating in the summer.  The egg stays fertilized, but hangs out in the uterus where it is well cared for.  When conditions are favorable- which can be anywhere from months to years later- the egg implants and divides into 4 embryos.  They give birth to identical quadruplets!

There likely are 2 other babies hiding in her uterus and we will soon see something pretty rare.  An arma-Mommy and pups!

Daisy Diet

I have been feeding Daisy the foods she likes to eat.  Superworms, earthworms, nightcrawlers, hardboiled eggs and beef baby food. Beef.  Not chicken or turkey.  I have to hold the jar at a certain height and hold as tight as I can, because she tries to dig the baby food out of the jar.  But this is the only way I can get her to eat it.  She licks it out of the jar, but won’t off a plate. Just in the jar. I put her anti-inflammatory in it now, too, avoiding the battle administering meds causes.  I’m sure you can overfeed an armadillo but I also think a debilitated, healing animal carrying 4 additional bodies should eat as many calories and as much as she wants.  I aim for 700 calories a day, basing that on the Metabolic Energy Coefficient for her state.

Counting calories and doing fancy math

The MEC for a placental mammal, which is what Daisy is even if she seems like an alien, is 70 multiplied by her weight in kilograms, raised to the .75 power.  Then that is multiplied by her state, which is debilitated/lactating.  Her daily caloric requirement for her weight and state is 787 calories a day.   When I learned this formula I was very proud my brain understood it and started calculating caloric requirements for all the animals.  It turned out Mister Big Brown bat needed 12 calories a day.

The goal is to get that many calories in her with an eye on nutrition, calories per gram, and cost.  This has not been easy.  Superworms, especially when fed a highly nutritious diet themselves, have a slightly higher calorie per gram ratio than hard boiled eggs.  Earthworms and nightcrawlers don’t have as many calories and are expensive but she really likes them.  I am starting to get attached to the earthworms, though.  I just got in 2000 superworms which, when feeding her 300 grams a day, should last a little while.  I have tried other foods but she won’t eat them.  I did purchase a bag of Insectivore pellet which is what the zoos feed armadillos, but she will only eat food in dirt, or in a baby food jar, so I’m not sure how to get her to eat it.  It’s 3.4 calories per gram and the best bang for the buck, calorie wise!