PAIRING BEHAVIOR OF THE 9-BANDED ARMADILLO (DASYPUS-NOVEMCINCTUS)

Data on pairing behavior of nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinct us) were collected for 4 yr in a marked population in S Texas. A pair consisted of a male and female maintaining proximity (<10 m) without a ggression, pairing behavior involved those behaviors exhibited during this interaction. Some of these behaviors were only observed during pa iring. Males were responsible for maintaining proximity to females thr ough repeated approaches and by monitoring their surroundings for the location or movement of the female (i.e., exhibiting vigilance). The i ncidences of some behaviors were significantly associated with others, specifically dorsal touches by males elicited tail-wagging by females . Tail-wagging probably facilitated the transmission of olfactory info rmation about female receptivity. After tail-wagging the male was more likely to contact and sniff. Contacts, which occurred in every pairin g event were positively correlated with sniffs and tail-wagging and mi ght be used as an index of receptivity. Pairing behavior apparently ge nerated a cost of reduced foraging time for males by increasing their vigilance levels.