Nine-banded armadillos reach sexual maturity at the age of one year, and reproduce every year for the rest of their 12–15 year lifespans.
Mating takes place during July to August in the Northern Hemisphere, and November to January in the Southern Hemisphere. A single egg is fertilized, but implantation is delayed for three to four months to ensure the young will not be born during an unfavorable time.
The gestation period of the nine-banded armadillos is four months and the females of this species always give birth to identical quadruplets! The little ones remain in the burrow, nursing on their mother for approximately three months. They begin to forage with their mother once they are weaned and they eventually leave after six months to a year. A single female can produce up to 56 young over the course of her life.
The leading predator by far of nine-banded armadillos today is humans, as armadillos are locally harvested for their meat and shells. Many thousands of armadillos also fall victim to auto accidents every year.
