Gloria Moman, age 12, of Milwaukee, Wis., for her question:

What does an armadillo eat?

Sometimes the armadillo is listed among the anteaters and, certainly, he eats his share of both ants and termites. However, usually there are not enough of these insects around to satisfy his enormous appetite. Fortunately his diet also includes a vast assortment of other animal food, alive or dead, plus fruits for dessert.

 The 20 armadillo species are remarkable armor plated mammals that belong to Central and South America. The nine¬banded armadillo ranges north of the Mexican border into Texas and several neighboring states. Sections of his stiff shell cover his little pointed face, his shoulders and his rump. Looping over his wide waist are nine jointed bands that allow him to

A large specimen may weigh up to 15 pounds. His small, thin head and chunky body measure 17 inches and his skinny 16¬inch tail is ringed with jointed armor. The legs that peep below his shell are really large, long toed feet with mighty claws for digging. For a creature this size, he has a very large appetite, and he does most of his foraging at night.

His favorite foods are assorted insects, which make up about 80% of his diet. When he finds a nest of ants or termites, he uses his mighty claws to rip it apart. As the panic stricken insects scurry to and fro, he shoots out his long sticky tongue and gathers them up by the mouthful. He also devours centipedes, roaches and grasshoppers, plus sugar cane borers and other insects that destroy our crops.

Certainly he is very fond of bugs and grubs of all sorts. He also enjoys bird eggs, baby birds and other small animals. He also eats any dead meat that he happens to find, especially when it is maggoty. Whenever possible, he feasts on such fruit as blackberries and tasty mulberries. Obviously the armadillo is not a fussy eater and almost anything will do for dinner. Since he eats both meat and vegetable food, he is rated as an omnivorous animal. And because of his mixed diet, people regard him as mixed blessing. His fondness for eggs makes him a nuisance in the chicken run. On the other hand, he helps to reduce the grasshopper and borer populations in the vegetable garden.

Sometimes he forages from early evening until midmorning. But he is a shy creature and prefers to keep out of sight. When startled, he can waddle fairly fast or even swim to safety. However, he feels safest in the underground burrow, where he spends most of the day.