A pair of fierce armadillos flew through the air like ninjas as they battled over female attention.

Michelle Siefken, 55, had been tracking a group of raccoons when they disappeared into trees in Lakeland, Florida, US, on March 18 and started causing a commotion.

Cute footage shows two armadillos come scurrying out of the bushes instead, with one bounding after its rival mere feet in front of Michelle.

In a frenzied battle that only lasted a couple of minutes, the armadillos flung themselves at each other colliding mid-air while also appearing to use their armoured bodies like battering rams with forward rolls.

Michelle said: “They immediately made me think of ninja warriors and wrestlers. I was stunned when I saw this happening.

“This was a total surprise from start to finish. At the beginning of all this I thought three raccoons would be coming out of the bushes, not two fierce armadillos.

“Their fighting looked brutal, literally body slamming in mid-air, rolling their bodies at each other, and scraping with their long, sharp claws.

“I had been photographing and following a group of three raccoon siblings when they ran into the thick brush and trees.

“There was a commotion, lots of indiscernible movement. I was ready to capture the moment when they exited, but instead was surprised to see two armadillos come bounding out, one chasing the other.

“I have never seen armadillos act this way before. I've only photographed and filmed them foraging for food in the past.

“This is most likely one male fighting another to secure his territory and eliminate the competition for wandering females during mating season.

“Their battle appeared to last only minutes with one male running off and the other one recuperating in utter exhaustion.

“Knowing that it probably wouldn't last long and some of the action would be hidden behind bushes and trees, I made sure to capture the fast-paced battle on video with a steady hand.”

A pair of fierce armadillos flew through the air ‘like ninjas’ as they battled over female attention.

Michelle Siefken, 55, had been tracking a group of raccoons when they disappeared into trees in Lakeland, Florida, USA, on March 18 and started causing a commotion.

Cute footage shows two armadillos come scurrying out of the bushes instead, with one bounding after its rival mere feet in front of Michelle.

In a frenzied battle that only lasted a couple of minutes, the armadillos flung themselves at each other colliding mid-air while also appearing to do use their armoured bodies like battering rams with forward rolls.

Michelle said: “They immediately made me think of ninja warriors and wrestlers. I was stunned when I saw this happening.

“This was a total surprise from start to finish. At the beginning of all this I thought three raccoons would be coming out of the bushes not two fierce armadillos.

“Their fighting looked brutal, literally body slamming in mid-air, rolling their bodies at each other, and scraping with their long, sharp claws.

“I had been photographing and following a group of three raccoon siblings, when they ran into the thick brush and trees.

“There was a commotion, lots of indiscernible movement. I was ready to capture the moment when they exited, but instead was surprised to see two armadillos come bounding out, one chasing the other.

“I have never seen armadillos act this way before. I've only photographed and filmed them foraging for food in the past.

“This is most likely one male fighting another to secure his territory and eliminate the competition for wandering females during mating season.

“Their battle appeared to last only minutes with one male running off and the other one recuperating in utter exhaustion.

“Knowing that it probably wouldn't last long and some of the action would be hidden behind bushes and trees, I made sure to capture the fast-paced battle on video with a steady hand.”