Armadillos moving north

www.axios.com...

What's happening: The scaly critters have slowly but steadily expanded north from Texas for over a hundred years. Now their movement is rapidly accelerating.

Armadillo sightings in North Carolina are on the rise and the state's Wildlife Resources Commission is trying to determine the extent of their range, Axios Raleigh co-author Zachery Eanes reports.

The article blames climate change. Apparently the current warming trend has been pushing these guys to expand their territory. I woldn't have thought too much about it, but driving to Greenville SC yesterday and driving back, I saw something odd. The side of the road (I20) between Columbia and Darliington, was littered with armadillo bodies. Two things struck me as odd. First off, I don't remember seeing them this far north, and two, these guys SUCK at crossing the road.

It's a little strange, but for those of us not used to seeing these critters, it's a new phenominon. Just thought I'd share what I saw.

a reply to: network dude
See, there's a positive side of global warming.
You got to see armadillos in the flesh. And blood. And maybe guts too.
I just hope the big snakes stay in Florida.

a reply to: Hakaiju

yea, the guts were colorful. A nice contrast to the grey road. Very pretty is a sick kind of way.

a reply to: network dude

them got to be Florida opossums on the half shell moving to South Carolina. cause Texas is to far away for for them to be crossing roads and make from Texas in any real big numbers.

a reply to: BernnieJGato

as bad as they seem to be at crossing roads, I'm not suprprised it's taken them this long to migrate north.

a reply to: network dude

I used to travel to Alabama several times a year. I started seeing them there around 10 or 15 years ago. They slowly made it closer to where I live in Georgia over the next few years. We now have the occasional one but they are not as common on the freeway like they were around 7 or 8 years ago. They are somehow dealing with the moving speedbumps now or they might have just moved on.

Frankly, you can have them all you want in the Carolinas. I talked to a guy at a gun store and a local park ranger was having a time with them. It seems that 9mm is not very effective at stoping them
They survive after several hits but the ranger switched to 12ga.

a reply to: BeyondKnowledge3

they eat bugs, so as long as they don't try eating me, I'll not worry too much. I just thought it was strange to see them this close to me. The climate in Florence and Darlington is very similar to that of Spiveys Corner.

originally posted by: network dude
www.axios.com...

What's happening: The scaly critters have slowly but steadily expanded north from Texas for over a hundred years. Now their movement is rapidly accelerating.

Armadillo sightings in North Carolina are on the rise and the state's Wildlife Resources Commission is trying to determine the extent of their range, Axios Raleigh co-author Zachery Eanes reports.

The article blames climate change. Apparently the current warming trend has been pushing these guys to expand their territory. I woldn't have thought too much about it, but driving to Greenville SC yesterday and driving back, I saw something odd. The side of the road (I20) between Columbia and Darliington, was littered with armadillo bodies. Two things struck me as odd. First off, I don't remember seeing them this far north, and two, these guys SUCK at crossing the road.

It's a little strange, but for those of us not used to seeing these critters, it's a new phenominon. Just thought I'd share what I saw.

What the heck is an Armadillo?

The nine-banded armadillo has been naturally expanding its habitat north from Central America since 1849. They're common in the southeastern part of the country, but throughout the century they’ve started to move further north and east.

***SNIP***

How far north will they go?

“Decades and decades ago when armadillos were moving out of the south the prediction was central Arkansas was as far north as they’d be able to survive. And they just moved up to the boundary and blew right past it,” says Dixon.

“So I think anybody that tells you how far north armadillos are capable of going. They’re really taking a gamble in making a prediction, because our predictions have been wrong in the past.”

There have even been armadillo sightings in Illinois and Nebraska, and some scientists hypothesize that they’re hitching rides on produce trucks.

Their migration is weird because Armadillos don’t like cold temperatures. They survive in the winter cold and summer heat by burying into the ground. Studies at Missouri State University are looking at how soil moisture, and the number of freeze days could be affecting their ability to survive further and further north in Missouri and in other states.

“If it’s due to something internal in their biology? Or if it’s due to climate change? Who knows! But it’s something that’s occurring naturally,” says Dixon.

www.kcur.org...

Can you get leprosy from armadillos?
Identified as a zoonotic disease – a disease which can be transmitted from animals to humans – leprosy can be found in up to 20% of armadillos, per a 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In humans, the disease appears as skin lesions, and can cause nerve damage, with the disease’s ability to lay dormant for decades often complicating the source of infection.

www.statesman.com...

Armadillo populations are increasing due to a combination of factors, including reduced hunting pressure, fewer large predators, and the construction of roads and bridges. For example, the population of nine-banded armadillos has increased due to humans killing off most of their natural predators and the construction of roads and bridges that have given them easier access to new habitats. Armadillos are also known to have begun to encroach on habitats farther north due to climate change. Nine-banded armadillos have a tendency to jump straight up into the air when they are startled, which often leads to their demise on highways. They are small enough that cars can pass right over them, but they leap up and hit the undercarriage of vehicles. They are also poisoned, shot, or captured by people that consider them lawn and agricultural pests. Some are eaten or used for the curio trade.

www.nwf.org...#:~:text=Populations%20of%20nine%2Dbanded%20armadillos,of%20trav el%20to%20new%20habitats.

If you're hungry, here's a link on how they were cooked 9000 years ago which you could try today: www.nbcnews.com...

Fun facts:
Armadillos have been around for at least 65 million years
They have 4 identical babies each year
They're diggers and considered pests by many but not considered invasive....yet. They create holes in the ground which can be hazardous to livestock and people, and farmers aren't a fan
They have tongues similar to Ant Eaters
They taste like pork
Their population is increasing
If startled, they jump straight up, up to 3 feet
They are mostly nocturnal - dawn, dusk and nighttime
They can carry leprosy though it's not common
They don't all roll up into balls
Many are identified by the number of bands around their middle i.e. 3 banded, 9 banded


And for your viewing pleasure:



Mother and babies

Pink Fairy Armadillo

a reply to: StoutBroux

wait, they taste like pork? so with some curing, we are talking bacon? Bacon bacon? Hmm......we might have a plan forming here....

Amadillos are adorable, but a lot of people regard them as pest because they'll dig up your nice lawn looking for grubs.

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

you kow what else is adorable? Bacon.

There have been a few sighted here in western Kentucky/ Southern Indiana in the last few years.

Mostly dead on the side of the road.

a reply to: network dude

You'll hear no argument from me on this issue.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: StoutBroux

wait, they taste like pork? so with some curing, we are talking bacon? Bacon bacon? Hmm......we might have a plan forming here....

Do people eat them?!

a reply to: Redrgon
Yes, many in South American countries eat them.

Armadillo meat is said to have a flavor that is similar to pork, but with a slightly gamey taste. Some people also compare it to chicken or rabbit. The taste can vary depending on the preparation method and the seasonings used. Armadillo meat is known for being lean and somewhat tough, so it is often cooked slowly to tenderize it. In some regions, armadillo meat is considered a delicacy and is prepared in various ways, such as grilled, stewed, or fried.

It's a very lean meat and needs tenderizing. I think bacon would be out of the question. But pemmican or biltong??? I have read it does need to be cooked well because of parasites etc. I'm thinking.....canned armadillo!

Novelty only btw

But hey, it could work.

originally posted by: StoutBroux
a reply to: Redrgon
Yes, South American countries eat them.

Armadillo meat is said to have a flavor that is similar to pork, but with a slightly gamey taste. Some people also compare it to chicken or rabbit. The taste can vary depending on the preparation method and the seasonings used. Armadillo meat is known for being lean and somewhat tough, so it is often cooked slowly to tenderize it. In some regions, armadillo meat is considered a delicacy and is prepared in various ways, such as grilled, stewed, or fried.

It's a very lean meat and needs tenderizing. I think bacon would be out of the question. But pemmican or biltong??? I have read it does need to be cooked well because of parasites etc. I'm thinking.....canned armadillo!

Novelty only btw

But hey, it could work.

An Armadillo burger then for me!

a reply to: network dude
Perhaps mentioned already, but those critters have a reflexive action when danger approaches. In this instance while a car may pass over one without touching it, the animal does a reflexive jump movement, hitting the underside of the vehicle. The result is usually fatal.

I've been on my property about 15 years 30 miles east of Austin. Within the last couple of years I've noticed the little holes that they dig searching for grubs, etc. Originally, I thought the holes were the common holes that squirrels do digging for buried pecans. The armadillos usually only come out at night, so largely unseen.

a reply to: CosmicFocus

I saw a Texas cattleman blow the head of a Dillo digging in his lawn.

It's headless body did impressive flips up to five feet in the air for well over five minutes.

The more you know.