Armadillos Have Arrived
By John Pollpeter, Lead Naturalist at
Woodlands Nature Station
People associate Land Between The Lakes with eagles, pelicans, whitetail deer, turkeys, and now – armadillos. Our region boasts the largest
population of the nine-banded armadillo in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
So let’s learn about our newest resident:
How did they get here?
Armadillos have been naturally migrating north from two southern
populations –Texas and Florida. Armadillos are native to Texas.
In the
late 19th century a resident of Florida introduced a small population
into Florida. These two populations later merged and have been marching
north ever since.
Rivers and streams do not deter their movements. Armadillos do not fear
water. Armadillos cross small streams by simply holding their breath
and walking along the bottom. They cross large rivers, like the
Tennessee, by inflating their stomach and floating across.
By 1997, armadillos had established themselves in the lower parts of
Missouri and Kansas. At Land Between The Lakes, I saw my first sighting
of an armadillo on August 18, 1997 as a young apprentice. I remember my
excitement.
Kentucky’s changing climate with warmer winter temperatures allows these
poorly adaptable armadillos to stay in their burrows during freezing
spells and resurface on our warm days to forage for food.
Are they here to stay?
Yes, armadillos are here to stay in Land Between The Lakes. Visitors and
staff have reported seeing them throughout the year, including winter.
Visitors have spotted baby armadillos following their mothers on
foraging runs. A number of hard freezing winters that would make
survival extremely difficult may be the only thing that will slow
armadillos’ natural, northern progression. Kentucky Department of Fish &
Wildlife Resources has placed armadillos on their “invasive species”
list.
Are they reptiles or mammals?
The armadillo’s armored appearance makes it look reptilian, but this
almost hairless animal is a mammal. Armadillos sport fine tracts of
hair, are warm blooded, give live births, and feed their young milk.
Unique among mammals, armadillos give birth to four identical
quadruplets every time.
Armadillos belong to a group of mammals found only in the Americas. A
common joke and misconception describes armadillos as “possums in a half
shell.” They’re related to anteaters and sloths while opossums are
marsupials, like kangaroos.
Will they dig up my garden?
Definitely, armadillos are diggers! They are built for burrowing with
smooth bodies, strong forearms, and large claws. They are not after your
tomatoes or petunias; armadillos eat insects. They eat the Japanese
beetle grubs under your lawn, the yellow jackets near the old stump, or
the termites in the wood pile.
Why do they get hit by cars so much?
The simple answer is — armadillos can’t smell Buicks.
These nocturnal,
burrowing animals have a superior sense of smell; yet their eyes and
ears are very weak. Roadways and disturbed areas provide great pathways
and hunting grounds for them.
Armadillos also use a very unusual defense behavior when startled –
armadillos jump straight up! This places the frightened creature right
at the level of a car’s grille, killing them instantly.
Do they carry leprosy?
A small percentage of armadillos do carry leprosy. This population is
located mostly in the Deep South and Florida. Luckily, modern hygiene
and antibiotics provide the best weapons against armadillos transmitting
leprosy. According to the Center for Disease Control, the risk is low
for catching leprosy from an armadillo.
In Land Between The Lakes, the best time to view armadillos is on warm
days in January or February along our back roads.
Editor’s Note: Our Armadillo story is the first of our Friday Education
stories we will be bringing to you. If you have a topic you would like
to know more about, email [email protected], and we will see what we can
do. Thanks for reading! Look for #FridayEducation on Twitter and
Facebook.
Find more information on armadillos at:
Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/exposure/armadillos.html
Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources
http://fw.ky.gov/WAP/Pages/Wildlife-Action-Plan-Full.aspx
National Geographic
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/armadillo/
San Diego, California, Zoo
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/armadillo