MID-MISSOURI – Mid-Missourians may have spotted more armadillos than usual lately, and the Missouri Department of Conservation says the population of the critter in the Show-Me State is increasing.
Armadillos are becoming more common in Missouri — particularly in the southern and central regions of the state, according to Nate Bowersock, a biologist from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The shelled mammal’s presence has been expanding in the United States since the late 1800s when humans brought it into Texas from Mexico, Bowersock said.
According to Bowersock, armadillos are not aggressive and don’t pose a substantial threat to humans or other living things, but they do have some interesting behaviors.
“One thing that armadillos do with they’re frightened is actually jump,” Bowersock said.
When you see an armadillo while driving, Bowersock said, try to slow down or go left or right.
“But obviously, everyone’s safety is more important than swerving for any animal,” Bowersock said. “So the big thing is, just try to slow down is your best bet.”
While armadillos are native to South America, humans introduced them to the southern U.S., and climate change could be the reason for the animal’s move farther north, Bowersock said.
Armadillos are sensitive to cooler temperatures, so with average annual temperatures increasing, they are able to tolerate moving north into areas that were once cooler.
“It’s anecdotal with climate change, but you do see a steady increase from out of the … southern portions of the state northward, and that this point, most counties within Missouri have at least had a sighting of armadillos,” Bowersock said.
Increased amounts of noticeable roadkill has been one indicator for Bowersock of the armadillo’s expansion into the state.
“I think with this warmer winter we had this last year, I think that we saw a bigger expansion because animals weren’t hiding in the holes in the ground trying to stay warm — they could move around a lot more this winter,” Bowersock said. “I think that might have helped move the animals around a lot more and why we’re seeing more animals dead along the side of the road.”
Armadillos primarily eat bugs like worms, spiders and other invertebrates, which gives them a habit of digging. They also burrow when it’s time for them to give birth, and this habit of digging can upset property owners, according to the Department of Conservation’s website.
The department’s website says armadillos that cause damage may be trapped to prevent further damage. It also says that while they may be shot with a BB-sized shot, they are nocturnal and nomadic, so this isn’t usually practical.
Bowersock said residents having problems with armadillos can call the Department of Conservation, and wildlife damage biologists can come help residents remove the armadillos.
“… They’re just a very adaptive animal, and there’s not much that seems to bother them, unfortunately,” Bowersock said. “So they can kind of spread and go where they want … it’s tricky to catch an armadillo.”
