Illinoisans could spot armadillos this summer
Send a link to a friend
[May 27, 2022] By
Zeta Cross | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – A new summer sport
for Illinois: Armadillo spotting.
Dr. Agustin Jimenez, associate professor of biological sciences at
Southern Illinois University, said armadillos have been seen all across
Illinois. They are elusive and stealthy. And they prefer the dark.
“It’s difficult to find one if you are actively looking for them,”
Jimenez told The Center Square.
Scientists have no idea how many armadillos there are in Illinois, but
the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has collected sighting
reports from a number of different counties – particularly in southern
Illinois. Carbondale is an epicenter for the critters.
In Texas, people hate them because they dig up flower beds, Jimenez
said. With their highly developed sense of smell, armadillos hunt insect
larvae, maggots and earthworms.
They can detect insects that are four to six inches underground.
Armadillos don’t eat fruits and vegetables, but they upend plants and
ruin gardens when they are rooting around for insects.
Armadillos are about the size of a cat. They look like possums covered
with beige body armor shells. Three million years ago, armadillo
ancestors – twice as big as the armadillos that we see today – roamed
the Midwest. The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has fossils
that were found in Indiana and Missouri.
An armadillo’s eyesight is terrible – they only see shadows. People can
get fairly close to them. They are easy to capture on video.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/country_bauer_sda_PROM_2022.png)
[to top of second column]
|
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/chittick_sda_PROM_2022.png)
There is no reason to be afraid of them, Jimenez said.
“They don’t bite. They won’t bite anyone,” he said. “Their teeth are
very weak.”
Like anteaters, they pick up larvae and bugs with their sticky tongues.
“They basically slurp the insects,” Jimenez said.
Don’t be tempted to pick an armadillo up.
“They will jump and wriggle around. You can get scratched,” Jimenez
warned. “Their claws are exposed to all sorts of nasty bacteria that can
get in your blood.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/dare_sda_PROM_2022.png)
If an armadillo gets in a fight with a dog, the armadillo will lose,
Jimenez said. But the dog runs the risk of infection from the
armadillo’s claws.
If you shoot an armadillo or find a dead one, don’t touch the carcass
unless you are wearing gloves, Jimenez advised. There is a risk of
tetanus and leprosy from contact with armadillo blood. Leprosy is quite
difficult for humans to contract. It would be rare for a person to
become infected with leprosy through contact with an armadillo, but the
risk is real, Jimenez said.
Armadillos are mainly forest dwellers. They may build their burrows
under sheds or decks where people live, but they won’t hang around. They
will move on after a couple of weeks, Jimenez said.
Their preferred habitat is near a streambed or creek. They are good
swimmers and can hold their breaths for long periods of time. Jimenez
believes the armadillos came to Illinois by following the riverbanks
north from Texas.
People who find armadillos in their yards can call their county animal
control for help getting rid of them, Jimenez said. |