Yep, that's an armadillo...caught in the middle of town last week.
The man set the trap to catch the coon or possum that was getting into his garbage...and low and behold, the culprit was an armadillo!
I knew that they were moving north, but figured we had a few more years before they got here...I've been doing some investigating since the report and have heard of 3 more caught/cornered in the area the past few years...let's hope the fire ants hold off for awhile....
Okay, someone please give me some info on these critters!!!We just ran another one out of our yard tonight!! Im not used to these things!! Are they harmful,to pets or livestock? Do they dig up or eat gardens? What do they do?
Can you tell Im a leeetle bitty bit nervous! No Im not scared of them I just dont Know what they are!!! We never had to deal with these critters before!!!
(((E))))
Does anyone have a theory of why they are moving north?
They're not the only critters that are reported to be making tracks north, either .. and moving westward.
There's talk, that much of the migration/movement is attributed to 'global warming', etc. The claims and the scientific research, range extensively .. including: that they are moving away from the fire ant. (Melody: ya mite oughta 'prepare', soon .. lol)
The 'armydillers' have steadily been moving northward, for quite a number of years now. Many claim that the trek northward will eventually be hampered by the frozen grounds .. that such will prevent them from burrowing and finding food and shelter. However, it seems that even our lowly lil armored digger can easily adapt, and will evolve to other feeding habits and provisioning for itself: their life history can account for much. Nature never fails to amaze us ...
Some truly interesting reads/facts about the Armadillo .. is here > http://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/facts.html
A wee dated article, but does provide some interesting tidbits about them ..
Here > http://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/expansion.html
I'm sure that there are more articles and information associated to the phenomenon.
Try some on this list, also > http://www.ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=Armadillos+moving+further+northward&language=english&cat=web&cmd=process_search
- Magpye
In CA in my parents neihborhood , Mt. Lions have been found in back yards!!!!!! in the city!!!!!.
This is in Palo Atlo CA , well over the last 20 yrs the population has gone up so rapidly an people are moving up ,up and up more in the foothills, so it is pushing out the ML habitat, they also theorize that it is the yuonger lions that are following the creeks that lead in to town and are lined up with peoples backyards ,well and Palo Alto is known for having an enoumous amount of trees
I relize this has nothing to do with armadillos ,but i found it interesting that you where talking on why the crtters are heading up north. Mt lions are heading inland, yikes.
glad i live in Ohio, no Mt lions here .
sue
Well I found out that " Dillars"like young Sweet potato Plants, ( "Sigh")!
ROFL
Taynors - it's so funny that you mentioned marshmallows! We tried to trap an armadillo a few years back and were told to bait the trap with marshmallows. So, I guess they do like them with their sweet potatoes!
Eufaula - we live in the country and have regular visits by these creatures. They dig in my beds for grub worms and can really plow up a bed overnight, but so far they haven't done any damage to the plants. I'd be more than happy for them to rid my beds of the grub worms!
I didn't know they liked sweet potato vines. I had to stop growing them in pots on my patio not because of armidillos, but because of my dogs. Especially our Basenji. He thought we were growing salad just for his pleasure. Now that there's no sweet potato vine he has decided he likes tender wisteria vines. He's kinda strange.
Debra
A big ol 'hearty' welcome to DG, to ya .. fleursdefouquet/Debra!
- Magpye
i typed in to Ask.com an i came up with alot of info, to much to list LOL but i did find one interesting site with a woman having Armydillo problems too. www.myusm.com a woman on the forum talks about her problem and you can read all the responses which are quiet funny and some are just darn right sick, but if you are interested . The y did talk abut a control that is put on the area and the Armydillos don't like the odor . maybe that would work for you Melody.
sue
I don't think we've got very many at the moment...this one is the only one that has actually been verified, although we've heard stories of 3 or 4 more over the past few years.
They must be adapting to the more northern climate...they've got very slow metabolisims and can't stand temps below 24 degrees for very long. Well, we get colder than that..so they're surviving somehow.
They also don't have many teeth...just a few molars, since their main food is insects (ants especially) They're relatives of the bigger anteaters and sloths...not possums and such...although, the possum was a South American creature that wandered north too.
Been researching the critter and from the looks of things, we may get a few more over the coming years, but we shouldn't be over-run by them in my lifetime.
Probably rate more as a oddity ,than the full fledged pest that they can be in warmer climates.
I had NO idea we had those in Ky.
OMG! Vindication... I grew up in Marshall County.. Palma.. Griggstown Road actually.. I always said they were coming but everyone thought I was nuts. They like sweet taters? maybe they just came for tater day :)...
ROFL
I grew up on hwy 68 right at the Possum Trot..(yep, folks...real name) cut off road. I could ride my horse down to the George Clark Rd and cut over to the Griggstown Rd. They've now taken the old Griggstown 1 room school and moved it to the high school campus and restored it...they actually use it for special classes. My aunt and uncle owned the little grocery store at Palma...I remember the icehouse with the big blocks of ice. I now live in the south end of the county between Benton and Murray.
Back to the 'dillos......I saw one north of Memphis about 15 years ago killed on the road...so I knew they were coming too. We also go to the Ozarks every fall and I've seen them over there in the hills....in pretty hefty numbers.
There's been a few reports here and there about sightings in the county..but no pictures.
Oh wow found some interesting info on the 'dillos
apperently about eleven thousand years ago with no rhyme or reason all north american 'dillos when extinct. The current one from started a steady march north that saw it crossing into texas in 1850. Thier expansion is 10 times that of what should be excepted for a mammal.
This message was edited Jun 14, 2006 10:06 PM
Well my sweet taters are okay! Well they would be if we would get more than 15 minutes of rain every three weeks! The dillar only scrunged around and got himself some grubs I guess!
I m thinking I might have a Mama burrowing close by! She hasnt left my yard for a while! She dissappears during the day but every night she makes her rounds! I can tell every morning where shes been because of the little holes she leaves when she roots around for insects! She really likes to go to spots where Ive planted something,I guess cause the ground is softer?
Im going to try and get a picture of her! Oh wouldnt it be something if I could find her with babies?? Oh my I might have to camp out in the back yard!LOL
Good luck with your photos, Eufaula. These creatures are practically deaf and blind so you should be able to get close. We drove up to within 5' of one on a Kawasaki Mule and it never knew we were there! Guess that explains why so many end up as road kill. Yuk.
Debra
apperently about eleven thousand years ago with no rhyme or reason all north american 'dillos when extinct
We drove up to within 5' of one on a Kawasaki Mule and it never knew we were there!
Resin may be right about the spread being helped by humans. Here's an excerpt from an article I found:
"Human beings have contributed significantly to the spread of armadillos. Some have been captured or purchased as curious pets and later escaped or been intentionally released. In these ways breeding populations were initially established in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Some people may have carried armadillos into new territory for human consumption. The animals have long been considered a legitimate game animal in Mexico, and the practice of eating armadillos was adopted by residents of South Texas when the animal migrated there. During the Great Depression, East Texans stocked their larders with armadillos, which they called "Hoover hogs" because of the animal's supposed pork-like flavor (some say chicken-like) and because they considered President Herbert Hoover responsible for the depression. Currently, barbecued armadillo and armadillo chili are popular foods at various festivals in parts of Texas, Arkansas, and the southeastern United States."
The entire article is here:
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/AA/tca2.html
However, I'd have to say that my husband and I attended a lot of festivals over the years in Texas, and I don't remember ever seeing a booth serving armadillo! (Yuck.)
This message was edited Jun 15, 2006 10:16 AM
I didn't know we had them in KY either!
They'll probably find their way to our yard, because I put birdfood out year round for the birds and bunnies (and everything else - raccoons, squirrels, possoms, chickmonks, deer, etc.....)
Marilyn
armadillos do not eat sweet potatoes or any other veggies. The are insectavours and feed primarially on grubs and insect larva found in the soil or rotting vegitation. The will make a mess of your yard or garden as they grub and dig around. They are very near sighted and if you are very quiet(do have good hearing) you can sneek up on them and grab them by the tail( hold them up and away from you. They will not bite you but they have very sharp ,strong claws for digging.
That's a hoot! Thanks!
I live in Texas, and they're everywhere here. My mom has tons in her yard (she live a bit more in the country), and all they tend to do is "rototill" the soil. None of her plants have been affected, and her mulch stays nice and fluffy;) Unfortunately in Texas armadillos have gotten the name of "Texas Speedbumps" because they tend to be a common roadkill.
used to see lots in Texas hit now we do in okla. lots and hit to...one sunday i seen small young baby one on side road. i was tempted to stop try to catch scared it would bite me really small and alone..
Twyla
I had always thought an armydilow was pretty much just a "hard-shell opossimum," an' if that is the case, they shouldn't have much of a problem moving much of anywhere, because they are so omnivorous---they can make do with about whatever kind of food they find.
Of course, armydillows dig burrows, whilst opossimums lives in trees, an' opossimums are marsoupysales whilst armydillows have no pouch for their young, but yet an' still, it seem to me that they is some simiackrities betwanxt armydillows and opossimums!
To them what is scared of armydillows, from all I have read about 'em they is pretty dumb, pretty harmless animules,(except for the possibilty that they might could chew on some of yer plants.) But I think a member said they don't even do that.
I have said this before, but maybe it bears repeating: I read that when armydillows became really thick in Texas or somewheres, people started eating 'em, an' several people got leprosy! So maybe it is a good idea not to eat 'em...
This message was edited Jun 22, 2006 9:16 PM
FYI....Armadillos carry Hansen's Disease (aka Leprosy). Several years ago they were doing a study on the incidence of leprosy in the armodillo population. Because there are so many in NW FL, they offered a bunty for the folks woh worked out on the Eglin AFB reservation...something like $50 for each LIVE armadillo brought in. They had plenty of takers from the good ole boys around there...but I darn sure would not have gone near one.
