Let’s talk about Missouri's knight and shining….Arma-dillos?
Did you know that out of the 20 varieties of armadillos found in Central and South America, only one species made its home in our country and state? Are you wondering what species it is?
It’s the nine-banded armadillo. They are named for their nine narrow plates in their midsection that give them flexibility.
The nine-banded armadillo first arrived in Texas in the mid-1800s, but it didn’t stop its northward invasion there.
By the 1980s, armadillos were becoming familiar sights as far north…as southern Missouri and southeast Kansas.
Armadillos have poor eyesight but have good hearing. Their strong sense of smell is useful for locating prey such as earthworms, ants, and grubs.
A few cool facts I will leave you with are…
- Armadillos are about the size of an extra-large house cat.
- Armadillos are the only living mammals to wear shells.
- Lastly, to cross ponds and creeks, they swallow air to inflate their stomach and intestines to become buoyant. They then paddle the surface.
More information about Missouri’s armadillos can be found online at missouriconservation.org.
