Reports of armadillo sightings in North Carolina are up 67% since 2020.
A nine-banded armadillo in a ditch near Gorham, Illinois. Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesArmadillo sightings in North Carolina are on the rise and the animal appears to have an entrenched population in the state.
Now, NC's Wildlife Resources Commission is asking for help documenting sightings of the creature, as it tries to determine the extent of their range.A native of central America, armadillos don't have the bodily insulation to withstand cold temperatures. But as North Carolina's winters become more mild, armadillos have moved in.
Armadillos were first sighted in North Carolina's Macon County in 2007 — and since then have been more than 800 reports in counties from the mountains to the coast."Armadillos have established themselves in six counties" mainly in the western border counties, Colleen Olfenbuttel, the Wildlife Resources Commission’s black bear and furbearer biologist, said in an interview.
"The mountains used to be a barrier for them, but with fewer long cold spells, they are making their way."Some consider Armadillos pests due to their propensity for digging holes, destroying vegetation and eating bird eggs. AThey can also carry leprosy, though cases are uncommon, Olfenbuttel said.
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