Austin Answered: Can armadillos swim? An expert says no, but maybe one could

Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read
An arresting armadillo sculpture appears to pop up from the concrete on the Capitol Mall.
An arresting armadillo sculpture appears to pop up from the concrete on the Capitol Mall.

This Austin Answered entry comes with a surprising personal story.

Wait for it.

The question was prompted by a recent Think, Texas column that included an excerpt from the new book, "Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country" (University of Texas Press)

Written by David M. Hillis, director of UT's Biodiversity Center, the books consists of 54 vigorous essays about nature, specifically in the Hill Country.

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While discussing the attributes of the armadillo, Hillis writes about the mammal's means for crossing waterways.

"The shell of an armadillo makes the animal heavier than water, so armadillos don’t swim," Hillis writes. "Instead, they cross streams and rivers by holding their breath and walking across the bottom of the riverbed. It is startling to follow an armadillo and watch it enter a water body and walk across the bottom."

Other sources say that, in fact, an armadillo can hold its breath for a full 20 minutes.

But wait, do some armadillos swim?

Sam Young of San Marcos begins his note on the subject with this intriguing prologue: "I suspect that this is not the only message you have received on this subject."

Young sent along an anecdote about a youthful experience that might provide an armadillo counter-example.

More: Biodiversity along Texas highways, then and now

"I was still in college at UT and I was hiking along a small creek in the Hill Country with some of my friends looking for caves," Young writes. "One of the guys managed to grab a hold of an armadillo. There was a small pond nearby.

"We had the idea of testing the question of whether or not the armadillo could swim. We intended to rescue the little guy if he could not.

"He was released in the water and his little legs took off with an amazing frequency and powered him across the surface to the other bank where he got out and ran away from his torturers.

"The question will always be settled for me."

Send your questions about Central Texas past and present to "Austin Answered" at mbarnes@statesman.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Scientists say armadillos do not swim, but at least one might have