Have you seen this armadillo? NC Wildlife wants to hear from you
ASHEVILLE - If you’ve seen armadillos in Western North Carolina, the state’s Wildlife Resources Commission wants your pictures.
Wildlife is asking the public to report any sightings of nine-banded armadillos to help its biologists determine range expansion in North Carolina, according to an April 10 news release.
The animals — native to Central and South America as well as the Southwestern United States — have been moving northeast over the last century, National Geographic reported last year.
“Armadillos lack thick insulation and must dig for most foods,” the release notes. “Freezing conditions can cause them to starve or freeze to death, so mild winter temperature conditions are ideal for them. Given that North Carolina is experiencing fewer long stretches of below-freezing weather, armadillos are expanding northward.”
A Wildlife study of the species’ range expansion from 2007 to 2022 shows a dramatic increase in reports. Reports “include unconfirmed, credible, and confirmed observations,” the report says.
From 2007 to 2012, between one and nine were reported every year. By 2022 the number hit 234.
“Through 2022, we had determined that armadillo populations were established in 6 western counties (Cherokee, Clay, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania counties), based on the description provided in confirmed reports from those counties,” the study, authored by Wildlife biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel, says. “We can verify population establishment, in which breeding and reproduction is occurring, through confirmed reports of multiple armadillos observed together.”
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Based on reports of sightings, the wildlife commission suspects that “the armadillo population is becoming established” in Buncombe County, the study says.
"The Nine-banded Armadillo is a unique mammal, with its armor-like skin and long, scaly tail. It is named for the bands (range from 7-11) across its midsection," a fact sheet from the wildlife commission says.
"It has deerlike ears and and has been nicknamed “Armored pig” for its long, pig-like snout, which it keeps to the ground to forage by smell. They often travel slowly, in an erratic, wandering pattern as they forage, and sometimes can be heard grunting like a pig. Armadillos have small, peg-like teeth that are used to mash and grind their food, capturing most of their prey with their long, sticky and flexible tongue."
Locally, the animals have drawn frustration from residents as they tear up lawns, golf course fairways and gardens, the Citizen Times has reported.
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“Whether armadillos continue spreading beyond their current range will be largely determined by climate,” Olfenbuttel said in a statement with the news release. “The number of counties with confirmed observations is 28, stretching from Cherokee to Dare (on the coast) counties. This makes it likely the armadillo is expanding its range naturally throughout North Carolina, rather than being helped by human intervention.”
Spotters can submit their photos of nine-banded armadillos with the iNaturalist app on iPhone and Android, or by emailing armadillo@ncwildlife.org.
Wildlife asks that spotters include the following information:
A photo of the armadillo (if available).
When it was observed (date and time).
The location where it was observed (GPS coordinates are best, but a detailed location description is acceptable).
As of the afternoon of April 10, the iNaturalist page says that 97 observers have made 119 observations of two species.
Dasypus novemcinctus — welcome or unwelcome — appears to be an increasingly common sight across North Carolina.
Ryan Oehrli covers public safety, breaking news, courts and other beats for the Citizen Times. Comments? Questions? Tips? Send them to coehrli@citizentimes.com or 252-944-6816. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Have you seen this armadillo? NC Wildlife wants to hear from you
