(WGHP) — Armadillos are expanding their range in North Carolina, and experts with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are asking anyone who sees one in the Tar Heel State to report it.
If you spot an armadillo in the wild, you can upload and share any photos on the NC Armadillo Project, which launched in 2019.
Around 70 had been reported as of Dec. 2021. As of December 2023, 167 armadillos have been reported as part of the project.
The majority of reported armadillos are nine-banded armadillos, but one screaming hairy armadillo was reported on Dec. 2, 2023. The nine-banded armadillo is native to Central and South America and was first recorded in Texas in 1849.
Nine-banded armadillo at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Getty Images) 
The nine-banded armadillo is a solitary, mainly nocturnal animal, found in many kinds of habitats, from mature and secondary rainforests to grassland and dry scrub. It is an insectivore, feeding chiefly on ants, termites, and other small invertebrates (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (credit: Jay Butfiloski) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images) 
A nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, USA (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo In Florida Wetlands (Getty Images) 
Emerging through tall grass and foliage, a nine-banded armadillo quickly walks into the open in Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in West Texas (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images) 
Nine-banded armadillo (Getty Images)
The armadillos have been expanding their range north and east in the United States and crossed the Mississippi River sometime in the early 1940s, appearing in western Tennessee in 1980 and reaching North Carolina in 2007, according to the NCWRC.
They have been reported most frequently in western North Carolina and are confirmed in around 1/3 of the state according to Falyn Owens, an extension wildlife biologist with the NCWRC.
Researchers in North Carolina believe the armadillos are moving into new areas like the Blue Ridge Mountains because of climate change.
“Whether armadillos continue spreading beyond their current range will be largely determined by climate,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, a biologist who monitors armadillo expansion with the NCWRC. “The number of counties with confirmed observations is 28, stretching from Cherokee to Dare Counties. This makes it likely the armadillo is expanding its range naturally throughout North Carolina rather than being helped by human intervention.”
Nine-banded armadillos are adaptable, and the North Carolina population will level off eventually. However, Owens says the population could take decades to stabilize.
Researchers say North Carolinians should not be concerned with armadillos in the state.
"While armadillos are often associated with leprosy, it is fairly uncommon and can easily be avoided by wearing gloves if you ... touch or handle an armadillo," Olfenbuttel said. "The main issue we see with armadillos is the damage they can cause through their foraging behavior, as they will dig up gardens, flower beds, lawns, and golf courses to find insects, grubs, and earthworms.
To report an armadillo sighting, you can also email armadillo@ncwildlife.org with the following information:
- a photo if one is available
- the date and time the armadillo was spotted
- a detailed description of where it was seen
Click here to learn more about armadillos in North Carolina.