🌅 American Armadillos Are Expanding Northward

SOURCE

DeGregorio & Deshwal (2025)

WHAT TO KNOW

• A dead armadillo recently collected by researchers on a roadside in Ohio is thought to be the first to have entered the state naturally, marking a significant milestone in the animals’ century-long northward march. Prior to the new roadkill, only four armadillo sightings had been documented in the state’s history, however, those were written off as hitchhikers that stowed away on vehicles. Experts believe the discovery suggests armadillos will soon gain a foothold in the Buckeye State.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Scientists have tracked armadillos’ steady northward march for well over a century. Once only found in South and Central America, the armored animals eventually moved from Mexico to Texas by crossing the Rio Grande in the mid-1800s (armadillos are uniquely suited to cross bodies of water, including being able to hold their breath for up to six minutes or inflate their intestines to increase buoyancy). The animals then slowly expanded north and east, reaching Louisiana in the 1920s and Kansas in the 1940s. A 2025 study by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey found 17 states now have established armadillo populations, including as far north as Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. However, it’s believed the animals have yet to reach the full extent of their possible range, with one study predicting they could eventually reach as far north as Massachusetts.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Researchers believe armadillos’ northward expansion is mostly explained by climate change, as global warming brings more mild winters to places once thought to be uninhabitable for the cold-averse creatures. The animals aren’t considered an invasive species, however, their burrows can be problematic for agriculture and building infrastructure (the burrows also have positive impacts, like providing shelter to other species). One well-known concern about armadillos is their ability to transmit leprosy to humans, which experts say is highly unlikely to happen unless you kiss, lick, or eat one of the animals.