Residents of Missouri and other places across the country are getting a little taste of the Lone Star State
The armadillo population in the Show Me State and in other places across the country is reportedly exploding, thanks to the warmer than normal weather climate change is bringing.
Nate Bowersock, a biologist from the Missouri Department of Conservation, told KOMU, “I think with this warmer winter we had this last year, I think that we saw a bigger expansion because animals weren't hiding in the holes in the ground trying to stay warm — they could move around a lot more this winter.”
The state has had to issue warnings and advice to Missouri residents in case they come into contact with armadillos, as it seems the majority of folks up there have no idea what to do if they come across one!
Despite their normally calm demeanor, Bowersock says that any residents having problems with armadillos can call the Department of Conservation, and wildlife damage biologists can come help residents remove the armadillos.
"... They're just a very adaptive animal, and there's not much that seems to bother them, unfortunately," he said. "So they can kind of spread and go where they want ... it's tricky to catch an armadillo."
According to the National Park Service’s website, www.nps.gov, nine-banded armadillos used to remain south of the Mexican border because large rivers like the Rio Grande and grasslands acted as barriers to their expansion.
“As water has been diverted from the Rio Grande, and grasslands have been removed, nine-banded armadillos have expanded into the United States, and can now be found as far north as Missouri and as far east as Florida,” the NPS said. “For these reasons, the nine-banded armadillo is considered a range expanding species.”