Are there armadillos in florida

Nine-banded armadillos are good swimmers that keep their bodies afloat by ingesting air to inflate their digestive tracts and increase buoyancy. Along with humans, armadillos are the only other free-living animal in North America known to be naturally infected with Mycobacterium leprae , the bacteria that causes leprosy. If necessary, it is lawful to live-trap and relocate or humanely destroy nuisance armadillos. Contact your nearest FWC office for details.

Date: Boughton, Raoul K. DOI: doi. Home Experts Topics. The Armored Adventurer Figure 1. Adult nine-banded armadillo; notice large claws and ears.

Credit: www. Figure 2. A nine-banded armadillo probing for food. Figure 3. Distribution of the nine-banded armadillo. IUCN Figure 4. These burrows are surprisingly large — up to 15 feet deep! When an armadillo is frightened, it will run to its closest burrow. However, they make up for their poor vision with a very good sense of smell. For help controlling them, call the Orlando wildlife control specialists at Pro-Staff.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content. They Have Surprising Relatives Armadillos are related to anteaters and sloths. They Always Have Quadruplets Unlike other mammals, nine-banded armadillos always have litters of identical quadruplets. They Spread Leprosy Some armadillos carry the bacteria that causes leprosy. This native mammal of southwestern North America has expanded its range into Florida.

Introductions of armadillos also occurred along the east coast of Florida as early as the s and in southern Alabama in the s. Armadillos are now common throughout most of the state and are considered to be naturalized. Armadillos prefer forested or semi-open habitats with loose textured soil that allows them to dig easily. They eat many insects, other invertebrates, and plants. They are most active at night, and have very poor eyesight. Armadillos can carry diseases such as St. Louis encephalitis, leptospires, arboviruses, and leprosy.

The Florida Department of Health is an excellent resource for learning more about these diseases. Armadillos dig burrows for their homes or to escape predators, and a single armadillo can have several different burrows with multiple entrances. Pregnant females always give birth to identical quadruplets. She produces one egg that splits into four identical offspring that are either all female or all male. This trait differs from most other mammals. Armadillos are fascinating in other respects.