NATURE NOTE – Number 52              September 14, 2022

Introduction:

Sometimes nature throws you a curve and something turns up where it is not supposed to, or at least is unexpected.  Birds get blown off course during migration, fish and amphibians get transported by fishermen into unexpected streams, and reptiles get released after a mom says “that snake goes or I go”.  But mammals usually move on their own, seeking new territory such as coyotes or elk that I have mention before in NATURE NOTES # 26 and 30.  But today let’s discuss a relatively new comer to Southwest Virginia:

Our current topic:  Armadillos

What? You mean those goofy looking things that look like a cross between a possum and a dinosaur that live down in Texas?  Yup.  That’s the one.  Officially, it's called the Nine-banded Armadillo.  It seems like they have been on the move for a long, long time.  Originally a South American species, they were spotted north of the Rio Grande in the mid-1850’s.  By the 1930’s they crossed the Mississippi.  I saw a couple in West Tennessee in the early 1990’s in their most common position for viewing: in the middle of the interstate, somewhat flattened.  Now it seems that they arrived in the Old Dominion.  I guess those “Welcome to Virginia” signs apply to all out of state visitors.  Of note is the fact that armadillos move quite slow.  They are poor swimmers, and are somewhat picky about the soil conditions that attract them.  The soil needs to favor their favorite food, insects, and needs to be soft enough for burrowing.  While sightings have been reported as far back as 1986, the last three years or so have produced a number of sightings, mostly in far Southwest Virginia.  The “official” confirmation occurred in 2019 when one was found Russell County.  He (she?) now resides in the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville as a stuffed exhibit.  The following counties have reported sightings of at least one of these unusual critters:  Buchannan, Russell, Smyth, Tazewell, Pulaski, Washington, Wise and Wythe. Oh, and on a patio in Roanoke City.  Also in Prince Edward County, far to the east of here.  You may note that many of these localities fall within the footprint of the Blue Ridge Mountains Council.  So, when will we see the first one strolling across the parade field at Camp Powhatan?  Don’t know, but keep an eye out.  Seems like Interstate 81 might be their axis of advance from Tennessee, so if you travel that highway in Southwest Virginia, watch out for anything that looks like a “possum on the half shell” in the middle of the road with Michelin trend marks on it.  They tend to jump straight up into the air when alarmed.  This is not a good move in traffic.  There have been no verified sightings in West Virginia or Maryland yet, so it looks like we are their northern boundary for now.  They are mostly nocturnal, but have been observed during the day as well.  While there doesn’t seem to be any firm agreement on why these animals are moving it makes sense that they too will expand their populations into areas that suit their expansion, especially if there are shaded cool stream beds and water ways they can use as routes.  And now if climate change is warming up areas that might not have suited them in the past, it is logical that their movement north will continue.  They do not do well at winter temperatures below freezing.  The biggest complaint against these new guys is their burrowing ability in flower gardens and lawns in search of insects.  Several folks have reported seeing evidence of their burrowing along roads in the counties listed above.  Armadillos are rather large, about 12 pounds, and have well-equipped feet for digging.  (Skunks will also leave small circular holes in lawns, usually dug at night.)

If you want more information on these strange looking animals, there are several good articles written by Dwayne Yancey in Cardinal News, which is available on-line.  He seems to be establishing himself as the armadillo “hot line” here in Southwest Virginia.  I used his articles for information for this NATURE NOTE, as well info from the Virginia Museum of Natural History and National Geographic websites. 

Opportunities:

It will be interesting to see, over time, if armadillos can establish a population in Southwest Virginia.  In the big nature picture, populations of animals and plants change over time.  This might be a good lesson for scouts on how nature does change, bringing in new species in to an area as other species might move out because of shifts in weather or climate, changes of food source, or competition from other species, or man’s action.  Sometimes we may not really know yet why these changes occur.  That’s why fostering curiosity about nature in young minds is so important.  Do what you can to help.

Thanks for reading NATURE NOTES.  Please feel free to pass them along to other adults that might be interested on nature in our Blue Ridge Mountains Council area.  Contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bob Garst