Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Common Names: long-nosed armadillo, common long-nosed armadillo, nine-banded long-nosed armadillo

Description:

Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is a burrowing, armor-plated mammal native to Central and South America that has spread north into the United States over the past two centuries [1][5]. MISIN tracks it because its range keeps pushing northward into the Midwest, where its digging damages lawns and gardens and its burrows can undermine structures [2][5]. It is also the only wild animal in North America known to carry the bacteria that cause leprosy in people [4].

Identification:

The nine-banded armadillo is unlike any other mammal in the region, so it is easy to recognize once seen. It is about the size of a large house cat, roughly 2 to 2.5 feet long from nose to tail tip, and weighs around 12 pounds [1]. Instead of fur, its back and sides are covered in a hard, bony shell with about nine flexible bands across the middle that let it bend [1]. It has a long, pointed snout, small peg-like teeth, large ears, and strong claws for digging [1][2]. When startled, it often leaps straight up into the air, and unlike the armadillos in cartoons, it cannot roll into a ball [1].

Armadillos are most active and easiest to spot from spring through fall, usually at dawn, dusk, or after dark when they come out to feed; they slow down in cold weather and rarely appear in winter [1]. Even when the animal stays hidden, its sign is visible year-round: shallow cone-shaped holes dug in lawns and gardens, and burrow openings about 7 to 8 inches across at the base of brush, stumps, or buildings [2].

At-a-glance cues:

1. Hard, bony shell across the back with about nine flexible bands around the midsection [1]
2. Long pointed snout, large ears, and short legs with heavy digging claws [1][2]
3. About the size of a house cat ? roughly 2 to 2.5 feet long, around 12 pounds [1]
4. Shallow, cone-shaped diggings and wide burrow holes near cover are tell-tale sign [2]

Habitat:

Nine-banded armadillos are native to Central and South America, and reached the United States through southern Texas in the 1800s [5]. Since then they have spread across much of the South and continue to move north and east; they are now found well into the lower Midwest and are still expanding [5][7]. Warmer winters and changes in land use have helped speed that spread [7].

They favor areas with loose, easy-to-dig soil, such as woodlands, brushy fields, and bottomlands, and are often found near streams, creeks, and other water [1]. Loose soil matters because they dig both for food and for the burrows they shelter in [1][2]. Their push northward is held back mainly by cold: armadillos do not hibernate and cannot survive long stretches of freezing weather [1][5].

Reproduction:

Armadillos most often arrive on a property simply by walking in. As their range expands, individuals wander into new areas and dig burrows along brushy edges, stream banks, and fence lines, sometimes spreading onto neighboring land from nearby cover [2][5]. In a few cases people have moved and released them far outside their natural range, which can start new populations [7].

Their breeding is unusual. After mating in summer, a female delays development of the embryo, then gives birth the following spring to four young that are always identical and the same sex, formed when a single embryo splits [1]. The young are born with their eyes open, can walk within hours, and are ready to breed at about one year old [1]. A female typically produces one litter of four each year, so a single pair can build into a local population within a few seasons [6].

Impact and Damage:

The biggest concern for people is a health one. The nine-banded armadillo is the only wild animal in North America known to carry Mycobacterium leprae, the bacteria that cause leprosy (Hansen's disease), and studies have linked handling or eating armadillos to human cases in the southern United States [4]. The overall risk is low ? most people are naturally resistant ? but it is real, so it is best not to handle armadillos or their carcasses with bare hands [4][7].

Around homes and gardens, the main damage comes from digging. Armadillos root through lawns, flower beds, and vegetable gardens searching for insects and grubs, leaving shallow holes and uprooted plants [2]. Their burrows can run under driveways, patios, and building foundations, and can disturb the roots of shrubs and ornamentals [2].

In natural areas, armadillos act as "ecosystem engineers": their burrows turn over and aerate soil and provide shelter for other animals, but heavy digging also disturbs ground-layer plants and the soil surface [7]. Because they feed by digging through leaf litter and soil, they can disturb the nests and eggs of ground-nesting birds, reptiles, and amphibians, a concern for stewards managing sensitive natural areas [7]. Their rapid range expansion means these effects are reaching new regions faster than predicted [5].

Similar species:

No native mammal in the MISIN region looks like the nine-banded armadillo ? its bony shell makes it unmistakable once seen [1][2]. More often, people notice the damage before the animal and confuse it with other diggers. Cone-shaped holes and torn-up turf can resemble the work of striped skunks or raccoons, which also dig for grubs, but those animals leave no burrow with a wide, armored-resident entrance and are covered in fur, not plates [2]. A large burrow near a stump or foundation may be mistaken for a woodchuck (groundhog) den; seeing the animal itself, or its distinctive armor, settles the question [2].

Monitoring and rapid response:

Signs to watch for:

1. Shallow, cone-shaped holes in lawns, flower beds, and gardens, often appearing overnight in warm months [2]
2. Burrow openings about 7 to 8 inches wide at the base of brush, stumps, woodpiles, or buildings [2]
3. Uprooted plants and disturbed mulch where the animal has rooted for insects and grubs [2]

What you can do:

1. Make your yard less inviting by clearing brush piles, dense ground cover, and woodpiles that provide daytime shelter [2]
2. Protect garden beds with fencing buried 12 to 18 inches deep and angled outward at the bottom, since armadillos dig rather than climb [2]
3. Once you are sure a burrow is empty, fill it in and tamp the soil to discourage reuse [2]
4. Live-trapping near active burrows or along travel routes can remove a problem animal where local rules allow; wear gloves and avoid bare-handed contact [2][4]
5. For natural area crews: focus first on small, outlying groups at the leading edge of the spread, monitor burrow sign across the site, and coordinate removal across neighboring parcels so animals do not simply move back in [5][7]

When to call a professional:

1. Burrows running under a foundation, driveway, patio, or other structure, where digging could cause real damage [2]
2. Repeated re-infestation after removal, or a large or persistent population beyond what hand tools can manage [2]
3. Any situation where you would otherwise handle a live or dead armadillo by hand ? let trained handlers manage it given the leprosy risk [4]
4. For chemical control options, contact a licensed applicator or your local cooperative extension office.

Report sightings to MISIN. Help track this species' spread by submitting observations through the MISIN web site or the MISIN mobile app (Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS). Photos at multiple angles paired with a precise GPS location are the most valuable data for confirming new occurrences and triggering rapid-response review.

Credits:

1. Missouri Department of Conservation. Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), Field Guide. mdc.mo.gov
2. Mengak MT. Managing Wildlife Damage: Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus). University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources / USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services. digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmother/42
3. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758. itis.gov
4. Truman RW, Singh P, Sharma R, et al. (2011). "Probable Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southern United States." New England Journal of Medicine 364(17):1626?1633. semanticscholar.org
5. Taulman JF, Robbins LW (2014). "Range expansion and distributional limits of the nine-banded armadillo in the United States: an update of Taulman & Robbins (1996)." Journal of Biogeography 41(8):1626?1630. semanticscholar.org
6. Loughry WJ, Perez-Heydrich C, McDonough CM, Oli MK (2013). "Population Dynamics and Range Expansion in Nine-Banded Armadillos." PLOS ONE 8(7):e68311. semanticscholar.org
7. The Wildlife Society. Are expanding armadillos a problem? wildlife.org

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