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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — An animal common to southern states appears to be making its way into Indiana. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says four armadillos have been found dead in southern Indiana in recent years. All four nine-banded armadillos were fresh road kill, Scott Johnson, a DNR mammal ecologist, told The Herald-Times. The first was found in 2003, near the Illinois state line in Gibson County. Others have been found in Gibson, Dubois and Vanderburgh counties. “They’re all over southwestern Illinois, and a few are farther north. They seem to survive mild winters,” said John Whitaker, a biology professor at Indiana State University and author of “Mammals of Indiana.” Armadillos can be found from New Mexico to North Carolina, from Florida as far north as central Illinois. Whitaker said the armadillos may be expanding their range to Indiana. “I’m guessing that may happen,” he said. “We’ll have to see what they can do over the winter.” Armadillos are mammals, but have a hard outer shell. Their main diet is insects and grubs and adults are about the size of a large house cat. Johnson said southern Indiana residents might see evidence of the armadillos digging at night for grubs in soft soil or come across them on the roadway.
Posted 11/10/2008
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