Armadillos keep moving north; now they're in Virginia

Map shows proven and potential range of armadillos and location of the first one photographed in Virginia.

A nine-banded armadillo (Adobe Stock Photo)

The march of the armadillo, perhaps driven in part by climate change, continues. In Buchanan County, Virginia, which borders Kentucky and West Virginia, Ruby Osborne wondered what had been digging up her flower beds until she saw an armadillo standing on its hind legs, which she called “plumb comical,” reports Carrie Arnold of National Geographic. That was in 2019; several months later wildlife officials finally got their hands on one, killed by a dog near the North Carolina border. Several others have been confirmed.

The nine-banded armadillo, the state animal of Texas, has been in Kentucky so long that it is now considered a native species, Dave Shuffett reports for Kentucky Living magazine: "Its exposed underbelly makes the animal sensitive to harsh winters. Scientists say the northward and eastward expansion will have to stop at some point but they’re not sure where, given climate and habitat changes." Arnold reports: "Several studies suggest that armadillos, which prefer hot weather, could one day thrive as far north as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, aided in part by warmer winters."