Talk About Rare Roadkill. We Need To Be On Lookout For Armadillos

We all have driven around town, or traveled I-70 or all the highways around our state, and it certainly isn't unusual to see various kinds of roadkill on the roads.

I have seen plenty of deer, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, birds and unfortunately dogs and cats.

But armadillos? You are kidding right? No I am not.

Nine-banded armadillos, which are not native to this area, have been spotted occasionally in northeast Missouri. They have been found in Adair County which is about 2 and a half hours from Sedalia. Just head out on I-70 or go via MO-11 S. The towns of Kirksville and Novinger has seen armadillos dead on the side of the road.

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According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, armadillos are primarily in the southern half of the state, but there have been a few sightings of individual armadillos as far north as the Missouri-Iowa state line. You can read a bit more about this HERE.

For a little bit of information on armadillos, they are characterized by a leathery armor shell and long, sharp claws for digging. They have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The average length of an armadillo is about 75 cm (30 in), including its tail. In general they are really not too dangerous. In most cases, if they are scared, they will just run away, but their strong claws can be harmful if you do not handle them properly.

So if you happen to be driving around these areas, be on the lookout for them and just let them be. And add them to the list of roadkill in Missouri that we may encounter.