Armadillo population on the rise in Nevada

An armor-backed, long-nosed, nearly-blind lawn-wrecking machine -- the nine-banded armadillo, is invading. They're encroaching on Nevada in ever-increasing numbers. Tim Russell, Wildlife Regional Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation at the Southwest Regional office in Springfield confirms what many local drivers have suspected, the population of armadillos is increasing and its range is expanding. "It's all cyclical," said Russell. According to conservationists, the animals can't take the cold winters and are commonly associated with warmer climates, but the drought years have allowed the species to expand their range. A series of cold, hard winters with prolonged periods of ground-covering snow will most likely reduce the armadillo population. Despite having long nasty claws, armadillos are not normally a danger to humans. The most devastating impact that armadillos have on the local population is that they are voracious diggers and can wreak havoc on lawns or pastures. Pat Miller, West Central Region Agronomy Specialist for the University of Missouri Outreach and Extension Office said, "They will rototill your lawn." While an armadillo is not considered a danger they are the only wild animal in North America that can carry leprosy. Russell said that only certain individual animals may carry leprosy. However, it has not been determined if human beings are in any danger of contracting leprosy from the Missouri armadillo. Even so, it does not hurt to take some precautions. "We don't advise eating armadillos," said Russell. The diet for an armadillo is commonly made up of insects and larva. Russell says that they have been occasionally known to eat fruit or roots. The search for bugs is what causes armadillos to dig up a lawn. They are most commonly seen around dawn and dusk during the summer but can be seen in the warmer parts of the day during the winter. A nine-banded armadillo female will produce one litter each year with a 150-day gestation period. What is unique about the armadillo, is that a litter will always consist of quadruplets of the same sex. Armadillo problems can be easily solved. Miller said that because armadillos are mostly blind, they can be easily funneled into a trap, but they are hard to chase. "They can run faster than you think they can," cautions Miller.