August 04, 2025
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Down the Garden Path: Armadillos, the ‘Little Armored Ones’

By Jamie Viebach, University of Illinois Extension
Sue Wahlgren, who is retiring as Cosley Zoo director, greets Dig, an armadillo at the Wheaton zoo.

Dig is an armadillo shown here at the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton in 2024. Armadillos were first spotted in southern Illinois in 1979. Since then, they have been steadily moving northward and now are known to occupy the southern half of the state. (John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com/John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com)

There are a number of animals that feel very exotic to me here in northern Illinois: platypuses, lions, capybara and armadillos. At least one of those may not be so exotic for much longer.

Natural history

Nine-banded armadillos are mammals that are closely related to sloths and anteaters. The name “armadillo” came from early Spanish settlers and means “little armored ones,” in reference to the armoring on their backs. This armor is made of small bones embedded in the skin, called scutes, which are covered in keratin.

Unlike turtle shells, which also are made of scutes, armadillo armor is held together with collagen fibers, allowing it to flex with the armadillo’s body. While popular media would have you believe armadillos roll up into a ball for protection, this is only true of a few species, and not the nine-banded.

Armadillos have poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell. They use their long claws to dig for food, which consists mainly of insects such as grubs.

They also are good swimmers. They can hold their breath for up to six minutes, walking along the bottom of the body of water or swallowing air to increase their buoyancy.

Armadillo moms give birth to identical quadruplets that are born with soft, leathery skin that hardens in a few weeks.

Northward bound

Armadillos were first spotted in southern Illinois in 1979. Since then, they have been steadily moving northward and now are known to occupy the southern half of the state.

Since they have little hair and depend on insects for food, they cannot survive for long in temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. As the climate becomes warmer and there are fewer severe winters, their range could be moving further north.

How you can help

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is looking for help spotting them! If you see one in the northern half of Illinois, you are asked to report it. If it’s safe to do so, take a photograph to submit as well.

Do not handle armadillos or soil that may be contaminated with their feces. While rare, armadillos have a body temperature that is low enough for them to host the leprosy bacterium. According to the Missouri Poison Center, there are only about 150 to 250 cases of leprosy in the U.S. Although most of these cases originated from outside of the country, a few have been from contact with armadillos.

References

  • Missouri Poison Center: missouripoisoncenter.org/armadillo-the-little-armored-one
  • Wildlife in Illinois: wildlifeillinois.org/identify-wildlife/armadillo
  • Illinois Department of Natural Resources: dnr.illinois.gov/education/wildaboutpages/wildaboutwildmammals/wawmninebandedarmadillo.html

• Jamie Viebach is the University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator serving DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties. Viebach’s primary areas of expertise are native plants, landscaping, pollinators and rain gardens.