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Posted on 05/20/2010 8:08:49 AM PDT by JoeProBono
They are all over Florida. Did they take a boat out of Houston? This could just be some truck from Texas that had one on the pile of produce, and chucked it out to die, which it is arguable whether it would- pretty resilient critters.
It has always been my understanding that all armadillos are born dead by the side of the road.
Armadillos have moved northward and spread for decades now. When I was a kid, they were not common in North Texas. Yes, I am old.
As for armadillos being roadkill, there’s a biological reason why they’re often smashed. The armadillo instinctively jumps vertically when frightened. Their eyesight isn’t good, and when they see headlights closing in on them, they jump rather than run, thus putting themselves in line for a fatal collision with the front of the vehicle.
No, that doesn’t explain their propensity for crossing roads. There’s probably a lesson here about contentment, staying in the pasture where your burrow is.
Yeah, we’ve definitely got them in Newnan. As far as I can tell, armadillos are born fully grown and dead on the side of the road.
Hilarious and informative. The Eyes of Texas! Man I love your State! I tried to explain once to someone in GA about how squirrels have no depth perception and hence, get run over. This proceeded to the observation they always seem to run from the road to their home ground, which can be on the longer way across the road and .... get hit regularly. Things we think about. Jumping armadillos- great. We use to chase after them on the farm with a truck, and they can scoot when they want to.
There used to be a pet shop in Denver that had these from time to time.
“One” of anything does NOT a pattern make...
The fire ants have about wiped the out here. Maybe if they escape to the north, they will take the fire ants with them.
Incredibly, the Department of Conservation says it is illegal to kill them.
And THAT would be a good thing-—LOL!
LOL! I lived in TX for six months several years ago--saw so many dead armadillos by the side of the road.
Indeed, they can scoot. Amazing how something with legs that short can run so fast.
I’ve rarely seen an armadillo dead from any cause other than concussion (notice that many of the ones you see on the side of the road aren’t smashed, just dead, unless the force of impact threw them under the tires.)
We had a mean dog that loved to corner any armadillo that ventured into our yard, but when the critter rolled into an armored ball, all he could do was bark madly in frustration. Between scurrying into the burrow and rolling up, the armadillo provides a great example of nature’s natural defenses.
I have known people who eat them, say the meat is white like pork. I don’t care to find out for myself.
Armadillos carry leprosy.
We’re getting them in MO now...It used to be they were confined to southern MO, but now I’ve seen dead ones within 20 miles of my home (I’m in western MO, about an hour from KC).
From yahoo search:
Armadillos are often used in the study of leprosy, since they, along with mangabey monkeys, rabbits and mice (on their footpads), are among the few known non-human animal species that can contract the disease systemically. They are particularly susceptible due to their unusually low body temperature, which is hospitable to the leprosy bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae. (The leprosy bacterium is difficult to culture and armadillos have a body temperature of 34 °C, similar to human skin.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo
[May 4, 2007] Armadillos in Texas and Louisiana have been found to carry the leprosy bacteria. Nobody is quite sure why they are infected, but it’s possible that ...
associatedcontent.com/.../armadillos_and_leprosy_.html
“I have known people who eat them, say the meat is white like pork.”
So armadillo is the other other white meat?
“The nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the research of Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, which effects 4,000 individuals in the United States (15 million worldwide). Armadillos do not develop human type leprosy; the disease among the nine-banded armadillo is usually severe and fatal (Storrs, 1982). The time between infection and development of symptoms in nine-banded armadillos is between six months to four years, as opposed to three to six years in humans (Storrs, 1982). For reasons unknown, the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. It is thought that leprosy attacks the armadillo because of its low body temperature of 92-95 degrees Fahrenheit (28-33 degrees Celsius), which in turn affects the brain, spinal cord and lungs – which is not affected in humans (Storrs, 1982).
The concern of being infected from armadillos to humans did not arise until the mid-1980’s (Wilson, 1997). At first it was thought that nine-banded armadillos weren’t able to procure leprosy due to their location. Eventually, people in Texas and in Louisiana were infected with the disease, which was later discovered that it was due to the extensive handling of nine-banded armadillos – racing armadillos, extracting meat, and making souvenirs from their shells (Wilson, 1997). Today, the nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the study of Hansen’s disease.
Conclusion
The nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the research of Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, which effects 4,000 individuals in the United States (15 million worldwide). Armadillos do not develop human type leprosy; the disease among the nine-banded armadillo is usually severe and fatal (Storrs, 1982). The time between infection and development of symptoms in nine-banded armadillos is between six months to four years, as opposed to three to six years in humans (Storrs, 1982). For reasons unknown, the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. It is thought that leprosy attacks the armadillo because of its low body temperature of 92-95 degrees Fahrenheit (28-33 degrees Celsius), which in turn affects the brain, spinal cord and lungs – which is not affected in humans (Storrs, 1982).
The concern of being infected from armadillos to humans did not arise until the mid-1980’s (Wilson, 1997). At first it was thought that nine-banded armadillos weren’t able to procure leprosy due to their location. Eventually, people in Texas and in Louisiana were infected with the disease, which was later discovered that it was due to the extensive handling of nine-banded armadillos – racing armadillos, extracting meat, and making souvenirs from their shells (Wilson, 1997). Today, the nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the study of Hansen’s disease.
http://bss.sfsu.edu/geog/bholzman/courses/fall99projects/armadillo.htm
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