Armadillos began expanding into Missouri in the 1980s, and
this is about the northern edge of their range. We have seen many dead ones along
the sides of the road and occasionally alive at our house, at night. This is
the first year we have seen one active in the daytime.
The Weaver thought she might like to see an armadillo walk across
her yard. About the best I can do to help her out is show these photographs I
took yesterday afternoon.
They don’t see very well, which is why I was able to
get within about 5 feet of this one...
before it finally looked up..
.
and saw me, and took off.
They have to dig for their food, and if there is too much snow
and ice on the ground for too many days, they die of starvation. Last night, I
mentioned to Richard that I might stop by the convenience store and pick up
some fishing worms, and he said, “No. We are not going to start feeding the
armadillo!”
There is more snow on the ground this morning, and as I
drove by the convenience store on the way home from aerobics and noted the sign
“FISHING WORMS,” I was sorely tempted. But I did not stop. Nature will have to take
its course with this one.
Did I mention "DIG!?" Weaver can be glad that there is no armadillo
walking across her yard...
because this is what it looks like after they are finished...
6 comments:
Oh I would put up with that hole to have that gorgeous creature waddle across my garden - and how could you possibly resist those fishing worms. Thank you for posting the photographs - they make me green with envy!
I wonder if their bad eyesight is one of the reasons there are a lot of dead ones on the road.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that Jenks is just a little southwest of Tulsa. If you like antique shopping, Jenks is the place to go too.
Poor eyesight is one reason they get killed so easily, but another rather surprising thing is that they leap straight up in the air, so even if the motorist attempted to aim to "straddle" one crossing the road. it would likely leap up and hit the car and get killed.
I have never seen an armadillo at the ranch but we see them dead on the side of the road. On one of my senior class trips (many moons ago) we stopped at a roadside park. There was an armadillo there and the boys chased it. That has stuck in my mind all these years. I don't know why. I probably felt sorry for the armadillo.
Thank you for sharing the lovely shots! I think that they are a beautiful creature.
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