EVANSVILLE, Ind., July 30 (UPI) -- The nine-banded armadillo is quietly expanding its range out of the southeastern United States, invading regions once too cold for the small mammal to survive.Scientists monitoring the armadillo's progress say the migration is a consequence of rising global temperatures. And it's a sign of more to come.
"Armadillos are a pretty good climate change indicator species," said John MacGregor, a herpetologist at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. "When things that don't tolerate cold climates are suddenly appearing in a cold area, it tells me that area is getting warmer." The armadillo's expansion across the country started slowly, but it's picking up speed. The animal made its first appearance in western Kentucky in the early 1980s, MacGregor said. By the early 2000s, sightings became yearly occurrences.
Today, armadillos are common across Kentucky -- and they keep marching north. They've been sighted in Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska. They could eventually reach as far north as New England, according to the National Wildlife Federation.This means that the climates in these regions are changing considerably."What knocks armadillos back is very long, cold winters," MacGregor said.
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