RIDGE RUNNER CHRONICLES: The Ongoing Invasion of the Armadillo
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The nine-banded armadillo has finally arrived in Calhoun County, Illinois and if you live in the adjoining counties of Jersey, Greene, Scott or Pike, it is just a matter of time before our prehistoric friend will show up in your neck of the woods too. If you are wondering how the armadillo arrived in Calhoun County despite the foreboding presence of the Mississippi, he did not hitch-hike; he swam here from the Missouri shore. Yes, this ancient creature has the ability to self-inflate by forcing air into his stomach and intestines, thereby allowing him to bob along on the surface of the water like a duck decoy. He paddles with his feet and he steers—you guessed it—with his tail.
The armadillo as a species is estimated to be more than 50 million years old. Until the Isthmus of Panama was formed millions of years ago, the armadillo lived only in South America but once the North and South Americas were connected, the armadillo headed north and now, millions off years later, it has arrived here. It is a mammal with a variety of subspecies, but the nine-banded armadillo is the subspecies here in Illinois. It has a hard shell over the top of its body, similar to that of a turtle, but the underside is relatively soft and fury. The armadillo eats insects, bugs and other invertebrates and is inclined to dig small holes for both shelter and food. An adult nine-banded armadillo is about 30 inches long and is basically the size of a cat. It has very few natural predators (other than, apparently, the American automobile). As a defense mechanism, when frightened, it will jump vertically into the air a distance of several feet, thereby distracting its enemies and allowing it to scamper away.
The most disconcerting thing about armadillos is the fact that they are sometimes infected with the bacteria known as mycobacterium leprae, the bacteria responsible for causing leprosy (now officially referred to as “Hanson’s disease”). The body temperature of an adult armadillo is about 93 degrees Fahrenheit, and this low body temperature is why this particular bacteria thrives in the body of the armadillo. Not all armadillos are infected; it is estimated that only 13 % of the nine-banded armadillos actually are vectors for this disease and more fortunately, 95% of humans are not receptive to this specific bacterial infection anyway due to our immune response system. Still, in 2024, there were over 200,000 persons world-wide who were infected with leprosy and 220 infections in the US. The good news for us is that this disease is treatable via multiple drug therapy and that during treatment, the infected person can reside with other humans without transmitting the infection to others (so long as there is no exchange of bodily fluids with the infected person). In other words, it is no longer the dreaded disease that it once was. The goal of the World Health Organization is to eliminate this disease world-wide by 2030.
There are only two ways a human can contract this disease directly from an infected armadillo; one is by eating an armadillo and the other is by handling an armadillo. Most folks have sense enough not to fire up the grill for some roasted armadillo, but be sure and tell your kids to not be touching any armadillos that crawl into the yard. For more specific details about the disease, check out the National Hansen Disease Program, which can be found at the Health Resources and Services Administration website (www.hrsa.gov).
Note: In the mid-1950’s, Annie visited a leper colony while in India traveling with her mother. Both of her parents were medical care professionals and on this occasion, Annie’s mother wanted her to appreciate how lucky Annie was, from a medical standpoint, to be living in the US and not in some third-world country where persons diagnosed with leprosy were isolated and horribly scorned for the rest of their lives. It was a lesson she never forgot.
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at [email protected].
