Many Claim that Missouri is Being Overrun by Armadillos

If I gave you ten guesses of what animal is most associated with Missouri, I'd bet my bottom dollar that you would not mention armadillos. However, there are many who claim that the state is now being overrun with them.

If you think I'm imagining this, you should see a topic that has become a big conversation on the Missouri sub-Reddit. It's all about armadillos. Lots and lots of armadillos being spotted in Missouri.

Armadillos
byu/Many-Chocolate739 inmissouri

The person on the Missouri sub-Reddit isn't wrong. The population of armadillos really is booming in Missouri and it's made the news many times.

You can seriously just be wandering around a Missouri highway when one of these armored critters will stroll right by you.

Are armadillos really native to Missouri?

Yes. The Missouri Department of Conservation says the nine-banded armadillo is found mainly in the southern part of the state, but the population is moving north now, too. This is the map showing where these tiny tanks have been spotted.

The most common place to see an armadillo is expired on a roadway as they unfortunately meet their end that way more often than not. Are they taking over Missouri? Not quite, but their numbers are booming to the point where you're more likely to see one than not.