Records of Nine-Banded Armadillos, Dasypus novemcinctus, in Illinois

The nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, has been expanding its range in the United State since the mid-1800s. There had been sporadic reports of this species in Illinois prior to 1990. I conducted a mail survey in 2003 of individuals knowledgeable about the fauna of southern Illinois to investigate the possible expansion of the armadillo into the state. I also sent questionnaires to animal control agencies of 22 southern Illinois counties and municipalities. The questionnaire asked about armadillo sightings in Illinois since 1990. I mailed 158 questionnaires and received 101 responses. Twenty-three respondents knew of recent armadillo sightings and ten had observed armadillos personally. I collected additional records from a variety of sources, including biologists, members of the public, and scientific collections. From 1990 through March 2008 at least 166 armadillos were documented or reported from 42 Illinois counties. Some live animals were observed, but most reports were of apparent roadkills. Ninety-one percent of the sightings occurred after 2000. Eighty-eight percent of armadillo locations that could be mapped were south of a line through central Calhoun and southern Greene counties (approximately 39°N latitude).