The armadillo doesn’t come across as anything to fear. I mean it’s one animal that is all about defense, not offense. Put into a situation it considers dangerous, the animal version of an armored tank rolls up into it’s own ball-shaped fortress.
Even though they aren’t a cuddly animal like a giggling penguin, there may be another reason to keep a wide berth from the armadillo.
Physicians have recently uncovered a connection between the armadillo and a rise in diagnosed cases of leprosy in the United States. The bacterial borne illness can lead to disfigurement if not treated early. Armadillos and humans are the only known species which can contract the disease which is more prevalent in Africa and Asia. The disease can be spread by handling or eating the animal. It can also be contracted by gardening in soil where the animals have burrowed. Curious folks can probably find leprosy symptoms in the Hypochondriac’s Handbook.
Currently, armadillos are known to exist in 10 states, but infected ones have only been found in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The territory where armadillos are found is growing though, as they are beginning to make their way further north and east. I know in the last two years, I’ve seen them for the first time crushed on the highways and byways I travel. At first it was a novelty to see an armored carcass alongside the road, but it has become so commonplace now I hardly take note.
So if you run across some armadillo roadkill you definitely don’t want to try to perform CPR on it.
