(Lewis) Over the weekend, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office posted photos of an armadillo hit on a highway in Cass County.
Southwest Iowa Fisheries Biologist John Lorenzen reported on an armadillo he encountered in Adair County during the July 13 DNR report on KSOM. Lorenzen says it is uncommon to see armadillos in Iowa because the northern end of their range is where the Missouri River cuts across the state.
Lorenzen says it is presumed the armadillos travel further by climbing on trucks and trains. He says inadvertently, they fall off at some point along the route. It is also possible the armadillos could walk the distance if they are motivated to do so.
Lorenzen says if you run across one, do not handle it because they are the only mammals other than humans that can carry the bacteria that causes Leprosy. Some studies have shown that between 15 and 20 percent of armadillos in the states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi were affected by Leprosy. Lorenzen says if you encounter one of these critters, leave it alone.
(Photo-Courtesy of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page)
