Armadillos might seem like creatures of the South, but these hard-shelled mammals are steadily creeping north. Chicago, specifically, may not have to wait long.
Warmer winters, along with earlier human-driven changes to the landscape, are helping armadillos expand into places where they historically could not survive.
According to WTTW News, the only armadillo species currently found in the United States is the nine-banded armadillo — more specifically, the Mexican long-nosed armadillo. After entering Texas from across the Rio Grande in the mid-1800s, the animal has kept moving gradually north, and Anderson Feijó, assistant curator of mammals at the Field Museum, said Chicago could see them within "five to 10 years."
That prediction no longer sounds far-fetched. Armadillos are already established enough in southern Illinois that sightings are not unusual, and researchers are now watching how fast they spread into the central and northern parts of the state.
Scientists may have even picked up an early sign that the animals are closer than expected. During a 2021 project in the Kankakee River, Field Museum scientist Sophie Picq detected a small amount of armadillo environmental DNA, or eDNA, in samples. It was not enough for full confirmation, but enough to raise eyebrows.
Feijó said armadillos have repeatedly defied expectations about how far north they can spread, adding that climate change is likely a major reason: "As the winter is getting warmer, so they're able to colonize and survive through the winter. And then in the spring they can reproduce and increase the population."
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While armadillos are native to the Americas, Illinois ecosystems did not evolve alongside them.
New arrivals can disrupt the balance for native species. Feijó said armadillos could compete with mammals such as raccoons for food and may also threaten ground-nesting birds that have no natural defense against a digging, armored predator.
There are human impacts, too. Armadillos can damage lawns and gardens while rooting around for food, and Feijó noted they may contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, including leprosy. They are also notorious roadway hazards because they often jump straight up when startled.
The bigger picture is that people helped create the conditions for this shift. Feijó said early colonization of Texas helped armadillos move north, while today's warmer winters are opening even more habitat.
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Researchers say Illinois is in a "before and after" moment, with a short window to study the ecosystem before armadillos become established around Chicago.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is asking residents to report sightings online so wildlife experts can map the species' movement. That kind of public reporting could help scientists understand how quickly the animals are advancing.
Meanwhile, Picq's eDNA work offers a promising tool for spotting hard-to-find species before traditional surveys do. By analyzing genetic material left behind in soil or water, scientists can get a better sense of "who lives here" without needing to directly see the animal.
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