Man finds dead armadillo in Michigan

LAKETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) – Another dead armadillo has been found in the Holland area.

Trevor Barnhill took photos of the creature Sunday along 66th Street near Laketown beach, south of Holland.

When he got home, he Googled armadillos and found an April 2015 article from 24-Hour News 8 sister station WOOD-TV about another dead armadillo being found on Paw Paw Drive between Holland and Zeeland.

At the time, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources told 24 Hour News 8 that the animal was probably either an escaped pet or had been brought to the area by someone on spring break.

Nine-banded armadillos prefer warm, wet climates. It’s unlikely one would travel all the way to Michigan on its own because the winter weather here is too cold. The animals have very little body fat and can’t survive once temperatures average around 28 degrees, according to a website dedicated to armadillos. West Michigan’s average temperature in January is 25 degrees.

However, armadillos have been spotted in the wild as far north as Illinois in recent years.

Nine-banded armadillos are generally about 2.5 feet long and weigh about 12 pounds, according to the National Wildlife Federation. In the wild, their typical lifespan is between seven and 20 years.