A nine-banded armadillo. Courtesy | Wildlife Foundation

Armadillos are making their way to Michigan, according to a 2025 report from Michigan State University and Bradley University. 

One of the authors of the report, Brett DeGregorio, a researcher with the Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Michigan State University, explained that the animals have been found dead in Michigan. 

“I have no doubt that a handful of armadillos have made it to Michigan and then were hit by vehicles or died over winter,” DeGregorio said. 

Sightings began surfacing of armadillos in roadkill reports in early 2025, and one photo of a live armadillo that has yet to be verified. The state’s Wildlife Division said the armadillos most likely have not travelled to Michigan naturally. Armadillos have only been documented migrating as far as Ohio and Indiana due to the cold temperatures further north, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Armadillos are mammals with a hard shell native to southern states. The nine-banded armadillos, the kind appearing in Michigan, are 6 to 10 inches tall. These animals are distinctive because of their prehistoric appearance and notable defense mechanisms, which is the reason for the numerous roadkill cases.

When armadillos sense danger, they quickly curl up into a ball and jump into the air, with the intention of coming down and crushing the predator. However, when it comes to cars, these animals are defenseless. 

Though seemingly harmless and even helpful to the environment, armadillos are capable of carrying diseases such as leprosy, according to invasive species biologist Ryan Wheeler of the Wildlife Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

These creatures were assessed in 2024 to determine whether they should reach “invasive species” status, as many reports surfaced of large volumes of roadkill in Illinois and Missouri, as was reported by The Bridge.

Armadillos can spread leprosy to humans, but it is very unlikely, according to Wheeler. 

Even though it is unlikely that these animals will spread disease to humans, it remains a concern to Hillsdale residents such as Mercadez Powell, a Metz employee.

“I’ve never maintained any bad feelings about armadillos, but learning they can be destructive and carry diseases makes me more concerned,” Powell said.

Professor of Biology Jeffrey VanZant said armadillos likely won’t interfere with people’s day-to-day lives. 

“Whenever a species colonizes a new area, it changes the ecology, but predicting the extent of those changes is very difficult,” VanZant said. “I think most people would hardly notice them.  Although we could have an annual armadillo festival.” 

VanZant said armadillos would struggle to adapt to Michigan’s freezing winters. 

“Armadillos are fairly adaptable, but Michigan’s winters are probably still too cold for them to become established here. Armadillos do not hibernate; they are burrowing animals and can have extensive underground networks,” VanZant said. “But, maybe most exclusionary, they often dig for food and to escape predators, which would be hard to do during a Michigan winter. However, they also have a low metabolic rate and are poor, relatively speaking, at thermoregulation. As climate change warms Michigan, they could very well establish themselves there.”

Changes in the environments where armadillos currently live may have led the animals further north, according to Wheeler. 

“In the research that we did, there were a number of factors: gradual climate change, as well as alterations in landscape and lowering numbers of predators for them,” Wheeler said. 

Wheeler said armadillos likely got to Michigan by hitching a ride with humans.

“The samples we found of roadkill in the state is most likely human-mediated, probably getting into a vehicle unbeknownst to the driver, jumping on a train car,” Wheeler said. “Since armadillos don’t walk very fast, they’d be lucky to move 50 miles in a single year, and they tend to stick really close to home.”