Nine banded armadillo
Nine-banded armadillo
Armadillos: Harmless curiosities or the next emerald ash borer?
Written By: Cliff Chapman
Date Published: October 27, 2025
Cliff Chapman
This opinion piece originally ran in the IndyStar.
If you hear people talk about armadillos in Indiana, you might think they’re describing a few that strayed into our state, or you might assume the cat-sized beasts are just a curiosity.
You’d be wrong.
The truth is, the nine-banded armadillos entering Indiana in increasing numbers can have a serious long-term impact on the state’s ecosystems and a more immediate impact on forests, farms, backyards, and homes. For these reasons, Indiana needs a plan for dealing with these four-legged invasives. You can help.
The armadillos’ journey to Indiana has been a long one. Native to South America, they found their way across the Rio Grande in the mid-1800s, spreading slowly east and north but usually staying in warmer areas. As foragers that dig for shelter and for food – and have little body fat or hair – armadillos are susceptible to low temperatures and can’t live in places where the ground is frozen for long periods.
In other words, Indiana’s climate used to be unfavorable to armadillos. Now it has swung in their favor: A Purdue University study noted that Indiana’s frost season has decreased by nine days since the beginning of the 20th century, and the number of days with temperatures below 5° F has similarly declined. That means armadillos can survive here.
And they do. A couple hundred armadillo sightings have been confirmed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the last few years. Since armadillos are primarily nocturnal and favor remote areas, it’s likely that actual populations surpass sightings, and that they’ll continue to grow.
That means reports of armadillos’ impact will grow as well. If our experiences mirror those of other areas – and there’s no reason to think they won’t – we’ll soon hear more and more property owners complaining about armadillos tearing up yards and landscaping. Farmers will confront deep holes in their fields and damaged crop roots. Homeowners will find their foundations destabilized by burrows. Municipalities will have to address roads and bridges damaged by armadillos’ digging.
For me, the major concern is our natural areas, where armadillos can disturb soils that support native plants and compete with indigenous insectivores for food. For example, like armadillos, native salamanders search under leaves in forests for food. As a result, not only can armadillos reduce salamanders’ food supply, but they also might gobble up salamanders as they feed. In addition, this rooting behavior can disturb the nests of ground-dwelling birds, such as woodcock, ovenbirds, and worm-eating warblers.
Facts like these prompted one of my colleagues in another state to declare armadillos second only to wild boars in their negative impact. The difference, he noted, is that people help control wild boar populations by hunting them. Nobody gets excited about hunting armadillos and, besides, in Indiana, you can’t. They are protected. They can’t be trapped or killed unless they are causing considerable damage.
So, what can you do? At this point, your best action is to help the conservation community track their spread: If you see an armadillo, report it to DNR’s Report a Mammal page. That will help conservationists take the first steps to keep them in check.
It will also help us all understand that we’re not overreacting to the presence of a few random animals. Armadillos could seem like a small problem now, but, at one point, so did Asian bush honeysuckle, emerald ash borers, and zebra mussels. All of these are now known to have devastating impacts on our natural environment. Let’s not wait until armadillos are as widespread as those invasives before we act.
Ben Valentine
Guest Blogger
Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Jordan England
Guest Blogger
Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.
Stacy Cachules
Chief Operating Officer
Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.
Ryan Fuhrmann
Vice Chair
Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.
Joanna Nixon
Board Member
Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.
Karen Wade
Board Member
Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.
David Barickman
Development Systems Manager
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations
An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Specialist
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
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