Armadillos – a species native to South America – have invaded various parts of the United States over the last few decades, and are now starting to become a predominant species in South Carolina.
Typically seen in southern states like Texas and Florida, armadillos have now made their way into all 46 counties in the Palmetto State – and into North Carolina and Tennessee. This comes after the animal – whose name translates to “little armored one” in Spanish – first began to appear in the South Carolina Lowcountry more than four decades ago.
Driving the expansion of the species? A lack of natural predators (well, aside from Palmetto State drivers).
The most notable type of armadillo – the nine-banded armadillo (or Dasypus novemcinctus) – has been spotted throughout South Carolina, and is easily identifiable by its distinctive plated armor, which is so thick and tough it is difficult for even an alligator to penetrate.
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Armadillos are not a threat to humans or pets as more than 90 percent of their diet consists of insects. Also, they rarely grow larger than a typical housecat. Nocturnal hunters, armadillos also feed on earthworms, scorpions, spiders, termites and other invertebrates – including maggots and pupae. According to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), they also eat fruits and vegetables – such as berries and roots – and lizards, small frogs, snakes, and the eggs of upland birds.
While armadillos are not a threat to humans, approaching them is ill-advised as they can be infected with mycobacterium leprae – which is the causative agent of leprosy. Furthermore, SCDNR notes that armadillos can also carry trypanosoma cruzi – the parasite responsible for Chagas disease – which is spread between insects.
As a result, citizens are advised to “avoid touching armadillos with bare hands, and avoid contact with their blood and fluids” – although the link between armadillos and leprosy has been overstated, per survivalists.
The animal’s meat is fit for human consumption, and has a high caloric content.
Just be sure to cook it well-done…
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According to the late naturalist Rudy Mancke, armadillos have the unique trait of reproducing by giving birth to identical quadruplets – or four offspring which split from the same embryo. Armadillos also begin reproducing at an early age – just one year old.
“Females produce one litter per year during March or April after 150 days of gestation,” SCDNR noted.
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The biggest issue with armadillos in South Carolina, though, is the damage they cause to lawns when scouting for food. While armadillos hunt at night, during the day they burrow underground for refuge – creating tunnels that are between seven and eight inches in diameter and up to eight feet deep and 25 feet long.
“Obviously, we get a lot of complaints at DNR about them rooting up the lawns,” SCDNR’s Jay Butfiloski told S.C. Public Radio recently. “Those usually show up in the late afternoon. They’ve got really strong claws and they can burrow pretty quickly. It’s a lot of lawn damage, and from a farmer’s standpoint, burrowing activity with holes could be a potential danger for livestock, or even equipment if it falls in, into any places where they’re dug out.”
SCDNR recommends building fences or barriers that are twelve to eighteen inches deep (deeper for sandy soil) that extend to at least three feet high to avoid any lawn damage. If an armadillo is spotted in your yard, avoid contact with the animal and notify SCDNR.
“There is no closed season on armadillos with a valid hunting license on private lands,” SCDNR noted. “Armadillos that cause damage may be shot where it is legal to discharge a firearm.”
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SCDNR also permits night hunting of armadillos from the last day of February to July 1 as long as the agency is notified.
So how many armadillos are there in the Palmetto State? No one seems to have a good estimate, but the animal is clearly here to stay…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Erin Parrott (Provided)
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from J. L. Mann High School in 2021. She is currently a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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The UCLA women’s basketball put the country on notice, defeating the #1 South Carolina Gamecocks 77-62 at home on Sunday.
The sold out crowd at Pauley Pavilion was engaged all night, with UCLA never trailing in the win, a signature victory for Cori Close’s program. South Carolina entered Sunday’s game winners of 43 in a row, including an undefeated season last year that ended with a national title.
UCLA took a 43-22 lead into halftime, taking an early first quarter lead and never looking back. UCLA didn’t allow a South Carolina basket in the game’s first five minutes, holding the Gamecocks for the first half of the first quarter. A three by junior guard Londynn Jones gave the Bruins a 15-2 lead with 2:36 to play in the opening quarter.
Junior guard Kiki Rice was a full-go for UCLA for the first time all season, with Rice scoring 11 points on 5-11 shooting in 28 minutes. It was a modest scoring night for junior center Lauren Betts, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks while playing 37 minutes. Jones led the Bruins with 15 points, as UCLA had five players with double figures.
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South Carolina shot the three ball well, going 8-12 from deep but just 29.6% on two point shots. The Gamecocks would win the second half 40-34 but after the dominant first half by the Bruins, it was too late.
The #5 Bruins are due to climb in the rankings after doing what no other women’s college basketball team has done since April of 2023, beat the South Carolina Gamecocks.
No. 5 UCLA pulled off something no team has been able to do since the 2023 NCAA Tournament — it defeated No. 1 South Carolina. And soundly.
The Bruins downed the Gamecocks, 77-62, at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, ending South Carolina’s 43-game win streak,
The defending national champions, who went undefeated last season, hadn’t lost a game since the 2023 Final Four when they fell to Caitlyn Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Ironically, the Gamecocks had defeated UCLA in the Sweet 16 of that tournament.
The Bruins were led by five double-digit scorers in Sunday’s win, including junior guard Londynn Jones, who led all Bruins with 15 points.
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Junior center Lauren Betts recorded yet another double-double, posting 11 points while grabbing 14 boards.
Freshman guard Elina Aarnisalo tallied 13 points, and junior guards Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez each finished with 11 points.
UCLA shot 47.5& from the field, including 47.6% from distance, as the Bruins made 10 3-pointers in the win.
They were able to come away with a double-digit victory despite turning the ball over 16 times. Meanwhile, they forced 11 turnovers, eight of which were steals. UCLA also recorded five blocks.
The Bruins won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding South Carolina 43 to 35. They also bested the Gamecocks in the assists department, 16-13.
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UCLA never trailed and, at one point, held a 23-point lead.
With the win, the Bruins improve to a perfect 5-0 start. They will next face UT Martin on the road on Friday at 3 p.m. PST, 6 p.m. EST.
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After this weekend’s action, did the college football playoff open up enough for South Carolina to get in?
It was a chaotic weekend of college football as Ole Miss lost to Florida, Oklahoma dominated Alabama, Auburn beat Texas A&M in a thriller, Ohio State handled Indiana and Kansas upset Colorado. A lot of teams that were ahead of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the rankings, but the more important question is did enough spots open up for South Carolina to potentially sneak in?
The Gamecocks will certainly rise closer to the top 12 in the next release of the rankings. They came in at No. 18 this last week and will likely be somewhere around 15 in this week’s rankings. South Carolina might have been too far back to be on the back end of the playoff this go around, but they are certainly inching closer and closer.
There is however one problem for South Carolina. Despite Alabama losing, the Crimson Tide have virtually every edge for a playoff spot over the Gamecocks if a decision came down between them. Alabama has the head to head, they have the better win against Georgia, South Carolina lost to LSU and Alabama dominated LSU on the road. South Carolina does have the better strength of schedule ranking, but that hasn’t seemed to matter too much to the college football playoff committee.
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The bottom line is South Carolina has played like on the best teams in college football as of late and has certainly done enough to put themselves into the conversation. However, if the decision came down to “which three loss SEC team do we want to put in?” the Crimson Tide likley check more boxes than South Carolina does.
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