South-Carolina
Armadillos On The Rise In South Carolina – FITSNews
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.
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…
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.”
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 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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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Six Republican candidates vying to become South Carolina’s next governor met in downtown Charleston for a wide-ranging debate that put abortion, infrastructure and the future of data centers at the center of the race.
The forum was held at the Sottile Theatre, where Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, Lowcountry businessman Rom Reddy and Attorney General Alan Wilson took the stage.
Questions included whether they would support a state hate crime law, how they would address concerns about growth and infrastructure, how to navigate collaboration, abortion and the future of data centers in the state.
One issue that drew near-unanimous opposition was state Senate Bill 1095, a proposed total abortion ban that passed out of committee earlier in the day. All of the candidates opposed the bill, but they differed on what they would do if it reached the governor’s desk.
READ MORE | South Carolina governor candidates tout infrastructure, growth at business forum
Norman said he would sign it.
“You know, this is an emotional issue, but I will tell you if this bill came to my desk as governor. If it passed the House and the Senate, I would sign it,” Norman said.
All of the other candidates on stage said they would veto the bill if it came across their desk as governor, with Reddy arguing the question should be decided by voters.
“The Supreme Court did not say the loudest voice in the ruling class prevails. It said it’s up to the people in the state, so let’s put it to a referendum,” Reddy said.
On infrastructure, candidates discussed reforming the South Carolina Department of Transportation and allowing private-sector involvement to help pay for improvements.
Wilson outlined ideas that included leasing interstate easements and expanding private express lanes.
“We privatized that grass between the interstates. We turn it into private express lanes that can be told we leased the easements on the sides of interstates to telecommunication companies and energy companies, and charge them for natural gas line and fiber optic fiber optic cables,” Wilson said.
Evette also pointed to public-private partnerships and the possibility of fast-pass lanes.
READ MORE | South Carolina governor candidates tout infrastructure, growth at business forum
“We want to make sure that we’re innovative public private partnerships coming in and creating fast pass lanes to allow people that are in a hurry to be able to utilize that,” Evette said.
The final question focused on data centers, with candidates agreeing corporations should “pay their way.”
“They should pay for their water. They should pay for their infrastructure, any roads around it, and we should look at what Governor Ron DeSantis has done in Florida with the large data centers that are coming to Florida. That should be the model in South Carolina and everywhere,” Mace said.
Kimbrell said the state should set limits to protect natural resources and guard against higher power costs for residents.
“Put parameters around data centers to ensure that the water consumption does not impact places like the ACE Basin,” Kimbrell said. “Ensuring that the Public Service Commission makes absolutely sure nobody’s power rate goes up and we try to get behind the meter energy grids in place so they can be self-sufficient.”
Two more debates are planned ahead of the primaries on June 9.
A bill that could make it a felony for doctors to perform an abortion is moving to the full South Carolina Senate with just a few weeks left in the legislative session.
The South Carolina Senate medical affairs committee continued a debate of Senate Bill 1095 on April 21 in Columbia. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Richard Cash, R-Anderson, builds on a restrictive abortion bill that failed to progress in the fall.
The committee passed the measure in an 8-4 vote, moving it to the full Senate for consideration. Lawmakers have until May 14, the last day of the 2026 legislative session, to pass the bill for it to become law.
Senate Bill 1095, also called the “Unborn Child Protection Act,” bans performing an abortion or supplying abortion drugs. It makes it illegal for a woman to get an abortion, with the only exception being to save a pregnant woman’s life.
It also makes mifepristone and misoprostol Schedule IV controlled substances. Alprazolam (Xanax) and zolpidem (Ambien) are two other examples of Schedule IV substances.
Pro-Life Greenville, an anti-abortion organization based in Greenville, responded to the bill’s progress with “full endorsement” of the legislation.
“Unborn children, like all human beings, deserve to have their lives protected under law here in the Palmetto State,” Pro-Life Greenville stated. “Today’s vote by the SC Senate Medical Affairs Committee brings that urgent need one step closer to reality.”
Under the bill, a woman who has an abortion could face misdemeanor charges. The maximum sentence would be two years in jail with a $1,000 fine.
Those found guilty of performing an abortion or providing a pregnant woman with abortion-inducing drugs could face felony charges, a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail, and a possible $100,000 fine.
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT), a firm opponent of the bill, decried the Senate committee passage. PPSAT Director of Public Affairs Vicki Ringer said in a statement that the bill will cost people their lives, and it will make it more difficult for women to get reproductive and pregnancy healthcare.
“Abortion bans have and will continue to cost people their lives,” Ringer stated. “As this ban inches closer to the governor’s desk, it is becoming increasingly clear just how many of our lives anti-abortion lawmakers are willing to endanger in service to their agenda.”
Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com
BARNWELL, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – An officer was injured, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has issued a Blue Alert for an “armed and dangerous” woman.
According to the Blue Alert, Cushman is wanted in connection with an officer being injured.
The location of the assault was Gardenia Road in Blackville, S.C.
On Monday night around 10:35 p.m., officials said they were looking for Lacey Cushman, 37, a white woman who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 210 pounds.
According to SLED, she has brown eyes and an unknown hair color. Her hairstyle and clothing are unknown.
She was last seen driving a 2011 white Chevrolet Traverse with an S.C. tag, 706IRU, in Barnwell County.
Her last known direction of travel was toward Bamberg County.
If you see her or have information, call 911 immediately.
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