Today I visited the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, GA, hoping that I might see an alligator. Although I did not spot an alligator, I did encounter this Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the Park. (You can actually count the nine bands).
Initially the armadillo was rooting about in the grass and he startled me a bit when he stood up. I was close to ground level and was looking through my telephoto lens, which made the movement seem a little threatening.
I was surprised to see an armadillo in Georgia—I tend to associate them with places like Texas and Oklahoma—but apparently their range is expanding. Information on the internet suggests that armadillos are mostly nocturnal and come out around dusk. I have no idea why this one chose to be out in the middle of the day.
I may post some other photos of the armadillo, but I thought that this pose was unusual enough to justify posting an image immediately.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
wow!
Great catch, Mike–once again, it really pays to be ready!
What a pose! A great capture.
Amazing armadillo photo, love the detail. I understood that as we see more impact from global warming the birds are changing the normal areas they reside. I suppose this is going to be true for all animals.
What a great find and then to get it standing up. That must have been fun. I’ve never seen one of those.
Most of my shots are of his backside, because he was spending most of the time poking his nose in the grass and dirt. I was happy to get a shot of his face and was amazed when he stood on his hind legs. What I didn’t know at the time is that the armadillo can jump 3-4 feet in the air if sufficiently frightened. If that critter had jumped in the air, I am pretty sure that I would not have been able to concentrate enough to get a photo.
Yes an unexpected jump like that could be quite jarring.
What a lovely creature! Best model of the year 😀
Unusual beauty, to say the least.
Nocturnal animals wandering about in daylight is usually a sign that something is very wrong. When my son was younger we had a skunk staggering through the backyard one day at noon while my son was outside. We’ve had a lot of rabies cases here so my heart skipped a beat when i saw him near that skunk!
This armadillo merely seemed hungry, but you never know. He was rooting around in the grass of an embankment just overlooking the swampy/marshy area out of which he came. Trust me, I was looking very closely at the way he was acting, I had the same thought when one of the beavers was outside of his lodge during the day, but the folks at the wildlife center at my marsh assured me that he was ok.
Armadillos are extremely versatile in their habitat requirements, and are moving steadily northward in the US. You might find them in Virginia soon, Mike.
Yikes. Now I am likely to have dreams of the great armadillo migration. I read, though, that they are not equipped to handle the cold, so you probably are safe, Sue.
Awesome! The only time I get to see armadillos is after they have been run over :(. I wouldn’t mind sharing the farm with a few, if they ever make it here. My mom had a purse that was made from one that she found in a dead relatives hoard. She donated it to a wildlife museum to demonstrate the sometimes senseless things we turn animals into.
wow what a great capture and such an amazing animal!
It looks like it was posing for you.
Indeed it does. I am not at all sure why the armadillo chose to stand up, but it made for an interesting photo.
When we lived in east Texas, these guys would dig in our yard, tearing up the St Augustine. Nice shot!
Thanks. When I think of armadillos, I tend to think of Texas and Oklahoma. It was surprising for me to encounter one in Georgia.
[…] I posted a photo of the armadillo standing on his hind legs, but I thought it would be interesting to post some […]
I understand these guys are almost blind when it comes to detail vision. Being down close to the ground he probably didn’t see enough of your to recognize the human form. Good job sneaking up on him!
Didn’t know they could stand on their hind legs….
Now thats a fantastic shot..:-))
Thanks, Ed. The armadillo sure caught me by surprise when he stood up like that.