Armadillos in the Villages

[tophcfa]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages, but we saw two of them on the Calusa 9 while golfing at Belle Glade this afternoon. Never saw one before, very funny looking. Kind of looks like an opossum mated with a turtle.

[Smalley]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages, but we saw two of them on the Calusa 9 while golfing at Belle Glade this afternoon. Never saw one before, very funny looking. Kind of looks like an opossum mated with a turtle.

Good to know. We saw one in a nearby park but never in TV.

[bagboy]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages, but we saw two of them on the Calusa 9 while golfing at Belle Glade this afternoon. Never saw one before, very funny looking. Kind of looks like an opossum mated with a turtle.

We've seen a few over the years. Yes, they are odd looking.

[Byte1]

Are they good BBQed? Asking for a friend.

[PKDAD1]

I saw one about a week ago just strolling across Meggison near the Franklin Rec Center. First one for me. Pretty cool to see. Wasn't in much of a hurry but it made it across safely.

[Two Bills]

I used to like Neil Sedaka singing that song about them. :icon_wink:

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

You won’t find them so cute when they start tearing up your yard or golf course , I’ve had them at Celebration and at the Bay Hill Country Club , they do a lot of damage in Florida

[Billy1]

Have seen them on Gray Fox, yes their good BBQed.

[fdpaq0580]

Can you say, "leprosy"?

[graciegirl]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages, but we saw two of them on the Calusa 9 while golfing at Belle Glade this afternoon. Never saw one before, very funny looking. Kind of looks like an opossum mated with a turtle.

I haven't seen any either. If there are only two of them, I guess I know how they vote..

[DonH57]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages, but we saw two of them on the Calusa 9 while golfing at Belle Glade this afternoon. Never saw one before, very funny looking. Kind of looks like an opossum mated with a turtle.

Opossum on the half shell!:jester:

[Taltarzac725]

We had a female possum and her babies walk past our lanai quite often back and to their den under our Palm Harbor, FL neighbor's house. I would be sitting on a flotation device in the pool and they would be in a line. Often with Mom in the rear.

Have not seen one here in Villages in the almost twenty years we have been here.

[New Englander]

From now on when I go golfing I'm putting my shotgun in my club bag.

[fdpaq0580]

From now on when I go golfing I'm putting my shotgun in my club bag.


For protection? Or is that going to be your new 1 wood on long holes? 😀😀😀

[MarshBendLover]

We would hunt them 40 years ago in Tampa and at Grand Paps in middle Georgia. They are very dangerous in LA and MS in the southern areas due to being heavy carriers of leprosy. They are no joke there. And yes, they destroy a lawn and are almost impossible to catch live. They don't eat out of traps, they refuse to enter because they only dig for grubs and worms. You have to wait near their 9" burrow holes and choot'em as they return.

[La lamy]

Here is a pic for those who have never seen one.

[BoatRatKat]

They are adorable until they decide they like your yard. Several times we've had one take up residency in ours by digging big, deep holes. You can backfill the hole but they'll dig it right back out. I don't want to do anything to hurt them so I take a large, heavy floor tile and cover the hole for a couple of weeks. They'll dig a few more in the yard and I do the same and eventually they move on to someone else's yard.

[Mlogan22@tampabay.rr.com]

I lived in the Tampa Bay area for 45 years and armadillos are prevalent. They dig little tiny holes in your yard looking for grubs. I had a family of them in my yard and I needed to evict them. They were
easy to catch because they don’t see very well on account of their tiny eyes. To catch them I would come up behind them and put a big garbage can over them tip it over and take them for a ride down the road to the woods. They’re very docile creatures and are a cool looking species. Love them just not in my yard.

[Rocksnap]

Can you say, "leprosy"?
That’s actually only one species of armadillo. The others, not so much.

[Rocksnap]

Here is a pic for those who have never seen one.

I was more than confused that the OP knew it was an armadillo, but he had never seen one. Sounds like an oxymoron.

[Shadowrider]

Looks like a rat with full body armor.

[srswans]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages...

In Newell:

[NotGolfer]

I saw one scampering along a golf course off from Odell....but this was a few years ago.

[La lamy]

I’ve been seeing a bunch of holes in my yard and these footprints have now confirmed armadillos are on my property!!!

[Altavia]

Saw one dead on the side of 301 near Fenny.

They can jump up into the air and roll up into a ball when frightened.

Not good when done in front of a car traveling at 70 mph on the interstate...

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Yes. Possum on a half shell!😝

[CFrance]

I was more than confused that the OP knew it was an armadillo, but he had never seen one. Sounds like an oxymoron.
I've seen enough pictures of them to recognize one dead on the side of Buena Vista a couple years ago.

[jimjamuser]

I never knew those little critters were in the Villages, but we saw two of them on the Calusa 9 while golfing at Belle Glade this afternoon. Never saw one before, very funny looking. Kind of looks like an opossum mated with a turtle.
I keep trying to visualize turtles and armadillos mating. It doesn't seem too graceful. Anyway in Miami about 1972 you could hardly drive 4 blocks without running over an armadillo. They are really stupid and pop up their head at just about the time a car is over them. If they kept their heads down we would have seen many more around. I once tried to raise 2 baby armadillos by feeding them milk, but no luck, they slowly died. You used to see hundreds of dead armadillos on Florida highways. Then, at some point, I guess around 1990 I stopped seeing them. Maybe sometimes in the National Forest? I actually don't know WHY they died off. Maybe someone here does. I guess that Texas and other southern states have (had) them also. I hope that they are NOT moving toward extinction.

[fdpaq0580]

They are adorable until they decide they like your yard. Several times we've had one take up residency in ours by digging big, deep holes. You can backfill the hole but they'll dig it right back out. I don't want to do anything to hurt them so I take a large, heavy floor tile and cover the hole for a couple of weeks. They'll dig a few more in the yard and I do the same and eventually they move on to someone else's yard.

Oh! Thanks a bunch.

[fdpaq0580]

That’s actually only one species of armadillo. The others, not so much.

Great! Now I'm supposed to get DNA? Easier to leave them alone.

[BevieK]

I’ve seen lots of them in the Fenny area I’ve been here almost 7 years. I’ve also heard they carry leprosy. Cute critters but I’ll just look from afar to enjoy! I’ve also heard they will destroy your yard from people I’ve known here.

[Rainger99]

They can jump up into the air.

I was driving home from bushnell late at night when I saw a small animal crossing the road. I slowed down to avoid hitting it. At the last second, it jumped about two feet straight up and I hit it with the front of my car. I was really surprised at how high it jumped!

[Altavia]

I was driving home from bushnell late at night when I saw a small animal crossing the road. I slowed down to avoid hitting it. At the last second, it jumped about two feet straight up and I hit it with the front of my car. I was really surprised at how high it jumped!

Yep, in our case, the critter leaped, rolled into a ball and went through the grill and radiator doing $3,500 in damages to the car. More or less like hitting a bowling ball @ 70 mph...

This was 10 years ago on I55 in southern Missouri.:cus: