Approximately 20 species of armadillo exist, but the nine-banded is the only one found in the United States. The term “armadillo” means “little armored one” in Spanish. A common misconception is that nine-banded armadillos can roll up into spherical balls. Nine-banded armadillos are found in the southeastern United States, but their range has been expanding continually northward for more than a hundred years. A few have even been spotted as far north as Illinois and Nebraska. I can remember when they were rarely seen in Oklahoma. Climate change will further expand their potential range.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Canon 60D, Canon 70-300mm IS USM zoom, f/5.6, ISO 1600, 1/6000 sec.
Nice and sharp and a worthy beast for any photoquest. The stick arising out of the back of the armadillo could be removed as it caught my eye. Otherwise, a good shot of a very interesting mammal. Well done…Jim
Hi Terry! Nice details on the Armadillo’s skin! You have such an awesome variety of wildlife! I can’t even imagine one of these up in Nebraska! It seems like it would be too cold for them! It shows how adaptable they are made.
Hi, Vanessa. Thanks! This is one critter I would prefer not to host, as they use those powerful claws to dig n my yard, searching for grubs and other insects. They can be very destructive. But, you take the “bad” with the “good”.
Wonderful captured, Terry. Being here in the Texas hill country I have seen these Armadillos many times. Only was able to get a photo once, I didn’t realize how fast they can be! Great detail/texture and love that he seems to be munching on the berries. Re-post works well at fixing the stick. Nicely seen.
Thanks, Linda. I have no doubt that, living in Hill Country, you’ve seen your share of these critters. You are correct; when they take a notion, they can move pretty fast!
I can see some edges left behind on that last bit of grass going horizontal from the face. I will use the healing brush over and over to eliminate those, or the clone stamp from somewhere distant in the image. Sometimes you look at a thing so much you can’t see it anymore so I don’t always catch everything.
I’ve never seen an armadillo IRL and I’m a bit bummed. They’re such quirky, odd creatures. Maybe someday. In the meantime, keep making images like this to stoke my jealousy.
Thanks, Kris. The truth is, I worked on that grass for a while until I finally said to myself, “It’s only an Armadillo. I’ll photograph more!”
Please do not be jealous. If you want to see an armadillo IRL, I’ll ship you this one. I would be glad to see him gone! Okay, that’s probably illegal, but still…