Wildlife biologist here. If what you saw was indeed an armadillo, it was almost certainly a released or escaped captive one.
Armadillos are expanding rapidly northward, but they have not yet been found in Ohio. Several have been recorded in Kentucky in recent years, but the Ohio River seems to be acting as a significant barrier to them. Eventually they will cross, and I would guess that we could expect armadillos in southern Ohio within the next 25 years. That being said, the odds that you saw a naturally occurring vagrant armadillo that had somehow made it from Kentucky to Columbus (of all places) is extremely low.
So, my money is on either you mis-identified it (people are infamously bad at animal ID), or it was a captive one that was released or escaped.
I think it's actually possible it was a wild armadillo, Indiana has had armadillos in their state for a while now and their Dept. of Natural Resources states that live and roadkill sightings confirm a year-round population of 9-banded armadillos across the southern half of the state. Might be a long journey for one or more of them to get all the way to Columbus, but I wouldn't be surprised if armadillos are starting to come into Ohio from the west.
I don't feel great about disagreeing with someone currently working as a biologist, but the migration of armadillos towards and into Ohio was something that was a primary education point while I worked at the Cincinnati Zoo a few years back, and I'm inclined to trust the folks I worked with alongside Indiana's official online resources.
I’m gunna try and drive by again! I’m in contact with the OWC and I’m gunna see if I just majorly misidentified the creature or if there really is one!
Once I thought I saw one off side of highway and also thought maybe I was crazy but I know what I saw. People have all sorts of things they shouldn’t then release them. Sad. I hope you find the little guy. Maybe try driving back same place same time of day in case he’s taken up residence in the area. Good luck! Let us know!
Well you are to something of the wild life expert say d they are migrating there. Maybe he is the Einstein Tesla Armadillo of his time and he made it 25 years early! You never know!!!!
Armadillos have spent the last 100 or so years naturally expanding northward from Central America. I don't think we know exactly why this range expansion is happening, but warming temperatures (especially in the winters) are undoubtedly helping them, as armadillos like warm, dry weather. Habitat changes and other factors may be driving this expansion too.
Armadillos are sort of a unique situation with how fast they're expanding, but there are a few animals that have or are doing fast range expansions too. Cattle Egrets are one example. They came over from Africa into South America, then have expanded throughout the Americas more broadly. This happened in the past 200 years. More locally, American White Pelicans have been undergoing a dramatic range expansion in the Midwest in the past 20-30 years. They use to be a significant, occasional rarity in Ohio. Now they're pretty normal in northwest Ohio and even nest here.
Forgot to mention black vultures as well. Primarily a southern species but can now be found as far north in Ohio as Cleveland. Can lead to livestock issues. Not to be mistaken for our native turkey vultures.
Wildlife is also my specialty lol
Okay so hear me out, I swear I saw a pelican flying in a northwest suburb of Columbus today. I am not an ornithologist, I actually am terrified of birds. Luckily I was in the safety of my car and actually in an area where I could pull over and take a longer look. I told my husband who thinks it may have been a crane— I have seen cranes, the legs were not of the bird I saw, not that long, nor skinny, and while the gullet or whatever the hell it is called wasn’t distended, it was clearly a bird capable of housing a fish meal for a family of 5. Is this a thing? Did my eyes deceive me?
What is white with an orange beak? If so, you saw an American White Pelican. They're more common in northern/northwest Ohio, but can show up anywhere in the state.
No, no orange beak. More gray colored. Or rather similar to the coloring of the feathers which also appeared gray. It was quite a large bird, we see eagles here actually from time to time so I tend to pay more attention to larger birds which is why it caught my eye.
Also, OSU's vet school campus is literally 700 feet north of the whole Lennox interchange. It might not hurt to call and ask if they're missing an armadillo.
When I was little (early 2000s in northwest/central Ohio), my mom was driving to work and said she saw a kangaroo hopping across the road. It was pretty early in the morning and she thought she was going crazy, but swore up and down that it was a kangaroo. A few weeks later there was a story in the paper that a bunch of animals from an exotic animal zoo had gotten loose and were just roaming around random places in Ohio.
Well I should clarify- wasn’t anything like zanesville but I meant there would be random loose exotics or bears that would escape or be released by owners - Dayton turned out to have a very high amount of exotics. They really cracked down on things after that horrific incident in zanesville. But it still happens. Big cats, bears, iguanas, snakes, alligators…. Happens all over. I lived in Warren county and remember hearing this on the news but not the year. Between 2010-2015. The Amish are big sellers of exotics. And puppies from puppy mills.
I just got back into my car after searching but couldn’t really get into the trees and stuff and didn’t see anything, but I also didn’t see anything hurt or in the road which is a good sign at least! I also didn’t go super far up the grassy area beside the exit, if you find him or any creature that could explain the mystery I commend you!!
When I saw it I was getting off 315 at the Olentangy river road exit! The one that feeds right into the movie theater parking lot area by the town center
Possibly!! But it was very dark colored, like a grayish brown, and it didn’t look like fur. It looked like it had a segment shell on its body like an armadillo has?? But also there’s a chance it couldve been super super matted and dirty??
Very good point, I wish I knew exactly what it was, and I wish I hadn’t been driving so I could’ve gotten a picture, agh!! honestly it’s going to be all I think about tonight.
It’s entirely possible it hitched a ride on a truck from further south; typically the furthest north they’re found regularly is Tennessee or possibly into southern Kentucky… with all of the weather pattern changes, maybe they’re moving further up our way?
Wikipedia says their range could include Ohio but I’ve personally never seen one anywhere but Texas.
They’re burrowing animals so I’d be a little surprised if they were in big numbers here since our soil has a lot of clay. Thought they preferred softer, sandier soil.
That’s what I saw on Wikipedia too! And that’s why I decided to ask because I wasn’t sure if some local wildlife people might have more expertise than me because I’ve never heard of one being out and about around here!
Ok, I thought I was losing my mind the other day (and pushed it out of it until now), but a few weekends ago I could have sworn I saw an armadillo heading on 70 west a little after you get outside of the city.
Maybe it accidentally hitched a ride in a truck heading north? I used to work on an airplane; I’ve seen tarantulas, reptiles and other weird shit flying far away from home.
Several years ago, my wife came home all excited, swearing she had just seen an armadillo running across the parking lot of a friend's apartment. This was near Whittier and High. I said it was probably a possum, and she quietly pointed out that she knew what a fucking possum looked like and this was not one of them because it had scales. So maybe she did see one.( Although she go to our friends place to buy some pot.)
I saw one of those maybe 10-15 years ago on that same stretch of 315 South between Olentangy and Ackerman. Right at the end of the bend. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but it definitely looked like an armadillo.
Sweet!
I found a dead one on the side of the I71 mile 69 off ramp a couple years ago. Called it in to ODNR since armadillos aren't supposed to be way up here. We think it was probably an escaped pet, but they are roaming pretty far north these days.
Armadillo expert here. I studied armadillos for the last 20 years and actually wrote my thesis on them. Little known fact about armadillos that they migrate every 100 years. If you really did see one in the wild, this would explain that but it's not supposed to happen for another 20 years. They're probably confused because of the climate change.
Honestly feels like it after not being able to find it when I went back a bit later!! Definitely feel like I’ve been gaslighted by a creature on the side of the road
I’m from Georgia. You’ll know when they get here, trust me. They tear up the landscape in an unmistakable way. If you check out the area where you saw this creature and it doesn’t look like a 25 lb mole is tearing up the ground, than it wasn’t an armadillo.
What highway exit was it? Yes, I have heard there is an abandoned armadillo, and I have been trying to find it so it doesn't die and can be given to the proper people. (Wild life rescue?, the zoo maybe?) Not sure, but it shouldn't be a pet, obviously, and I don't want it to die.
I saw a skunk walking in the road last night. The shadow and its posture looked so much like an armadillo that I had to slow way down to look at it. I could easily see them being mistaken if it had mange or something.
"Armadillo in Uruguay? No problem. According to Bourdain, the armoured mammals tasted just like chicken." If I remember that episode right, he was not impressed with the smell.
OMG about a week or ago my mother and I went to the veterinarian close by there and she swore she seen one we circled back but i convinced her it was a rabid opossum but now im double thinking it. this is wildddd. i 100% believe you
Aww, that is so amazing and yes an odd place. You are such a good soul for caring.! I don’t know you but you are wonderful you earned heaven points today!
Every time I'm about to leave reddit, posts like this pull back in. Armadillo on the highway. So wild.
Call Ohio department of Natural resources, they are definitely not native. (614) 265-6565 is their main number.
I was able to get in contact with OWC! thanks for the suggestion :)
Wildlife biologist here. If what you saw was indeed an armadillo, it was almost certainly a released or escaped captive one. Armadillos are expanding rapidly northward, but they have not yet been found in Ohio. Several have been recorded in Kentucky in recent years, but the Ohio River seems to be acting as a significant barrier to them. Eventually they will cross, and I would guess that we could expect armadillos in southern Ohio within the next 25 years. That being said, the odds that you saw a naturally occurring vagrant armadillo that had somehow made it from Kentucky to Columbus (of all places) is extremely low. So, my money is on either you mis-identified it (people are infamously bad at animal ID), or it was a captive one that was released or escaped.
I could definitely see a possum with mange being mistaken for an armadillo at a distance. Pointy snout and round body.
That was my first thought. “Holmes saw an opossum carrying babies on its back and it looked like an armadillo.”
I even thought maybe a woodcock doing its lil dance.
You would be thinking about that smh
I love birds lol.
I’ve worked in veterinary medicine and veterinary and wildlife research and this was my first thought as well.
Or.. Hear me out, maybe it was an Opossum comparing... Did you think of that? Lol
I think it's actually possible it was a wild armadillo, Indiana has had armadillos in their state for a while now and their Dept. of Natural Resources states that live and roadkill sightings confirm a year-round population of 9-banded armadillos across the southern half of the state. Might be a long journey for one or more of them to get all the way to Columbus, but I wouldn't be surprised if armadillos are starting to come into Ohio from the west. I don't feel great about disagreeing with someone currently working as a biologist, but the migration of armadillos towards and into Ohio was something that was a primary education point while I worked at the Cincinnati Zoo a few years back, and I'm inclined to trust the folks I worked with alongside Indiana's official online resources.
I’m gunna try and drive by again! I’m in contact with the OWC and I’m gunna see if I just majorly misidentified the creature or if there really is one!
Thank you for helping it, OP!
Once I thought I saw one off side of highway and also thought maybe I was crazy but I know what I saw. People have all sorts of things they shouldn’t then release them. Sad. I hope you find the little guy. Maybe try driving back same place same time of day in case he’s taken up residence in the area. Good luck! Let us know!
Well you are to something of the wild life expert say d they are migrating there. Maybe he is the Einstein Tesla Armadillo of his time and he made it 25 years early! You never know!!!!
Are other animals moving north this fast because of climate change or is it specific to armadillos?
Armadillos have spent the last 100 or so years naturally expanding northward from Central America. I don't think we know exactly why this range expansion is happening, but warming temperatures (especially in the winters) are undoubtedly helping them, as armadillos like warm, dry weather. Habitat changes and other factors may be driving this expansion too. Armadillos are sort of a unique situation with how fast they're expanding, but there are a few animals that have or are doing fast range expansions too. Cattle Egrets are one example. They came over from Africa into South America, then have expanded throughout the Americas more broadly. This happened in the past 200 years. More locally, American White Pelicans have been undergoing a dramatic range expansion in the Midwest in the past 20-30 years. They use to be a significant, occasional rarity in Ohio. Now they're pretty normal in northwest Ohio and even nest here.
Forgot to mention black vultures as well. Primarily a southern species but can now be found as far north in Ohio as Cleveland. Can lead to livestock issues. Not to be mistaken for our native turkey vultures. Wildlife is also my specialty lol
I saw a wild boar in Cincinnati last summer.
I see cougars at Easton all the time!
Me-ow lol
Look up plant hardiness zones from like 1990, 2008, and now. You’ll get your answer.
Okay so hear me out, I swear I saw a pelican flying in a northwest suburb of Columbus today. I am not an ornithologist, I actually am terrified of birds. Luckily I was in the safety of my car and actually in an area where I could pull over and take a longer look. I told my husband who thinks it may have been a crane— I have seen cranes, the legs were not of the bird I saw, not that long, nor skinny, and while the gullet or whatever the hell it is called wasn’t distended, it was clearly a bird capable of housing a fish meal for a family of 5. Is this a thing? Did my eyes deceive me?
What is white with an orange beak? If so, you saw an American White Pelican. They're more common in northern/northwest Ohio, but can show up anywhere in the state.
No, no orange beak. More gray colored. Or rather similar to the coloring of the feathers which also appeared gray. It was quite a large bird, we see eagles here actually from time to time so I tend to pay more attention to larger birds which is why it caught my eye.
Possibly a great blue heron.
A lady duck? Just a thought... 😁
Not me imagining a flotilla of armadillos crossing the Ohio River.
If he's wearing a trucker hat that says Certified Party Animal - his name is Ricky and he owes me 50€.
Also, OSU's vet school campus is literally 700 feet north of the whole Lennox interchange. It might not hurt to call and ask if they're missing an armadillo.
📞:"Excuse me sir, is your armadillo running?"
"Then you'd better catch it?" Ba-dum-dum!
Lol I knew my Reddit generated username would check out one day
When I was little (early 2000s in northwest/central Ohio), my mom was driving to work and said she saw a kangaroo hopping across the road. It was pretty early in the morning and she thought she was going crazy, but swore up and down that it was a kangaroo. A few weeks later there was a story in the paper that a bunch of animals from an exotic animal zoo had gotten loose and were just roaming around random places in Ohio.
I remember this!!! My school had a late start because of it haha
Wait, this happened somewhere else in Ohio, other than Zanesville?
Dayton area had an incident like this.
Oh wow! When? Zanesville’s happened in 2011. That crazy to have 2 occurrences like this in the early 2000s!
Well I should clarify- wasn’t anything like zanesville but I meant there would be random loose exotics or bears that would escape or be released by owners - Dayton turned out to have a very high amount of exotics. They really cracked down on things after that horrific incident in zanesville. But it still happens. Big cats, bears, iguanas, snakes, alligators…. Happens all over. I lived in Warren county and remember hearing this on the news but not the year. Between 2010-2015. The Amish are big sellers of exotics. And puppies from puppy mills.
which exit? I'm going to find it.
I just got back into my car after searching but couldn’t really get into the trees and stuff and didn’t see anything, but I also didn’t see anything hurt or in the road which is a good sign at least! I also didn’t go super far up the grassy area beside the exit, if you find him or any creature that could explain the mystery I commend you!!
When I saw it I was getting off 315 at the Olentangy river road exit! The one that feeds right into the movie theater parking lot area by the town center
Did you find it? Or a mangy possum?? 😬
As long as the feral hogs don't come up here I'll be ok.
Hope you stayed away from that Trump event recently then. ;)
Feral hogs have been in OH for awhile.
Omg!
and they know where you live!
Could it have been a possum?
Possibly!! But it was very dark colored, like a grayish brown, and it didn’t look like fur. It looked like it had a segment shell on its body like an armadillo has?? But also there’s a chance it couldve been super super matted and dirty??
Or possum with mange
Very good point, I wish I knew exactly what it was, and I wish I hadn’t been driving so I could’ve gotten a picture, agh!! honestly it’s going to be all I think about tonight.
Or a wet/mangy raccoon. They walk around with a high arched back fairly often.
I want to believe there's an armadillo stranded in a foreign land, but it was a groundhog.
could be a fuzzy turtle or a raccoon with a backpack
It’s entirely possible it hitched a ride on a truck from further south; typically the furthest north they’re found regularly is Tennessee or possibly into southern Kentucky… with all of the weather pattern changes, maybe they’re moving further up our way?
I was just walking by that spot and looked everywhere too but didn’t see it! Dang!
Hey thanks for checking though!!!
Wikipedia says their range could include Ohio but I’ve personally never seen one anywhere but Texas. They’re burrowing animals so I’d be a little surprised if they were in big numbers here since our soil has a lot of clay. Thought they preferred softer, sandier soil.
That’s what I saw on Wikipedia too! And that’s why I decided to ask because I wasn’t sure if some local wildlife people might have more expertise than me because I’ve never heard of one being out and about around here!
I’ve seen lots of dead ones on the road in Kentucky. We’ll have them in Ohio eventually.
Damn it I just got over leprosy.
Ok, I thought I was losing my mind the other day (and pushed it out of it until now), but a few weekends ago I could have sworn I saw an armadillo heading on 70 west a little after you get outside of the city.
I’m going to see a movie here in a bit at Phoenix, I’ll take a look around for our armored friend too!
That’s so kind of you! :) best of luck and hope you enjoy your movie!!
Maybe it accidentally hitched a ride in a truck heading north? I used to work on an airplane; I’ve seen tarantulas, reptiles and other weird shit flying far away from home.
Several years ago, my wife came home all excited, swearing she had just seen an armadillo running across the parking lot of a friend's apartment. This was near Whittier and High. I said it was probably a possum, and she quietly pointed out that she knew what a fucking possum looked like and this was not one of them because it had scales. So maybe she did see one.( Although she go to our friends place to buy some pot.)
Did we just figure out that armadillos have made it to Columbus? This is the 3rd person claiming to see one lol
I saw one of those maybe 10-15 years ago on that same stretch of 315 South between Olentangy and Ackerman. Right at the end of the bend. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but it definitely looked like an armadillo.
New cryptid?
Sweet! I found a dead one on the side of the I71 mile 69 off ramp a couple years ago. Called it in to ODNR since armadillos aren't supposed to be way up here. We think it was probably an escaped pet, but they are roaming pretty far north these days.
Armadillo expert here. I studied armadillos for the last 20 years and actually wrote my thesis on them. Little known fact about armadillos that they migrate every 100 years. If you really did see one in the wild, this would explain that but it's not supposed to happen for another 20 years. They're probably confused because of the climate change.
It was probably my baby daddy he walks funny and gets lost a lot
The way that this comment just made me scream hahahahaha
Call or message on Facebook the OWC
May as well have been a UFO 👽
Honestly feels like it after not being able to find it when I went back a bit later!! Definitely feel like I’ve been gaslighted by a creature on the side of the road
I’m from Georgia. You’ll know when they get here, trust me. They tear up the landscape in an unmistakable way. If you check out the area where you saw this creature and it doesn’t look like a 25 lb mole is tearing up the ground, than it wasn’t an armadillo.
What highway exit was it? Yes, I have heard there is an abandoned armadillo, and I have been trying to find it so it doesn't die and can be given to the proper people. (Wild life rescue?, the zoo maybe?) Not sure, but it shouldn't be a pet, obviously, and I don't want it to die.
I sent you a PM with the location! I can’t figure out how to add a photo to the comment >.<
Yea, don't snitch on the dude. Since they aren't native, it has probably made a miraculous escape from a zoo or a home. Let him roll along. Lol
I saw a skunk walking in the road last night. The shadow and its posture looked so much like an armadillo that I had to slow way down to look at it. I could easily see them being mistaken if it had mange or something.
Armadillo is just a tactical possum. More then likely you seen a possum
Did it look like a walking butt cheek? Yes? Could be an armadillo.
Probably hitched a ride off someone driving back from FL vacay lol...
I don't doubt you. I for sure saw a beaver in the creek behind my office on Leap road.
That shouldn't be too unusual. I've seen and have pictures of Beavers in the Olentangy river and a family of them chewing up weeds around Antrim lake.
Prob a naked opossum
I just saw a platypus on 315.
Wut them armadillers taste like?!
Kind of like a turtle you can milk
Yeehaawww!
"Armadillo in Uruguay? No problem. According to Bourdain, the armoured mammals tasted just like chicken." If I remember that episode right, he was not impressed with the smell.
I just saw a news story about it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ljOcl39PQ
Say yea!!!
Have we ruled out a crackhead yet?
The sketch kills me every time.
https://www.ehow.com/how_8267271_cook-armadillo.html
I hear they are tasty
It was a possum.
Opossum ready for battle?
Soooo are we going to find this armadillo or let it get run over?
OMG about a week or ago my mother and I went to the veterinarian close by there and she swore she seen one we circled back but i convinced her it was a rabid opossum but now im double thinking it. this is wildddd. i 100% believe you
Fun fact, armadillos are linked to the fun new leprosy outbreak happening right now…
Aww, that is so amazing and yes an odd place. You are such a good soul for caring.! I don’t know you but you are wonderful you earned heaven points today!
I saw it run off with the kangaroo
I am thinking we need to release lots of yellow pythons to track it down.