MDC's mammal guide: primarily in the southern half of the state, but may be found as far north as the Missouri-Iowa state line; the population is expanding northward.
MDC: “Missouri Distribution: Primarily in the southern half of the state but may be found as far north as the Missouri- Iowa state line; the population is expanding northward.” Source
Cat-sized: 15-17 in long not counting the tail, 8-17 lb (FWC); 24-32 in including a 9.5-14.5 in tail (UGA).
How to recognize it
Bony skin plates that form a shell, which make it easy to identify
Long scaly tail, deer-like ears, long pig-like snout
Tail encased in 12 bony rings; no canine or incisor teeth
Where in Missouri
Primarily in the southern half of the state, but they occur as far north as the Missouri-Iowa state line. The armadillo’s northward range is limited by cold weather. MDC
What the sources say
Habitat: Nine-banded armadillos live in a variety of terrestrial habitats, but in Missouri they seem to prefer oak-hickory or shortleaf pine forests. (MDC)
“Missouri Distribution: Primarily in the southern half of the state but may be found as far north as the Missouri- Iowa state line; the population is expanding northward.”
“Although no mountain lions currently breed in Missouri, some do pass through the state each year.”
“Missouri’s bear population was nearly extirpated in the early 1900s but has been growing in recent decades, in part due to population recovery work in Arkansas in the 1960s.”
.jpg){kind=link}