Occurrence of the Nine-banded Armadillo, 
Dasypus novemcinctus (Mammalia: Edentata), 
in South Carolina 
John J. Mayer 1 
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, 
Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina 29801 
ABSTRACT . — The occurrence of the nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus 
novemcinctus, in South Carolina has been poorly documented. The 
recent discovery of a road-killed individual in Aiken County, capture 
of a live individual in Barnwell County, and results of a questionnaire 
sent statewide to wildlife personnel in South Carolina indicate an 
increased frequency and concentration of records of the species in the 
southern portion of the state. Results of the survey also revealed that 
human importation of this mammal is still occurring in South Carolina. 
Based on climatic limiting factors, the nine-banded armadillo should 
be capable of expanding its range throughout most of South Carolina. 
The presence of an established viable population of this species in 
South Carolina remains uncertain. 
Since the introduction of the nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus 
novemcinctus Linnaeus, into Florida between 1915 and 1922 (Bailey 
1924, Fitch et al. 1952), this mammal has expanded its range through or 
into four states in the Southeast (Fitch et al. 1952, Humphrey 1974, 
Hall 1981). However, the significance of its occurrence in South Carolina 
is uncertain. Although sight records have been reported for this state 
(three individuals by Golley 1966; one individual by Humphrey 1974; 
ten individuals by Sanders 1978), these animals were assumed to be 
escapees either from tourists’ automobiles traveling north from Florida 
and Georgia or from circuses (Golley 1966; Sanders 1978; R. E. 
Mancke, pers. comm.). No museum voucher specimens of this species 
from South Carolina have been reported. In addition, undocumented 
occurrences of the nine-banded armadillo in South Carolina have been 
either stated or illustrated with maps by Hamilton and Whitaker (1979) 
and Wetzel (1982). 
On 2 August 1985, an adult male nine-banded armadillo roadkill 
was found in Aiken County in the central portion of the Savannah 
River Plant (SRP), a 77,000-ha federal nuclear facility that is closed to 
public access. Therefore, it is unlikely that this animal was released by a 
tourist traveling north. This specimen (ChM CM 1143) has been 
Present address: Law Environmental, Inc., 112 Townpark Drive, Kennesaw, 
Georgia 30144-5599. 
Brimleyana No. 15:1-5, January 1989 
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