No matter the protected area, the country, or who we work with, traveling the roads and finding animals hit by vehicles is becoming increasingly common. Among the most affected species is Dasypus mexicanus, the nine-banded armadillo.
🦔 Today, August 13, we celebrate International Armadillo Day to raise awareness about the need to protect this species and many others that suffer the consequences of road development without environmental planning.
Roads fragment habitats and, in most cases, do not include infrastructure that allows wildlife to cross safely. Added to this is speeding, which reduces drivers’ reaction time and causes thousands of roadkill incidents each year.
Left photo: Dawn Peek. Right photo: Manfredo Turcios-Casco
Armadillos play an essential role in ecosystems: they help control insects and recycle nutrients in the soil, supporting environmental health. Losing them would disrupt the natural balance that we so greatly depend on.
The solution lies in implementing wildlife crossings, proper signage, and environmental education to promote safe coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Night-time record of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus mexicanus) in the Moskitia forest, Honduras. Monitoring conducted thanks to the support of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Management Fund (FAPVS), the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), and the Honduras program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Text by Manfredo Turcios-Casco/WCS Honduras