DESCRIPTION

Armadillos have arrived! Take a stroll through one of Cook County's Forest Preserves and spot Chicago's most recent settler. Typically residents of the south-west, the nine-banded armadillo has been moving north for decades and with the extreme changes in climate causing milder winters, Chicago has become more welcoming to species from warmer climes. With tree cover, relatively low foot traffic, and warm, humid, soft soil providing a perfect place for digging a cozy burrow, the Forest Preserves of Cook County have become the armadillo’s chosen Chicago habitat.