I'm not sure who did it, but one of my big ceramic pots in the backyard flower bed was turned over yesterday morning. I'm talking BIG pot, weighs so much I have to use both hands to carry it empty (and I'm fairly strong). Luckily it wasn't broken or damaged, just tipped over. I have my suspicions. There were no tracks, but there was a snaky trail near it, rather like the mark left by an armadillo's tail. If I meet the 'dillo that did it I'll give him a wide berth. That's one strong 'dillo!
The pot is about 18" high, and squat, so it's hard to tip over. I think that IF it was an armadillo, he just got up on his hind legs to peek in and it tipped over with his weight (which had to be considerable to upend that pot!). If it wasn't a 'dillo, I don't really want to know what critter did it!
Finding out a large, heavy armadillo can jump high is not comforting! I think I'll start taking the shotgun out with me after dark. Glendann, just how high can a 'dillo jump? I knew they were fast runners, but didn't know they competed in the high jump also.
LOL, check this out! Being from the East Coast, I wasn't even sure what an armadillo looked like, other than in a cartoon. So I googled it... eesh. I wouldn't love meeting one. This is what I found in answer to my question: can an armadillo jump. I have to say, I was surprised! http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=w ... XW9ebd5SKA
I've had racoons push things around and tip them. They too can be a real pain. If only you could have seen what they did with the cement planters in my fish pond...darn rascals. Thankfully we don't have armadillos...we didn't used to have possums but now they are unwanted backyard guests too. Armadillos only live in the :-? South and heat....right?
So you have finally come across the real Texas Armadillo. It does tend to be larger than most but is usually pretty docile, even accepting attention from people it likes. Still, being an Armadillo, it is a night creature and will avoid human contact during the day time so you might not ever get to actually see it. Jumping? That is the least of your concerns with this one. Have you ever wondered why you can look out across a pasture and see only one tree standing in the distance? That's because this fellow used the others to scratch it's back and ended up pushing them down. Do you think all those dead trees laying in the fields died from old age? This is the only know photo of one, the man in the photo disappeared shortly after the photographer took the shot. He had used up all his film, leaned down to put the camera back in it's case and when he stood up the man was gone. At least they think that is what happened since all they had to go on were the photos found in the abandoned camera, no one has seen the photographer since then either. The person who found the camera said the Armadillo had a funny grin on it's face, like one you would see on the cat that got the canary. We grow them bigger in Texas ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )
I suddenly felt grateful for not having armadillos around. I have liked them a lot, but now you got me wary of them.
You lot know just how to make me belly laugh don't you? Toni your story reminds me of the tale I once told to some Americans about this haggis with two short legs on one side and two long ones on the other....
