COLUMBUS – Motorists dodging armadillos on High Street? It could happen according to a report by a leading environmental group.
Warming temperatures spurred by climate change could force the groundhog and other small mammals that currently reside in Ohio to find a new home while armadillos, which everyone associates with Texas, could be moving into Ohio, according to findings from the National Wildlife Federation.
Warming temperatures caused by climate change will shift habitats and some southern creatures could make their way north while some northern animals head farther north, said Frank Szollosi , regional outreach manager for the Federation.
Szollosi says the warmer temperatures will allow the armadillos to range as far north as Ohio, which could have detrimental effects on species like quail and other birds that nest in the ground.
The report found that other animals could leave Ohio seeking a colder habitat, Szollosi said, including the groundhog, the flying squirrel, and the snowshoe hare.