Is it safe to eat an armadillo?

It may seem like an odd question, but the answer is “Yes”. In many areas of Central and South America, armadillo meat is often used as part of an average diet. Armadillo meat is a traditional ingredient in Oaxaca, Mexico.

What happens if you eat an armadillo?

Wild armadillo meat is popular in Brazil, but a new study shows those who eat it put themselves at risk of contracting leprosy. In Brazil, it's not uncommon to eat armadillo, which reportedly tastes like chicken. But new research warns against the practice—it could give you leprosy.

Can eating armadillo make you sick?

An international team led by researchers at Colorado State University has found that human contact with wild armadillos — including eating the meat — has contributed to extremely high infection rates of a pathogen that can cause leprosy in Pará, Brazil.

Does armadillo taste good?

Armadillo: Its flesh is rich and porky, and tastes more like possum than any other game. A common method of cooking is to bake the armadillo in its own shell after removing its glands.

Can you cook leprosy from armadillos?

Cooking armadillo meat kills off any M. leprae bacteria, but in this part of Brazil, many like to eat the animal's liver—one of the main sites of the bacteria—raw as part of a ceviche dish.

Catch and Cook ARMADILLO

Do armadillos carry STDS?

In the southern United States, some armadillos are naturally infected with the bacteria that cause Hansen's disease in people and it may be possible that they can spread it to people. However, the risk is very low and most people who come into contact with armadillos are unlikely to get Hansen's disease.

Are armadillos bulletproof?

Now, the question is – “is armadillo armor bulletproof?” No, it is not entirely bulletproof. Basically, an armadillo is a barrel-shaped animal with a rigid, rough shell that works as its natural armor. This outer shell is formed with bony plates called osteoderms which naturally grow in the skin.

What's the best way to cook an armadillo?

Bake in a 325 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Allow 30-45 minutes per pound. Allow 1/3 pound of meat per serving. Dust armadillo meat in flour, salt, and pepper.

How do you clean an armadillo to eat?

After you handle the armadillo, wash all skin that contacted it with antibacterial soap. Hold the armadillo down and cut off its head with your hunting knife. After the armadillo is dead, cut the shell down the sides. Take out all of the organs and use cold water to wash them thoroughly.

Do dead armadillos carry leprosy?

Leprosy might sound like an exotic, extinct disease, locked in the annals of history or sequestered in quarantine colonies in far-off lands. But it persists here in the U.S., and new research suggests, in addition to being spread by infected people, it is also being carried on the leathery backs of ambling armadillos.

What animals can carry leprosy?

Armadillos are known to carry leprosy — in fact, they are the only wild animals other than humans upon which the picky M. leprae can stand to live — and scientists suspected that these anomalous cases were due to contact with the little armored tootsie rolls.

Do people still get leprosy?

Today, about 208,000 people worldwide are infected with leprosy, according to the World Health Organization, most of them in Africa and Asia. About 100 people are diagnosed with leprosy in the U.S. every year, mostly in the South, California, Hawaii, and some U.S. territories.

Do Texans eat armadillos?

Eating armadillos is not widespread in Texas today, although it has been popular among south-of-the-border residents for more than a hundred years. Many Texans, especially during the depression years of the 1930s, dined on the "Hoover Hog," referring to the armadillo as "poor man's pork."

What can you catch from eating a dead armadillo?

Leprosy Is Spreading From Armadillo-to-Human Contact. You might not want to eat that roasted armadillo meat. Leprosy is an ancient disease, the oldest disease known to be associated with humans, with evidence of characteristic bone pitting and deformities found in burial sites in India as far back as 2000 B.C.

Are armadillos poisonous?

Even though they may spread diseases, armadillos are not dangerous to humans in general. Although armadillos are relatively harmless, it's crucial to remember that they are wild animals that can potentially spread diseases if touched or eaten.

Do Texas armadillos carry leprosy?

One in six armadillos found in Texas and Louisiana coastal marshes harbor leprosy. Leprosy infected armadillos shed M. leprae to their environment and even casual association with armadillos can expose a person to M. leprae.

Do armadillos eat meat?

Diet. Armadillos are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants, though 90 percent of an armadillo's diet is made up of insects and larvae, according to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management.

Can you eat armadillo in Georgia?

Status. Armadillos are considered both an exotic species and a pest. Georgia law prohibits keeping armadillos in captivity, however. Because they are not protected in Georgia, they can be hunted or trapped throughout the year.

Do armadillos lay eggs?

Armadillos do not lay eggs. A female armadillo gives birth to live babies, which are called 'pups' after a gestation period of three to five months, which can extend up to a period of eight to nine months due to something called delayed implantation.

Can you eat raccoon?

All in all, raccoon is totally edible, and I would not hesitate to eat it again. However, it's the quality of the meat that would keep me from cooking it more often. Like squirrel, it's a tough meat that is best prepared when tenderized.

Which state has the most armadillos?

These animals have been sighted in at least 16 states; however, they've become closely associated with Texas which is home to more of them than any other state. The body temperature of an armadillo is lower than most mammals and they have very little fat.

How much is an armadillo shell worth?

Our Price: $99.99

Shell can often be cracked or broken.

Are armadillos aggressive?

Although the armadillo is not aggressive, it is a wild animal that can potentially spread disease to humans if handled or eaten. As with any wild animal, armadillos can transmit rabies, although this is very rare.