We all know what an armadillo looks like. You’ve probably seen one on a road trip or even in the area where you live, but how much do you truly know about them?

One thing many people wonder about is how dangerous are armadillos? Judging by appearance alone, some people find them quite scary, while others see them as completely harmless. Is an armadillo dangerous?

No, armadillos are not dangerous, aggressive animals by nature. Many people who don’t know much about armadillos worry about a potential attack and tend to keep their distance from these creatures, but an armadillo is not a dangerous animal.

You can tell by the way an armadillo is built that it is not a creature heavy on the attack, but rather the defense. What triggers many people and makes them think they might be in danger from an armadillo is that the outer carcass of this small animal resembles armor.

But this suit of armor (as any other armor, really) is meant to protect the animal, and not to hurt you. So the chances of encountering an aggressive armadillo are very rare. They are more likely to run, even if you try to chase or catch them, rather than attack you.

But what do I do if an armadillo is aggressive?
On occasion, if it feels it is being threatened (either by you or your pet), an armadillo will claw at you and while its claws are not really deadly, they do carry a lot of diseases, chiefly the mycobacterium leprae, which is what causes leprosy. Other diseases you can get from an armadillo are salmonella and even rabies.

So it’s important when you encounter an aggressive armadillo to back off.

Remember, it is not likely to attack you if you don’t pose a danger to it or its family.

Remain calm. It’s normal to become scared and panic when encountering an aggressive animal, but that only increases your chances of being scratched or attacked. So try to behave as calmly as possible and step away from the armadillo. Ideally, secure yourself and your family in the house or another room.

When encountering an aggressive armadillo, it’s important that you call a professional to get rid of it. These people are trained in handling such wild creatures and know how to do so safely, both for themselves and the animal.

There is no reason why you should risk your safety and health (not to mention that of your family) by trying to remove an armadillo yourself.

Rabies: know the symptoms
Often, when an armadillo begins acting strangely or aggressively, it is because it has contracted rabies. Thankfully, there are quite a few tell-tale signs that will alert you to this. The animal will begin acting oddly. A nocturnal animal might go about in daylight and they will almost always froth at the mouth and drool.

Other symptoms may be loss of energy and dilated pupils. For an armadillo, odd behavior may be approaching humans fearlessly.

Once again, if you suspect an animal may have rabies, you need to avoid it as best you can and call a professional.

Don’t try and capture it because it looks harmless. Trust us, rabies is not harmless.