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Trevor and Wyatt Drewes aren’t sure what to do with the armadillo they caught in a trap near their Craig, Mo., farm. It would cost $500 to have it stuffed, ‘which is a lot of money for something so ugly,’ said their father, David. One thing is for sure: The elder Drewes doesn’t want any more of the armored critters rooting around on his land.

CRAIG, Mo. — Armadillos, it seems, apparently like to make Holt County one of their preferred destinations in Northwest Missouri.

Just ask the David Drewes family. His sons, Trevor and Wyatt, inadvertently trapped one of the armor-plated critters Jan. 11, not far from their Holt County farm south of Craig.

Trevor and Wyatt are the ones who deserve credit for the unusual discovery, Mr. Drewes said. A foot trap, intended to snag a fox or other varmints that frequent the area, spelled the armadillo’s demise.

“They were just running their traps that evening,” Mr. Drewes said. “I think it probably just walked in the wrong place.”

About the size of a Chihuahua, the animal was found about a mile north and slightly west of the family home.

It’s at least the second time that an armadillo — not found in the region since before the last ice age — has unexpectedly turned up in the county. In August 2004, Josh Triggs of Big Lake ran over and killed a nine-banded armadillo on Missouri Route P near Fortescue.

Mr. Drewes said an armadillo also was struck north of Big Lake last summer.

Conservation officials have said the bony-plated mammals are a rarity in northern climates and could be hopping trains, trucks and other vehicles that depart southern states. The Drewes family informed Missouri Conservation agent Jade Wright about their find. Armadillos, they were told, don’t actually fall under any of Missouri’s wildlife regulations.

“We hear rumors like that,” Mr. Drewes said of the box-car theory. “We hear they’re migrating this way. I hope they’re not.”

According to Missouri Outdoor, the nine-banded armadillo has been moving farther north over the past century. Reduced hunting has allowed them to branch out from their home range.

It gave the opportunity to learn more about armadillos and their habits, such as burrowing through yards. In another factoid Mr. Drewes learned, an armadillo mother always will give birth to four identical offspring. Armadillos also are capable of swimming.

Although edible with precautions taken, the Drewes say they don’t plan to prepare the armadillo for their dinner table. A local taxidermist was consulted for the price of preserving the animal.

“It’ll get a burial in the compost pile” if the price happens to be too high, Mr. Drewes said.

Ray Scherer can be reached at rscherer@npgco.com.