An SIU professor is gaining national recognition for his study of armadillos.

Professor F. Agustin Jimenez says there are twenty-three species of armadillo, but only one, the nine banded armadillo, is migrating north.

Originally, it was thought that the creatures would die in our colder winters.  

Jimenez says that with no natural predators in the area, the armadillo population will grow quickly.