Armadillo Family Takes Hike on Silver Comet

Image: Sheriff's deputies spotted this armadillo family Wednesday on the trail in Hiram, near the railroad caboose (Paulding County Sheriff's Office).

HIRAM, GA -- When you're hiking, biking or jogging on the Silver Comet Trail, keep an eye out for the armadillos.

That's the message from the Paulding County Sheriff's Office after an armadillo family was spotted Wednesday along the trail in Hiram, just east of a vintage railroad caboose parked next to the trail.

It's rare to see armadillos out and about during the day; in the summer, they tend to be active at night, from twilight to the early morning, according to a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Armadillos eat mostly insects, but they're considered a pest because they tend to burrow into lawns, golf courses, vegetable gardens and flower beds, the USDA says.

"Be aware of the wildlife that you may encounter while you are out there pedaling or walking" on the Silver Comet Trail, the sheriff's office said Thursday on its Facebook page. It posted a photo of the armadillo family, and by 6 p.m. Thursday, the Facebook post had drawn 33 shares and 19 comments. As one reader put it: "Possum on the half shell!"

The Silver Comet Trail is a former railroad line that's been converted to a paved, 12-foot-wide pathway for running, walking, bicycling and roller skating. The 61.5-mile trail runs west from Atlanta's suburbs to the Alabama state line.

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office uses the caboose in Hiram as a station for deputies who patrol the trail, according to the website Silver Comet Trail GA.