It’s so hot in Texas, an armadillo was spotted swimming along the coast, video shows

Armadillos are sturdy little critters, but even their hides aren’t thick enough to protect them from Texas’ brutal summer heat.

But an armadillo was recently spotted swimming along the coast near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, video shared by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shows.

“Even armadillos are trying to cool off,” TPWD said of the video, which it posted Aug. 8 and was taken by Instagram user @tdstranger.

The armadillo can be seen paddling in the surf and periodically diving underwater, going full submarine mode as the sun blazes overhead, video shows.

It’s proof that everything enjoys a beach day from time to time, and that even an animal such as the armadillo — famous for its lack of intelligence — can still surprise us.

Not only are armadillos “decent swimmers,” according to TPWD, but they also “can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes.”

Some Texans were shaken by the sight.

“I’ve lived in TX my whole life and have never seen a live one in the wild. Only roadkill,” one comment read.

“Wow! Never knew they could swim,” read another.

While the armadillo clearly needed some relief, the Aransas Pass area has been significantly cooler than much of Texas, with highs in the low 90s in recent days, according to Weather.com.

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is roughly 80 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.

This story was originally published August 9, 2023 at 3:23 PM with the headline "It’s so hot in Texas, an armadillo was spotted swimming along the coast, video shows."