I can't say for sure, but two things from the report caught my eye:
1. They come from neighboring states. They were spotted in western TN in the 1980s, and then here in the late 2000s. It's possible they just haven't gotten that far east. Yet.
2. Cold weather doesn't kill them, but long stretches of it seem to be bad because of a lack of insulation and a lack of food. If those long stretches get shorter, then it looks like they can survive, and judging by their population in WNC, they are.
If they can't survive freezing weather, why have they mostly been seen in WNC?
I can't say for sure, but two things from the report caught my eye:
1. They come from neighboring states. They were spotted in western TN in the 1980s, and then here in the late 2000s. It's possible they just haven't gotten that far east. Yet.
2. Cold weather doesn't kill them, but long stretches of it seem to be bad because of a lack of insulation and a lack of food. If those long stretches get shorter, then it looks like they can survive, and judging by their population in WNC, they are.
Leprosy
Gahhhhhhh you win the Typo Bounty.