Reptile exports can also cause serious problems for native populations. And they may fail to thrive because of poor handling after their capture. They may have bacterial or viral loads which will wreak havoc on the rest of your reptile collection. Wild-caught reptiles often arrive in their new homes with parasites. As a result, most Armadillo Lizards in the pet trade are wild-caught animals. cataphractus can be purchased illegally for more sizeable sums). Wild-caught Armadillo Lizards can be purchased cheaply from exporters. Many pet owners want Armadillo Lizards in their collection. Female Armadillo Lizards typically give birth to one or two live babies every year or two. Many keepers have successfully bred the other Armadillo Lizards, but their clutches are small. giganteus is notoriously difficult to breed in captivity. Armadillo Lizards are most active in daytime hours. If you are confident your Armadillos have been properly sexed, you can keep a male with multiple females. The males fight each other over territory. In captivity Armadillo Lizards thrive on crickets and adults may even enjoy an occasional pinky mouse.Īrmadillo Lizards are also social reptiles, living in groups of thirty to sixty lizards. They will also eat other insects, as well as spiders, scorpions, millipedes, and small vertebrates. Termite mounds provide wild Armadillo Lizards with an abundant food source. (Unable to squeeze their mighty bulk into the smallest cracks, Giant Girdled Lizards dig burrows in the sandy soil which can be 3 feet deep and 6 feet long). Cracks in the rocks provide them with shelter. In Africa the Armadillo Lizards live in rocky arid and semi-arid regions. They also have flat heads which help them squeeze into their snug homes. Armadillo Lizards in their Native HabitatĪrmadillo Lizards are covered with spiky keeled scales that protect them from predators like a hedgehog’s spines. Unless they are imported by dedicated breeders who can identify the subtle differences between groups, they too will likely be sold as Armadillo Lizards, Sungazers or Girdled Lizards. There are several other Cordyleus species and subspecies which occasionally pop up in the pet trade. giganteus resides in the grasslands of South Africa’s Highveld region. The ridged scales around its eyes make Smaug giganteus look a great deal like a baby Smaug. The Giant Girdled Lizard ( Smaug giganteus) is also sold as the Sungazer, Giant Girdled Lizard, Giant Dragon Lizard, or Giant Zonure. tropidosternum’s throat and belly scales are spiky like its back and body. jonesii has smooth scales on its throat and belly where C. There they live in dry mopane (Turpentine Tree) forests and brushland.Ĭ. The Jones Armadillo Lizard ( Cordylus jonesii) is also called the Limpopo Girdled Lizard because it was first discovered in Zimbabwe’s Limpopo National Park. tropidosternum is found in southeastern Africa in a range from southernmost Kenya to central Mozambique and eastern Zimbawe. You may also see it sold as a Dwarf Sungazer, Tropical Girdled Lizard, or Forest Armadillo Lizard.Ĭ. The Armadillo Lizard ( Cordylus tropidosternum) is the most popular and readily available of the Armadillo Lizards.
#Full grown armadillo lizard license
It is illegal to export them without a license and so these Armadillo Lizards are difficult to find in the pet trade and expensive when you find them. cataphractus is found in rock outcrops in South Africa’s northwest. cataphractus takes its tail in its mouth and rolls up into a ball like an Armadillo. The Armadillo Lizard ( Ouroborus cataphractus) gave these South African lizards their common name. All these Armadillo Lizards come from southern Africa and have similar care and feeding requirements. Several different species are sold in the pet trade as Armadillo Lizards. And we will provide you a guide to the different species of Armadillo Lizard which you may find for sale.
#Full grown armadillo lizard how to
We will learn how to provide your Armadillo Lizard with a proper habitat and appropriate diet. We will explore the Armadillo Lizard in its native habitat and in captivity. This article provides an introduction to these spiky little lizards. In an enclosure it may be seriously wounded or killed). In the wild a weaker Armadillo Lizard can escape its stronger opponent. (But be sure you only have one male in the group! Males are territorial and will fight each other for space. They are sociable creatures which like company in their tanks. The biggest, the Giant Girdled Lizard ( Smaug giganteus) will reach an imposing eight inches.Īrmadillo Lizards are easy to keep and relatively docile. Depending on the species, adult Armadillo Lizards range from four to six inches long. It would, however, be a very small dragon. Add a pair of wings and a flamethrower to an Armadillo Lizard and it would look like one of the dragons from Game of Thrones.
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