They’re also NOT opposed to eating other invertebrates, likeĭuring the dry season, when termites and other invertebrate food sources are quite scarce, armadillo girdled lizards enter a period of inactivity, and their metabolism slows down significantly. In fact, their vulnerable population is believed to fluctuate with the local termite population. However, in captivity they are mostly dependent on crickets for their protein source as many owners find storing and breeding termites disheartening.Īrmadillo girdled lizards are primarily insectivores, although they may occasionally eat leaves and fruit. armadillo lizards have a special fondness for insects, which make up the better portion of their diet. Just imagine a little dragon that fits into the palm of your hand! What Do They Eat? Like many reptiles. Their tail makes up for about half, or less, of their total length. Males tend to be slightly larger than females. We weren’t kidding when we used words like “precious” and “petite”! These lizards rarely grow over four inches long, with three to three and a half inches being more common. However, they aren’t the same species as the East African spiny-tailed lizard ( Cordylus tropidosternum), commonly referred to as an armadillo lizard in the pet trade.
⭐️ Fun Fact: Did you know? The Armadillo Girdled Lizard is also known as armadillo lizards, golden-armadillo lizards, and armadillo spiny-tailed lizards. Instead, they simply find safety in large numbers. They aren’t necessarily bonded to specific individuals in the group, like wolves or dolphins. There is A LOT of movement between the large social groups for males, females, and even juveniles.
They will mate with the females that are in their territory. Males are territorial, and they will carve out a specific plot of land to protect from other males in the group. At least up to sixty feet away, anyways… so not terribly far!Īrmadillo girdled lizards communicate with other members of their group using tail wagging, head bobbing, and tongue-flicking. However, they will travel away from their sandy, rocky outcrops to find food in nearby grasslands.
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In fact, their absolute favorite habitats are full of rocks, hills, mountains, and sandstone. These lizards live in social groups of up to sixty individuals! They can typically be found sunning on rocks near cracks and crevices, which they will attempt to escape to if they sense a threat. Their favorite habitats are full of rocks, hills, mountains, and sandstone. More specifically, they live in the Succulent Karoo desert ecoregion. Where Do They Come From? Did you know? There are more than 80 different species of Armadillo lizards! That’s why you may notice slight differences color, facial structure, and size amongst them.Īrmadillo girdled lizards are endemic to the desert areas along the West coast of South Africa.