That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information
The Tropical Girdled Lizard (Cordylus tropidosternum) is the most readily available of the 30+ Cordylus species, and offers an excellent introduction to the group. It is sometimes sold as the “Armadillo Lizard”, confusing purchasers who had in mind another (and, at $1,200+ each, vastly more expensive!) species with the same common name, C. cataphractus. It also occasionally appears under the name “East African Spiny-tailed Lizard”.
Tropical Girdled Lizards in Captivity
Don’t let their inexpensive price tag mislead you – Tropical GirdledLlizards are no less interesting in appearance or behavior than their pricey cousins. In fact, the “true” Armadillo Lizard, C. cataphractus, which is no longer exported from South Africa, is one of the shyest reptiles I’ve ever encountered.
When kept properly, these southeast African natives may reward you by reproducing, always a thrill for responsible herp keepers (judging from the size of the young, the event is less thrilling for the moms – please see below!). While not bold, they are no as retiring as most related species, and are relatively easy to observe.
Girdled Lizards give birth to 1-4 huge live youngsters. The hatchling pictured here, born at the Maritime Aquarium in Connecticut, is one of a litter of 2 – their total mass seemed to be nearly half that of their mother.
Further Reading
Two subspecies of tropical Girdled Lizards appear in the pet trade; to help determine which you have, and for a key to other species in the genus, please see this reference.
Over the last several years I have helped to set up new reptile and amphibian exhibit areas for The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT (long known for its excellent collection of native marine life). To learn more, please click here.
can a fire skink , a mountain horn and forest red armadillo go in same tank
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog.
The lizards you mention would not do well together – each has different heat, UVB, humidity and substrate requirements. Also, fire skinks are rather shy and are usually out-competed for food in a mixed species tank.
Mixing species is a risky prospect in general – parasites and other micro-organisms that cause only mild problems in one animal may be deadly to a closely related species.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
need information bout topical gridled lizard thanks
Hello Mike, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. The temperature/UVB guidelines in Part II of this article (breeding) can be used in daily husbandry as well. Please let me know what specific information you’re interested in and I’ll be happy to provide some advice.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hello Frank. . can you help us choose. We are leaning toward purchasing a forest armadillo lizard over a leopard gecko as pet, principally because the armadillo lizard we saw has so much more personality than a leopard gecko. . .at least the ones we have seen. Two questions a] how large will the armadillo lizard grow and b] with regular handling / contact will they become more docile.
Thanks Much
Hello Fred, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog.
Girdled Lizards, usually sold as Armadillo Lizards, reach about 7.5 inches in length and usually remain quite shy; they do best in large terrariums where they can be observed w/o disturbance. Some individuals eventually tolerate handling, but please bear in mind that “tolerate” is the key word when speaking about any reptiles. None respond to it as would a tame mammal; best to choose a species based on interest and ability to provide proper care. That being said, Leopard Geckos are among the most tolerant of all lizards as regards handling.
Girdled Lizards need UVB radiation; Leopards, being nocturnal, do not (they absorb Vit. D3 from their diet). They produce large, live young, which is a real plus if you are considering breeding; and are diurnal (but shy). Leopard Geckos lay eggs and are nocturnal, but will emerge during the day to eat and can be observed with night-viewing bulbs.
All things considered, a Leopard Gecko would be a better choice for someone new to lizard-keeping. Please write in if you need additional information.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Happy Holidays, Frank Indiviglio.
I have recently rescued an armadillo lizard. I have no idea what ‘type’ it is and I am in desperate need to know so I can care for it properly. Please let me know if you can help. He looks similar to the little guy photoed here and I was told he is a mix of two types of the armadillo lizard.
Hello Candace, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. It is most likely the species mentioned in this article, as this is the most common one. They are not known to interbreed with other species of armadillo lizards, so it is almost surely not a mix of 2 different types.
It’s nice of you to rescue the animal but they do require quite a bit of care..not the best species if you do not have lizard experience. You’ll need a high output UVB bulb and a hot spot of 90-95 F, as well as a varied diet of several types of insects. Often, local Reptile Interest Clubs and Societies can help in finding good homes, in case you feel unable to care for it. Please let me know if you need help in locating such a group. I can also provide links to the bulbs you;ll need, and more info on diet if you will be keeping the lizards.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
It seems the questions have been answered quite some time ago but I do not know any other way to contact you.
I’m planning to get a C. Tropidosternum and need to know the difference between a C. Tropidosternum and C.T. Jonesii. I have read the reference about the difference between the two but it didn’t really help me. Is there a distinct feature that will help me tell them apart.
Thank you
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. C. t. jonesii has now been raised to a full species, C. jonesii but, as you know, is very similar in appearance to C. tropidosternum . Here is a key to the genus Cordylus; it is awkward to use (as are all keys, I find!) but accurate. A cleared description of some of the differences between the 2 species (smoother abdomen/throat scales on jonesii, placement of nostrils, etc.) is given here.
I hope these are helpful; if not, please be in touch and I’ll see if a contact of mine has some additional info or photos. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted on your project.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hello,
thank you very much for all the help. The link was perfect. I will defiantly keep you posted on my breeding project.
Thank you
Sam Murray
Hello Sam, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for taking the time to write back; glad to hear it was of use. I look forward to your updates,
Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
I hope I get a response to this fast. I got a forest armadillo lizard about 9 weeks ago and to my surprise she had 3 babies. Do the babies need anything special? I have never owed a reptile that has had babies so I’m complety lost. Mom seems to not be moving much so I have been peeking in on her. I feed her wax and butter worms sprayed with calcium and vitamins 4 times a week. Also what kind of UV light do you recommend?
Hello Danielle, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest and congrats; it’s difficult to tell when they are carrying young, so surprise births are the rule.
They can usually be kept with the mother, but may need a separate enclosure if they are to receive enough UVB… i.e. Florescent bulbs are best kept within 6-12 inches of the basking site in order to maximize UVB exposure. However, in a standard aquarium the young may not climb up rock piled in order to get close to the light. A long, lox tank or plastic storage bin may be better…or you could just move them into this for 2 hours daily, id they do not seem stressed. Halogen bulbs broadcast UVB for greater distances; you’ll just need to watch that temps do not become too high. Either way, their Calcium needs will be quite high while growing; they need D3 in order to utilize dietary calcium, and UVB exposure allows them to produce D3. Please see Part II of this article for links to the bulbs mentioned.
You may also need to separate them if they are slow feeders – the adult may eat everything before they have a chance to feed.
Powder all meals with Calcium…Repticalcium with D3 is a good choice (I suggest with D3 as some lizards can also absorb dietary D3; surest route is via UVB, however). Reptivite or similar Vit/mineral supplement can be used 2-3 times weekly.
Provide as much dietary variety as possible, using small insects. Crickets should be allowed to feed for 2-3 days before being used as a food source. Butterworms are good, waxworms perhaps once weekly (hard to digest, high in fat); crickets, calciworms should also be tried. Good idea to order silkworms through internet dealers on occasion.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
hey, i bought a couple of tropical girdled lizards a while back and one has been looking rounder for the past couple months, we think that shes pregnant and i was wondering, how long do these lizards stay pregnant before they have their babies?
Hello Evan, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest. They have not been well studied…mating rarely observed, and the females may be able to store sperm, so the gestation period has not been definitively established. Most captive births seem to be the result of matings that occurred before the adults were collected.
Best to plan ahead; you will likely need a separate enclosure for the young. Please see Part II of this article for notes on UVB concerns.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted on how all progresses.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
A small update we ended up having 5 babies all of them are active and seem to be doing great. Mom is eating well. I can’t seem to get the heat right so I’m gonna try a under the tank heating pad. I was worried about a heat rock burning them.
Hello Danielle, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the update; sounds good. Just keep in mind that an under tank heat pad is supplementary only – it may warm the sand a bit, but will not increase the air temperature (and yes, avoid hot rocks). It may be better to rear them separately from the mother, especially given their UVB needs.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Our armadillo Lizard has had two babies so far and we were wondering what should be the temperature range for them and if they are left with the mother is there any chance of harm from her on them
Hello Ted, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest and congrats. An ambient temperature of 75-80F with a basking site of 90-95 F works well. The female will not likely harm them, but they are more easily reared alone. Please also see Part II of this article, for a bit more info. Following is some info I just sent out to another reader who was surprised by a litter of 5:
One reason to separate them is as follows: florescent UVB bulbs are best kept within 6-12 inches of the basking site in order to maximize UVB exposure. However, in a standard aquarium the young may not climb up rock piled in order to get close to the light. A long, low tank or plastic storage bin may be better…or you could just move them into this for 2 hours daily, if they do not seem stressed by the move. I suggest a Zoo Med 10.0 florescent.
Halogen bulbs broadcast UVB for greater distances; you’ll just need to watch that temps do not become too high. Either way, their Calcium needs will be quite high while growing; they need D3 in order to utilize dietary calcium, and UVB exposure allows them to produce D3.
You may also need to separate them if they are slow feeders – the adult may eat everything before they have a chance to feed.
Powder all meals with Calcium…Repticalcium with D3 is a good choice (I suggest with D3 as some lizards can also absorb dietary D3; surest route is via UVB, however). Reptivite or similar Vit/mineral supplement can be used 2-3 times weekly.
Provide as much dietary variety as possible, using small insects. Crickets should be allowed to feed for 2-3 days before being used as a food source. Butterworms are good, waxworms perhaps once weekly (hard to digest, high in fat); crickets, calciworms should also be tried. Good idea to order silkworms through internet dealers on occasion.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
I have an update, Babies seem to be doing well ,we have been told not to leave our crickets in with them overnight, is this right and also what should be the humidity for them?
Hello Ted, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the update. Adult crickets have powerful mouthparts and carnivorous leanings and sometimes bite debilitated herps or those that are too cool to respond; broken skin and wounds may also be attacked. Smaller crickets are usually safe.
Crickets quickly lose or groom-away coatings of powdered supplements, and so are best consumed quickly. The lizards may be more likely to feed right away if you leave the area and observe from a distance.
An average humidity of 40% is fine; they seem to do fine under drier conditions as well. The terrarium can be misted heavily as long as it dries out thoroughly thereafter.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hi Frank I am updating on our situation, well the babies seem to be doing well but we lost mamma were not sure what happened she was doing fine and all of a sudden she died. I would like to know how often should we be feeding the babies and how much, right now we are feeding them crickets and we are not sure if these little guys could overeat.
Hello Ted
Thanks for the update and sorry for the bad news. As for the youngsters, overfeeding is not usually a concern, unless they are not getting enough Calcium/D3. Amounts will vary with individual animals as well as temperature, UVB exposure. Please send some details as to that, as well as their size/age, when you can.
Please keep in mind that crickets alone, even if supplemented, are not an adequate diet.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hi Frank, well babies are almost 5 weeks old, we feed them 4-5 crickets a day each, the crickets are dusted with Repti calcium on Mon, Wed and Fri. on Sunday they are dusted with Reptiveite with D3. The temp is right around 80 Degrees on the cold side of the enclosure under the basking light I would say the the temp is around 90 but not sure we do not have a temperature gauge on that side. they are also getting at least 12 hours of UVB light and we even have a Night black heat light. When we feed them we do it on a one at a time basis in an small plastic carry case so we know each one is eating. Right now there diet is cricket because I cant seem to find any of the other food supply that you told me about in any of our pet stores and if I do find something its in a can not live and I’m not sure its good for them. The size of the 3 is as follows ( big boy- 3in) (kinky-2.5in) and (baby-2in) all named by my son the first and last are self explanatory Kinky got the name cause its tail is bent at the end ( not sure that will fix itself) this is also there birth order. I hope this helps and I appreciate all the info your giving us, our local pet stores aren’t much help.
Thanks Again Ted
Hello Ted
Thanks for the feedback. The amount sounds fine…no need to fine tune too much as lizards seem adjust their growth and metabolism to food availability, within reason. Use small crickets and skip a day or 2 each week-10 days. UVB, if florescent, should be within 6-12 inches of the lizards…if they are not able to get that in the tank, it may be useful to move them to a shallow container for a few hours every so often
Canned insects are fine to use and can be a useful source of dietary variety. Various feeders are often available via interne dealers…check Kingsnake.com, etc. for calciworms, butterworms, sowbugs and so on; they will grow and seem to thrive for quite awhile on crickets alone, but will suffer nutritional deficiencies in time.
Much of the info in this article on Chameleon diets is applicable to your lizards.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hello
Thank you for all your help last time I inquired. I do hope that I can obtain a breeding pair of C. Tropidosternum in the near future but a couple of months ago I got two male C. Mossambicus or Gorangosa Girdled Lizard. I have read a couple of post about them but nothing very helpful. For the past couple months I believe they have been doing good. Both males or in a 55 gl. They are regularly eating crickets and mealworms dusted with calcium. Although they are a very shy species, both eat from my tongs. I hope to get two females soon so I can breed them. Do you know anything about these species and there husbandry. I would greatly appreciate your advice.
Thank you
Sam
Hello Sam
Thanks for your interest. Very interesting lizards; they’ve recently been re-classified and placed in the genus Smaug, along with typical Sungazers…please see here for more info.
Unfortunately, there’s not much available in the way of husbandry info that has worked long term. I think increasing dietary variety would be a good idea. This article was written re Chameleon Diets by has some useful information concerning insectivorous lizards in general. Since they are eating from tongs, you can also use canned grasshoppers, silkworms etc. to add variety to the diet.
I would use a Vitamin/mineral supplement 2-3 times weekly in addition to calcium.
I’ll keep mu eyes open for new info…
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hello
All the info you have given me is great the babies seem to be doing well but we are worried about one. It doesn’t seem to have as much pep as before and is not eating. we have everything set like you suggested and were wondering if you had any other suggestions, Also can you tell me can having an UVB and an UVA light on at the same time wash each other out
Hello Ted
Thanks for the feedback and kind words. Unfortunately., difficult to diagnose w/o vet, esp. x-rays to check for blockage. Early deaths are common in the wild – developmental abnormalities and such, but captives often hold on longer due to reliable food source, etc. It’s also common for one to be out-competed for food and basking opportunities; basking op or lack there-of is easy to miss, and likely behind quite a few unexplained losses. Separating the weaker one is the best way to rule this out, but of course expensive and so on; perhaps a tank divider?
UVA and B can be used together; some mercury and other bulbs emit both, but separate bulbs are fine.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hello Frank
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge I have found this article, forum, and an email with you about humidity extremely helpful. When I get a chance I also want to try and use a key because the two lizards I have look like they can be different because of.different color as well as some other features I have noticed. I had a couple.of questions. First I recently read something about too much calcium and D3 possibly causing mineralization of internal Organs. I still dont know too much about this I feed my lizards everyday they are still very young and willing to eat i alternate with crickets and mealworms (it just seems almost impossible to find anything else around here as far as feeders) we dust them all with D3. Please let me know what you would change and how much is to much calcium or D3. The two i have share a tank together and often even lay together and i assume this is because they were in the same tank at the store for awhile or maybe even captured together. Is it possible to introduce other lizards of the same spieces to this tank or is it not wise to do so? Also what is a recommended basking temp from them. I have searched with results any where from 85F to 110F. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated and helpful. We bought these thinking it would be something different then any other lizard we have had and boy were we right. I definetly am a fan of the cordylus now and the uromastyxs may get jealous. Thank you very much once again.
Hello Shawn
Thanks for the kind words. Over-mineralization is rarely a concern with young lizards; Calcium deficiencies are very commmon, however. You can supplement each meal while they are young; unfortunately, we have no clear guidelines on actual needs, only experience to go on. Give them 1-2 fast days per week. Limit mealworms, which have been linked to intestinal blockages. Best to establish a colony, and use mainly newly-molted (white) grubs and pupae. Please see this article.
.
Please note also the info re UVB in Part II of this article…w/o sufficient UVB, they will not be able to manufacture D3 in the skin (dietary D3 may not be absorbed, or well-utilized, by this and many other lizards, but best to supply just in case).
Sowbugs are a great high calcium food item; please see this article for rearing info. You can order sowbugs from Michael Shrom shrommj@ptd.net – he will advise you as tto the best species to use. You can usually order silkworms and flightless houseflies from internet dealers as well; roaches also. Please let me know if you need info on collecting insects. Be sure to feed the crickets for 2-3 days before using. Please see this article for info, and for notes on other food animals.
A basking temp of 95-100F works well; just be sure that there are cooler areas as well.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
hi, i recentlly found A site that is selling armadillo lizards. from the pic they appear to be the true armadillo but the price is no where close to the price you mentioned in the article. they are about 30 dollars. is this normal now being this article was over a year ago. what should i look for to be sure these arethe real deal. they have the spikes from head to toe i cannot see the underbelly or under the chin in the pic but the def. look to be the real thing.
Hello,
The lizard pictured in Part II of the article is the Armadillo Lizard,Cordylus cataphractus; I can’t imagine that they would be offered for $30 – ask for the Latin name of the species in stock; this article provides a good description..I hope it is useful.
Best regards, Frank
Hi, my forest armadillo lizard just gave birth to one lizard. I was wondering she is still big and fat and i was wondering if that means she will still give birth to more? she gave birth on sat.
Hi,
Congrats! I’ve seen a few single births, but if she is still extra-heavy there’s a chance that she is having difficulty expelling the rest of the litter; watch for straining, lethargy, loss of appetite. However, the safest course of action would be an ultra sound at a vet’s office. This would quickly reveal additional young. Oxytosin or another drug could then be used to induce birth.
Please let me know if you need info on rearing the young…they need lots of UVB, but are often shy about basking, so you sometimes need to modify their terrarium; special diet concerns as well.
Enjoy, Frank
Thank You for the help. The little guy is doing fine and is already eating the next day after he was born. I separated him right away once i saw him and put him in his own terrarium. he loves it in there and basks under the uvb/uva bulb. I was thinking about it and I forgot to mention that i have 3 armadillo lizards. i bought the trio from the reptile shop and they were the breeding trio. When i bought them it was about a couple of months after they gave birth and they gave birth to alot maybe 5-8 of them at the reptile shop, so I think I have two females and a male possibly. if they only have a single birth will they show in size at all before they give birth? Sorry for the long detail.
Hi,
Thanks for the feedback; good to hear that you have all well in hand. If you’re using a fluorescent UVB, try to keep it within 6-12 inches of the basking site, as output falls drastically after that. Size is not always a reliable indicator…much depends on the condition of the mother and the fetuses, etc., I’ve been fooled by a variety of species (an elderly aunt of mine apparently did not know she was pregnant until a month or 2 before her due date…but that’s another story!!).
Best, Frank
Hey Frank,
Just wanted to give you a heads up. I was right and the another lizard gave birth to the first one cause i just looked in my terrarium this morning and found 2 more babies. So i do have two females and 1 male. Thank you for all your help really appreciated it.
Hello,
Thanks for the update and glad the info was useful. One male and 2 females is an ideal mix,
Good luck, enjoy, Frank
Sorry for all the posts but this is an actual question. So I put a couple of the babies in the smaller terrarium with the other baby and the baby that was already in there started going after the other 2 newborn babies. Is this normal and i shouldnt put the babies in there with it?
Hi,
Aggression when they are first introduced is normal, but you’ll need to separate them if it continues. Watch carefully, because if the new one is not eating or is being kept away from basking sites health problems will develop quickly.
Best, Frank
Sorry again for all the posts. I came home from work today and its nighttime so they are all sleeping. I found one more so that makes 5 Total. dont know yet if there are anymore. but the reason i am writing this post is because i found alot and i mean alot of blood everywhere and she has something coming out of her. Is this normal or something serious can you please get back to me asap thank you. also i took pictures of the blood and whats hanging out of here. I dont know how i can send them to you so you can see.
Hi,
Please don;t hesitate at all to post…very interesting and useful to others as well. A complication following birth, such as a prolapse of the cloaca, may be involved. Keep her off sand, so that it does not stick to the organ…damp paper towels are a good temporary substrate. A vet exam is necessary for accurate diagnosis…please let me know if you need assistance in locating an experienced vet in your area.
Best regards., Frank
just wanted to give you a heads up i think what as sticking out of her was another baby. just got home tonight and found another baby for a total of 6. she doesn’t have any thing coming out of her anymore. its funny cause all the babies i find in the same spot so it makes it easy
Hi,
Good news, thanks for the update. Hope all goes well from here on; please keep me posted, Best, Frank
Just an update, i woke up this morning and momma was dead. I guess the last baby took a toll on her. she was acting weird last night but i thought it might just have been the overwhelming births and she was just tired
Hello,
Sorry to hear the news…but breeding is, as you suggest, a stress; You seem to be providing excellent care – deaths occur in zoos and the wild at this time as well.
Good luck, enjoy, Frank
hello again. My lizards keep eating their feces. why are they doing that. i feed them just fine and clean out their terrarium once a week. O btw these are the babies that are doing this
Hello,
Some lizards do this in order to obtain beneficial bacteria from the adults; this mainly occurs in herbivorous species, i.e. green and Galapagos iguanas. It has not been reported in the species you keep. However, many animals consume feces as a food or mineral source. In some cases the behavior has been linked to dietary deficiencies. It’s not possible to say if that is what’s going on, but perhaps try increasing the amount and variety of foods they are getting, along with vitamin/mineral supplements. Plesse keep me posted, Best, Frank
What is the gestation period of the armadillo lizard?
Hi Michael,
The gestation period seems to be 5-6 months, based on observations of captives and field studies of related species. however, females can liklely store sperm, and may also be able to pause embro development if conditions become unfavorable, so it is difficult to predict births. Best, Frank
hi i got an red bellied armadiilo i dont know the sciencetific name for it but non the less i need to know if i get a east african spiny tail lizard if they will be ok getting along together in the same encloser or not? i dont know the sex of the red bellied i got only the other one i plan to get soon how do you tell the differnce between them both i wonder? i dont want any baby lizards so also womdering if they shall be kept in differnt enclosers or not too thanks nancy
Hello,
Pet trade names are not very useful…it would be best to contact the dealer and find our what species you have. Cordylus mossambicus is sometimes sold as the “Flame Bellied Armadillo Lizard”. Two species from the same genus may have very diffdrent needs, so again best to find out the species before deciding to add additional animals. best regards, frank
thanks for your speedy reply to me the one i plan to get soon is called this: cordylus tropidosternum. i dont know the other name for the red bellied spiny tailed lizard i now have thats the only info i got on it. i might send you a pic though my email to show you now what i got if you like let me know ok thanks for all your help in this for me
hi again i did finally find the other name for my lizard i have now it is called this cordylus mossambicus or the flame bellied armadillo lizard and the new one i plan to get soon is called as i said before is east african spiny-taled lizard.. so now again will these get along with each other or not in the same cage? please let me know soon thanks nancy
Hi Nancy,
I would not add a C. tropiosternum or other species. Flame bellied armadillo lizards are generally all wild-caught, and will have parasites that can be transmitted to others (once the animal settles in, a fecal test done by a vet would be a good idea); they are also easily stresses (do not handle) and the 2 species may fight, especially if both are males but even mixed sexes of either sometimes battle. Flame bellieds are difficult to distinguish from C. regius, so you may wish to look into that also, Best, Frank
Hi Frank!
My fiance and I are loving our little leopard gecko and I am regularly out catching bugs for him (thanks so much for the fantastic articles!).
My fiance went looking at different reptiles and fell in love with c. cataphractus… much to my dismay as they are so expensive. We have contacted Tom Crutchfield in Florida and a breeder who wrote for the herp society in Chicago but are you aware of any other true breeders of this species or can you possibly point us in the right direction? I figured if anyone knew it would be you. We still have lots of research to do but can provide proper heating, light, diet, cage size for a pair. Thank you for any help you can give us!
Hi Heather ,
Thx for the kind words! Unfortunately, that species has been very rare in the trade for quite some time; had trouble getting them for the zoo as well. Best to monitor large importers, some may have waiting lists, esp. for expensive species, so try that as well. Let me know how all goes, I’ll keep an eye out also, Frank
Hey guys. I went to a reptile expo this morning and purchased two tropical armadillo lizards. At least I think that’s what they are. One is smaller than the other by quite a comparison and the larger one keeps biting/nipping the smaller one. Is this normal? Or should I be worried…. Thanks in advance.
Hello Mat,
Smaller ones should not be housed with adults…situation will not likely improve; 2 males will also fight. Best regards, Frank
Hi. I just recently purchased my first lizards and I’m concerned about it’s habitat and what I should be reading online about my lizardS. I thought I was buying the ‘true’ Armidillo Lizards but I think I have the other type and they sound very different to me.
Hello,
The species you most likely have is the one mentioned in this article...C. cataphractus is rare in captivity, and very expensive. Please see part 2 of this article and let me know some details about your set-up (UVB, temps, diet) and I’ll be happy to provide any info you may need, best, frank
Hi. Ok I went back to the pet store and it said C. Cataphractus wuth the picture of the lizard and I paid $30 for each of them. I believe I have a male and female and I bought a dessert lizard kit with the night light and the uvb light and I was told to use the bark and not the sand. And I have them two water dishes and mealworms and small crickets to eat. So they are looking good. The only problem I’m having is they look like these lizards not the ‘true’ ones. Have I possibly been lied to? If so do I need to change things up for them for safety reasons.
Hello Stephanie,
Seems you’re getting misinformation from your store…this is common, some deliberately confuse folks with the Latin names, in many cases sellers themselves cannot ID the species…care info you were given is inappropriate alps.
C. cataphractus is almost impossible to find in the trade, even for larger zoos; prices vary from $500 up, depending on size and year. $30 is typical for C. tropidosternum. Here is a key to identifying many species in this genus: https://sites.google.com/site/girdledlizard/home.
Substrate is tricky…sand is best in many ways, does not hold moisture (they should be dry)..may be swallowed but I’ve not seen this with this species, Chips tend to retain moisture when you mist the tank, support fungal growth etc, may be swallowed also. Cage liners can be used, but I’ve had no probs with sand.
mealworms should be avoided…if you keep a colony, you can use newly-molted grubs (white) but otherwise they are a poor food source, nutrition-wise, lead to impactions etc. Crickets alone will not support health long term ; be sure to feed crickets for 2-3 days before use, and powder most meals with Calcium; Vit/min can be used 2-3 x weekly. Other foods that should be provided (can order online as needed, or in case of roaches, breed) include butterworms, roaches, calci-worms, houseflies, silkworms, sow bugs. Please see this article for more on feeding insectivorous lizards.
Heat should range from 75-80 F, with a basking site of 90-95F. If a UVB bulb is used, basking site should be within 6-10 inches of it (for UVB exposure).
Please let me know if you need more info, best, Frank
Thanks so much for all the info. You’ve been more help than any ok ne I’ve asked or any site I’ve found. I know my little ones will have the happiest home thanks to you. I also think that I have a male and female so when they get older I may end up with babies one day. 🙂
Thanks, Stephanie, let me know if you need anything, Frank
I am thinking strongly of getting 2 Forest Armadillo Lizards and I am trying to get good information on setting up a terrarium for them. I have looked over several posts on the subject, but there are so many different views on their care. Do you know of a place on the internet that gives good solid views on the care, feeding and housing of these lizards? Thank you for any help you can give.
Hello Jim,
I’ve been planning to write a detailed care article, thanks for the reminder.
The info provided on this sheet is sound; however, I would not use coconut husk and recommend a more varied diet. Please see the article below for more on feeding insectivorous lizards. I’ve also included a link to parrt II of the breeding article, as I see it has been omitted from the Pt I text.
Let me know if you need more info, best, Frank
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2013/10/08/how-to-feed-pet-insect-eating-lizards-the-best-live-foods-2/#.VO_wS-FkCGE
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2009/12/14/breeding-the-tropical-girdled-lizard-or-forest-armadillo-lizard-part-2/#.VO_wH-FkCGE
Hi Frank Indiviglio
why does my armadillo lizard stay still and in one place for long periods of time. my armadillo lizard seems very shy but wasn’t always like that. any sudden movement the lizard hides under the log. there are two lizards in the tank, there were three but one died. i don’t really know if its eating either. can the lizard be dying or pregnant or something?
Hello,
They normally do not move too much, but it’s important to determine if the animal is eating as non-feeding can indicate a number of health problems. Please send some specifics on diet, temperature, UVB light etc and I’ll see if some changes might help. Best, Frank
Hello,
My armadillo lizard gave birth today to only one lizard, and I don’t really know how to care for him.
He is in a big terrarium with ihis mum and an other armadillo lizard, but it seems that he almost disappears in this big terrarium. Can it cause a problem for this little guy to find its food, or not? How should I feed him? Should I separate him from the others, for a few weeks or more? And if yes, how big should be its new terrarium, which is only will be built for him? And what kind of food should I give for him?
Hi,
We have had Armadillo lizards give birth here at our store a few times. The babies usually come out fairly large considering the size of their mothers and usually have no trouble fending for themselves. If you don’t see him coming out to eat feeding in a separate container could be doable, but probably isn’t necessary.
-Josh
Hi,
Thanks for your quick answer. Now I have 4 baby lizards. I put them into a glass terrarium, but it has no background, but I think its not a big problem. They have a water bowl, a rock under the heating lamp and a hiding place made form two flat rock. I dont know if the terrarium is too small or not. It is 17 cm wide, 40 cm long and it hight is 27 cm. Is that enough for a while?
For food I give them the smallest crickets I find. They hunt them really efficiently.
Could you tell me how can I tell the gender of them?
-Noemi
Hi there!
When they are young it can be hard to tell the difference between the sexes. As they begin to mature: males will begin to develop darker, more defined femoral pores on the underside of their upper thigh area. Also, males will usually have a larger, wider head than the females.
-Josh