Breeding the Tropical Girdled Lizard (Forest Armadillo Lizard) – Part 1

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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.
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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.