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LA
Likes to loaf.

LA

LA

Origin.  Originally these guys (and gals) came from Southeast Africa.  They're apparently still common in their homeland, but I can't tell if they're wild-caught or bred in captivity.  They have small litters so it's unlikely they're captive-bred.  At one time they were considered a sub-species or variant of Cordylus tropidosternum.  Now they have their own name.

LA
Kind of pokey when you pick them up.

The Name.  "Armadillo" (Español for "little armored one") refers to their external scales that provide a prickely protective armor.

LA
He just won't curl into that protective circle.

The Legend.  I originally started looking into these guys because of their reputed behavior when threatened.  When feeling threatened, they would supposedly latch onto their tails (sort of like the legendary Worm Ouroboros) and thus make a protective circle of their external hard, rough plates.  I've never seen this behavior in the ones I've kept.  (Perhaps they never felt threatened.)  Anyway, it turns out that it's the armadillo girdled lizard that grabs its tail for protection.

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You can sex most lizards by the male's hemipenis.  Perhaps I've had all females?

Sexing.  Armadillo Jones males are larger and stouter than the females.  Males like to argue over territories, so it's usually a good idea to house the males in separate cages or provide plenty of extra room and hiding sites.  Since I've only had four groups (of two) of them over the last three years, I haven't seen any territorial disputes.

Temperature.  Armadillo Jones (like most African lizards) prefer an ambient temperature around 80F plus a 95F basking area.  Ten degrees cooler at night works fine.  During brumation, you can keep them much cooler for a couple months.

LA
Superworms hit the spot.

LA
Thet settle down after a bit.

LA
But quite wary at first.

Attitude.  Armadillo Jones can be a little skittish at first.  What lizard isn't?  However, like most lizards, they soon learn the concept of the "free lunch."  They quickly learn to eat out of your hand.

LA
They adjust to most substrates.

Substrate.  Armadillo Jones originally came from a sandy area.  They like to dig into the substrate.  They seem to do fine over any substrate except dirt.  Dirt plus water makes mud which can get all over the walls of their cage.

LA
Armadillo Jones like to live under pieces of wood in the wild.

Security.  They will need a hide box or cave.  Add damp vermiculite or other damp substrate to facilitate shedding.  They live under pieces of wood in the wild.  Cork bark works fine.  Note:  If you provide too many hiding places, you may never see them again.  We made a clay warren of tunnels which delighted them, but also enabled them to disappear from view 99% of the time.  Face their hide boxes toward the front of their cage just in case.

LA
Enjoys a tasty superworm snack.

Foods.  In the wild they eat lots of termites.  In captivity Armadillo Jones eat most insects -- crickets, mealworms, waxworms, pinkies (occasionally).  AN occasional pinkie contains quite a bit of calcium.  If you can catch a housefly, grasshopper, or moth, they like the variety (as long as it moves).  Some lizard keepers say they like an occasional vegetable or fruit snack.  Try applesauce .

Supplements.  One weekly powdering of your crickets with a calcium/vitamin supplement usually suffices.  Don't go overboard on this stuff.  The adults don't need much.extra calcium because their bones are mostly alreasy grown.

Lighting.  You'll want to provide a full-spectrum fluorescent bulb.  The UVB portion helps them make vitamin D -- very important in adding calcium to their bone structure.  Not quite so important when housing full-grown adults -- especially when giving them calcium/vitamin supplements in their diet.  Also not quie so important when you consider they spend much of their day hiding under something.    Very important when raising the growing babies.

LA

Housing.  Armadillo Jones grow 6.5 to 8.5 inches so you can keep a pair in a 10-gallon tank.  Larger groups need more room.  Males insist on arguing over territories, so provide extra room and hide boxes for the squabbling males.  Females stay uninvolved.  Add plants and wood at your own discretion.  They could care less.  Too much decor makes their cages hard to KP.  But a plain flat floor of sand is boring.  At least add some rocks or wood for them to exercise their climbing muscles.  Cork or carpeted sides also expand their territories.  Oh, and put a screen cover on top.

LA

Water.  Provide a water bowl that's easy for your Armadillo Jines to get in and out of.  Put a rock in the middle for your crickets.  Change their water if your lizards use it for a latrine.

Breeding Armadillo Jones.  You will need to brumate these guys and gals if you want to breed them.  Cool them off during March and April.  Restrict their rations considerably.  When you warm them up in May, feed them lots -- especially the females.  They give birth to two to four live babies in the fall.  Remove the little guys.  Big lizards usually eat little lizards.

Last Words.  Unless you decide to breed them, you'll find the Armadillo Jones an easy lizard to keep.  They reputedly live about 25 years.  LA

Outtakes

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