It’s not very colorful, but it features a black pattern on its belly that extends to color the bottom part of the jaw, and the head and body are flat, so they can fit between rocks. You can also find these osteoderms on other reptiles, like crocodiles, alligators, and turtles. Appearance & VarietiesĪrmadillo lizards have heavily armored bodies and scales called osteoderms. It has a powerful bite but rarely uses it in captivity. It spends most of its time basking in the sun or hiding between rocks and is not very active. Picking one up can make it feel like a bird of prey is attacking it, and it will curl up into a ball and scurry away when you put it down. Your Armadillo Lizard prefers a solitary life but is quite friendly around people and usually doesn’t run and hide unless it feels threatened, but unlike many other reptile species, it doesn’t like when you pick it up. You can even breed pets food to reduce costs further. However, once you purchase your pet and a few supplies, there will be very little to purchase, and your yearly cost is quite low. Some specialized breeds created for size or color will likely increase the cost of purchase. The 'armadillo' part of its name comes from the fact that it has scales along its back that are almost square and spines on its tail that helping protect itself from predators when it rolls itself into a ball, just like an armadillo.A post shared by Toni Luber vary considerably in cost depending on where you get them, but you should expect to pay between $35 and $150 for yours, with most costing around $100 by the time you pay for the taxes shipping. They tend to live in groups that range from 30 to 60 members, if not fewer, and the males are known to be territorial towards other males who might challenge them for mating rights with the females. Like most lizards, they are most active during the day, hiding between cracks in rocks and small crevices. They are often fed crickets in captivity but their most common prey when they are in the wild are termites. "The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) assumes, however, that illegal trade represents an enormous threat and sees an urgent need for action."Īrmadillo girdled lizards primarily feed on insects and spiders although they do sometimes also eat plants. It is currently not known how large their population is in the wild. The zoo director added: "The armadillo girdled lizards, which are up to 20 centimetres (7.87 inches) in size, inhabit rocky mountain slopes on the west coast of South Africa. For long-term care, the animals were brought to the Schoenbrunn Zoo together with poisonous snakes, turtles and geckos." "In 2016, for example, the adult animals were confiscated from a smuggler by customs at Vienna Schwechat Airport.
The zoo said in its statement: "Their spiky scales and defence strategy protect armadillo girdled lizards from natural predators such as birds of prey and jackals, but not from humans. With these lizards, the eggs develop in the mother's body, where the young hatch and are born." He added: "There have been two young animals since September 27th. That the offspring are successful is something very special.” Zoo Director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck said in a statement: "In Europe there are currently only five zoos in which armadillo girdled lizards live. The baby lizards are endemic to the desert areas on the western coast of South Africa, but these newborns have been born at Vienna Zoo in the Austrian capital, which claims to be the oldest in the world. The reptiles instinctively do this to protect their soft underbelly from potential predators.
The footage shows a newborn armadillo girdled lizard (Ouroborus cataphractus), that looks somewhat like a scaly, wingless dragon, biting its own tail and curling up into a ball while resting in the palm of a zookeeper's hand. Rumble - These giant armoured lizard babies that bite their tails and curl up into a ball to protect themselves from predators have been born at the world's oldest zoo in Vienna.