Armadillo Lizard

Family Cordylidae

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about armadillo lizards. Roll up with us and learn about all the animals by subscribing to the channel! Today we’ll be focusing specifically the armadillo lizard, however, we want to point out that other lizards in the Cordylidae family appear quite similar, one example being species from the Cordylus genus - to which armadillo lizards once belonged - as well as species from the Smaug genus; which is, if we might add, one of the best genus names to exist. These lizards are all often referred to as girdle tailed lizards, too; so, you might see a rogue Smaug or two since they can look so similar, but the information we’re presenting is specific to Ouroborus cataphractus otherwise known as the armadillo lizard. Whew, animal classification. Gets us every time. Watch this all get changed in a year.

Oh, and yes, you heard that correctly, the genus name for this species is Ouroborus, like the symbol of the reptile consuming its own tail. That’s because armadillo lizards do just this. Well, okay, they don’t actually eat their tails, but they’ll hold them between their jaws in a defensive posture that keeps their soft parts covered and their spikes poised for stabbing. This posture is also where their common name is derived, though as we learned in the armadillo episode, not all armadillos roll up into a ball. Because armadillo lizards take this stance, they generally don’t get messed with, however, birds of prey, mongooses, and meerkats will take them if they can catch them before they run for cover. If the whole spikey ball tactic isn’t enough, an armadillo lizard has another line of defense which includes running into tight spaces in rocky outcrops. Armadillo lizards live in desert like places with lots of rocks and low lying shrubs along the western coast of South Africa. They’ll spend most of their days soaking up the sun making sure to stick close to a potential escape route if danger shows up. And if that wasn’t enough, they have one other defensive strategy.

Unlike most lizards, armadillo lizards live in groups. If one lizard senses danger and runs, the rest of the group will follow suite. Safety in numbers! Well, for the most part, anyway. Male armadillo lizards will fight each other over territory, though they don’t seem to have much problem with sharing females. In a group, there may be more than one male, and sometimes they’ll have spats, but these fights don’t reach the level of magnitude as they do with non-group member males. The females and babies stay out of these spats Armadillo lizards actually grow up within groups. It’s rare for reptiles to take much part in raising their young, but armadillo lizards are pros at it. Female armadillo lizards give birth to a single live baby which is noteworthy because it’s literally one, single baby where most reptiles have at least more than that, and, also, those spikes, y’all. Ouch. A young armadillo lizard may stay within its birth group or go onto another group entirely as movement between groups isn’t uncommon. As adults they can reach seven and a half inches (190 millimeters) in length including their spiky tails.

For these lizards, food can be scarce and during some parts of the year completely non-existent. They’ll eat their fill of termites during the wet season as well as arthropods and plant materials if they’re feeling extra saucy. If they can survive the harsh dry season, armadillo lizards may be able to live more than two decades, though how long they can live in the wild is currently unknown.

If you want to learn more about these awesome animals, or if you have any interest in owning one as a pet, we highly recommend Clint’s Reptiles’ video on them where they discuss basic care and ownership of these lizards in general!

You can also check out the description of this video for more information, and if you learned something new today be sure to give a thumbs up! As always, thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.