Here are some interesting facts about armadillo lizards.

• This animal has few terrestrial predators thanks to its hard spines and outer shell. But they are vulnerable to birds of prey looking for food.
• Most reptiles lay eggs. Armadillo lizards give birth to live young, unlike their pet reptile cousins.
• Rising temperatures and wildfires are a direct threat to these animals.
• While the rest of the world prefers to keep them in cages, it is illegal to keep these lizards as pets in South Africa or export them.
• The tail is longer than the rest of the armadillo’s entire body.

Scientific name of the lizard Armadillo

It is endemic to the South African deserts along the west coast. The lizard got its common name due to its defensive posture. Like the mammalian armadillo, the lizard curls up into a ball to protect itself.
Armadillo dragon lizards are everyday animals with rows of spiky scales all over their body. The most vulnerable part of their body is their abdomen. The lizard protects it by biting its tail and curling up. This leaves only their hard exteriors for predators. Although they want lizards as their prey, most predators tend not to want contact with hard, scaly surfaces.
Armadillo . lizard shape and behavior

Here is some information about the behavior, adaptability and appearance of the Armadillo lizard.
Appearance
The most obvious identifying feature of the Armadillo horned lizard is its armored skin. The spiked armor is the skeleton. These are bony plaques embedded in the epidermis of the organism’s skin. Shellfish are common with a number of reptiles, including crocodiles, alligators, and some tortoises.

Super small size, flat animal body. This feature allows the lizard to get between small cracks. Colors tend to be dull, typically from pale to dark brown or fawn. The lower part is yellow with black patterns. Not only the eyes are black, but so are the scales around the mouth.

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Behavior

These reptiles are slow because of their heavy bodies. That structure makes hiding and passive defense from predators important because armadillos cannot run.
The lizards love to spend their time hiding among the rocks and enjoying the sun. In the wild, they congregate in groups of up to six. Some researchers say this behavior is to manage protection from predators. But while they avoid physical conflict, lizards have extremely powerful jaws. The armadillo lizard bit off its toe.
Habitat of the Armadillo . lizard
They like to hide in crevices in rocky outcrops and slopes. They love habitats surrounded by dwarf perennial shrubs. The reptiles feed mainly on termites, milipedes, beetles, and sometimes scorpions and plants. For food, pet owners feed their lizards butterworms, superworms, and pinky rats.

The threat of the Armadillo . lizard

The biggest threat to lizards is that humans capture them to sell on the black market. Other threats include wildfires and climate change. The animal’s conservation status is “Least Concern.” But the South African government sees the creature in need of protection because of its black market value.
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It is illegal to keep these reptiles as pets in their homeland or for export. The Cape Province ordinance was established to help sick and injured Armadillo lizards.

Armadillo lizard life cycle

This lizard is multicolored. That means between the mating seasons from September to October, both sexes have many mates. The females do not lay eggs. The gestation period is then six to eight months. The egg hatches in the mother’s body and it gives birth to one baby and twice. In some cases, the female may stop mating for a year to take care of the offspring.
Young armadillo lizards will become mature and productive after reaching a body length of about 3.75 inches. In captivity, the animal is determined to have a lifespan of up to a quarter of a century. There is no record of the lifespan of animals living in the wild.