Armadillo Lizards?

Anyone know anything about Armadillo Lizards? I've done some research, and I have yet to ask my dad about them (he's busy since it's the end of the semester). But if anyone has any experience or is versed in them, please contribute.

I have been looking at these lizards for a long time. They are small and very fascinating. I'd love to get one and name him Texas, but in my research I've found that they're social. I wonder if they are deprived if they are alone? I don't think my mom would let me get more than one....

Anyway, I found some good prices. All I need now is the moolah, which hopefully will be coming in soon from the tax stuff.

I like several different lizards included the Argentine Tegu and the Yellow Throated Plated Lizard, but I think it would be best to go small, and the Armadillo Lizard is perfect for that!

How much space do you have? And do you have/will have around $200-300 set aside?

And the other question is, are you actually looking at Cordylus cataphractus?

I have tons of space, but according to the care sheets I've read you could keep 3 easily in a 30 gallon tank.

And yes I have the money. I already have nice set-ups, though.

Now that you mention Cordylus cataphractus, I'm not sure. I found a guy on a forum that said rarely can you find a true Armadillo Lizard. That disappoints me. I think the care sheets I've been reading on are different from these guys. Urgh. but I just did some more research and my favorite care sheet on the Jones Armadillo Lizard is supposedly Cordylus cataphractus.

Never trust it when people say you can keep that many in a 30gal. That would be incredibly cramped for a lizard that gets around 8-10". That's close to the same size as a leopard gecko, and it looks to be a primarily terrestrial species, too, so you'd would need at least a 20gal long or 30 gal to just house one lizard. With closer to a 60gal for three.

The problem is that you must provide a pair of hides for every single lizard you put in, and there goes all the space.

Care for Cordylus cataphractus seems simple enough, if you can find one. UVB lighting, belly heat, repti carpet, lower humidity, and insects - though no wax worms if you ever see that suggested. They're all fat. I'd have to look more for exact temps as I don't trust any care sheets that suggest wax worms and putting multiple lizards in too small of enclosures.

They're a very neat, dragon looking, lizard if you're lucky enough to find one.

Another lizard you may want to check into is a leopard lizard. A lot of people report that even the wild caught ones can tame down fairly well and can tolerate holding. If you're lucky enough to find a friendly CB you'd be ahead. There's numerous geckos that make great pets, too.
Other commonly kept ones that can actually be handled are uromastyx and bearded dragons. Uros have spikey tails, too, and come in different colors - mali's males can be bright green and saharans males are orange to red.


ETA: Here is some info I found on a reptile forum for Cordylus tropidosternum - similar to the Cordylus jonesii (a subspecies) you're considering. Searching the correct name should find you more.
http://www.geckosunlimited.com/commu...rnum-care.html
and http://www.tallbo.com/

I still disagree about a 30gal working, though, one shouldn't just provide the bare minimum for their pets. Once you add cage decorations, hides, and bowls you lose a lot of space. If you have at least a 40gal or even something larger sitting around it would probably work great and give you plenty of room to decorate with.

Have you brumated a lizard before?