Armadillo Lizard
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Cordylus cataphractus |
The Armadillo Lizard (Cordylus cataphractus) is a spinytailed lizard endemic to desert areas of southern Africa. It is also called Armadillo Girdled Lizard or Armadillo Spiny-tailed Lizard. This brown-coloured lizard has a distinctive curled-up defensive posture. It grows up to about ten inches in length. In South Africa, trade in Armadillo Lizards is illegal.
The name is named after the armadillo which although a mammal has a similar defense. For a defence, the lizard curls up into a ball, putting its tail into its mouth. The lizard's skin is covered with thick, hard, protective scales to defend the lizard from harm. The armadillo lizard eats just about anything it can find in the vast desert. They live together in their own little crevice.