Live-Birthing Reptilian from a Succulent Biome

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Live-Birthing Reptilian from a Succulent Biome

Today’s special animal friend is the Armadillo Girdled Lizard, Ouroborus cataphractus. It is also known as the armadillo lizard, the Golden-armadillo lizard, or the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard. This reptile is native to desert areas along the Western (Atlantic) coast of South Africa. This area is known as the Succulent Karoo biome; it is a biodiversity hotspot featuring, as one would expect, succulent plants as well as this lizard.

The armadillo girdled lizard is light to dark brown on its back, for desert camouflage. Its underside is yellow with black under the chin. It grows up to 4 inches long, “snout to vent,” with a tail almost as long. Its body is banded with scales resembling an armadillo’s armor. Its tail is also armored and spiked, similar to many desert lizards of North America.

Like all our animal friends, the armadillo girdled lizard is super interesting when you get to know him. When threatened by predators (birds, mammals, larger reptiles), this lizard takes its tail in its mouth and forms a small but very spiky ring which would be awfully hard to swallow. They prefer to live on hillsides and rocky outcrops, where their primary food is termites; they also eat other insects, spiders, and small amounts of vegetation.

Unlike most reptiles, these diurnal lizards are social, living in mixed-age groups of 30 to 60 individuals. They are inactive during the South African winter (our summer) and mate in the South African spring (September-October). Males can be very aggressive during this time and will bite off the extremities of others. Males defend territories in which they mate with the resident females. Most lizards lay eggs, but armadillo girdled ladies give birth to one or two live young, once a year at most, and sometimes feed their young, which is almost unknown among lizards. Told you they were super interesting.

Armadillo bearded lizards are considered of “least concern” by conservationists. They are protected by both South African and international law. However, there is a certain amount of illegal collection for the pet market, especially in Japan where they are a trendy herpet.