The armadillo girdled lizard ( Ouroborus cataphractus ), also known as the armadillo lizard, the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, and the golden-armadillo lizard, is a unique reptile species native to desert areas along the western coast of South Africa. This heavily-armored lizard is known for its distinctive defensive behavior, which resembles that of the mammalian armadillo, giving it its common name.
Physical Characteristics and Habitat
The armadillo girdled lizard has a stocky, flattened body that can range from light brown to dark brown. The underbelly is yellow with a blackish pattern, especially under the chin. Its size can range from 7.5 to 9 cm (3.0 to 3.5 in) in snout-vent length (SVL). The tail is equal to or slightly shorter than the body length. The head and tail are flattened, allowing it to squeeze into rock crevices.
O. cataphractus is endemic to the Succulent Karoo biome in the Northern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa, where it occurs from the southern Richtersveld to the Piketberg Mountains and the southern Tankwa Karoo National Park. Cordylus cataphractus (armadillo lizard or armadillo girdled lizard) is found along the west coast of South Africa, from the Orange River in the north (Little Namaqualand, Northern Cape Province) to the Piketberg Mountains in the south, and as far inland as Matjiesfontein in the western Karoo Basin. Armadillo lizards inhabit karroid veld, a vegetation type that is normally found in the semi-desert Karoo region of South Africa. This habitat is characterized by sparse vegetation dominated by dwarf, perennial shrubs. These lizards inhabit large cracks in rocky outcrops.
These lizards are diurnal, seeking shelter in rock cracks and crevices during the night.
Social Behavior and Communication
Armadillo girdled lizards live in social groups of up to 30 to 60 individuals of all ages, but usually fewer. They live in social groups of 2 to 60 individuals, averaging 2 to 6. This is unique because permanent group living is not common among lizards. It has been shown that groups are not necessarily composed exclusively of family units and inter-group movement is high. Males, females, and juveniles all leave and join different groups. This movement occurs both during, and outside of, the mating season. Males are territorial, protecting territory and mating with the females living there. In groups with multiple males, space is partitioned among them. Although there is some aggression between males in a group, it is much lower than the aggression shown to an outside male. Females and juveniles do not have established territories. Males defend territories that include more than one female. Females move between different territories, mating with multiple males. Home ranges typically consists of a rock crevice and closely adjacent veld habitat. Foraging lizards that are approached usually move to a crevice for shelter.
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Armadillo lizards perform several actions that help them communicate with one another, including head bobbing, tail wagging, or tongue flicking. These signals can aid in reproduction, or, in the case of tongue flicking, can warn unfamiliar lizards to leave. In order to communicate with each other, these lizards use tail wagging, head bobbing, and tongue-flicking. For example, tongue-flicking is a warning sign for intruders to leave.
Defensive Mechanisms
Armadillo girdled lizards possess an uncommon antipredator adaptation, in which they take their tail in their mouth and roll into a ball when frightened. The armadillo girdled lizard possesses an uncommon anti-predator adaptation, in which it rolls into a ball and takes its tail in its mouth when frightened. When threatened, they curl up, grip the tail in their jaws, and form a tight, armored ball, resembling an armadillo. In this shape, they are protected from predators by the thick, squarish scales along their back and the spines on their tail. Rows of spiny osteodermate scales covering the neck, body, tail, and limbs deter predators from seizing or swallowing these lizards. This position protects the soft underside of the lizard, which is its most vulnerable area. This behavior, which resembles that of the mammalian armadillo, gives these lizards their English common names.
Armadillo lizards have the ability to drop their own tail (autotomy) when in danger, and can grow it back slowly. But, unlike many other lizards, in Cordylus cataphractus the tail is a necessary part of its unique defensive position. Because of this, the lizard will not part with the tail easily or quickly and tail autotomy is used only as a last resort. The jaws of Cordylus cataphractus are extremely powerful. In a fight, they can sever digits or small limbs. They sometimes roll their bodies as they bite, inflicting severe damage.
Diet and Feeding Habits
Armadillo girdled lizards are carnivores (insectivores). The diet of Cordylus cataphractus consists mainly of insects. They feed mainly on small invertebrates, such as insects and spiders, but sometimes also may take plant material. The armadillo girdled lizard feeds mainly on small invertebrates, such as insects and spiders, but sometimes also may take plant material. After spring rains armadillo lizards feed extensively on their most important pry, southern harvester termites (Hodotermes mossambicus), which are very plentiful at that time of the year. They are very active when termites are abundant, but remain rather inactive when food is scarce during the dry summer months. Armadillo lizards also feed on beetles, millipedes, scorpions, and plant material. They can regain lost weight quickly after fasting during the dry season. In captivity, it is commonly fed crickets.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Armadillo girdled lizards are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning that both males and females have multiple partners in a single breeding season. Armadillo lizards are territorial; males defend an area and have multiple females in their territory with whom they mate. However, females cross territorial boundaries to mate with other males as well. Males do not seem to be defensive of their mates, but they were defensive of their territory. They usually mate from September to October. Sperm production in males peaks in spring (September to October), which coincides with ovulation in females. Courtship and mating take place at this time.
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This species is one of the few lizards that does not lay eggs; females give birth to one or two live young. The female armadillo girdled lizard gives birth to one or two live young; the species is one of the few lizards that does not lay eggs. As with all squamates (lizards and snakes) fertilization is internal. This species is ovoviviparous, producing one or two live young. Young are basically miniature versions of adults. The female may even feed her young, which is also unusual for a lizard. Smaller lizards may gain some protection by staying near older lizards, and adult armadillo lizards may even provide food to young armadillo lizards. Females give birth once a year at most; some may take a year off between births. Females typically give birth to one rather large young each year. In the harshly seasonal climate of karroo veld, food is difficult to find during the hot, dry season, thus females must be able to replenish fat reserves and provision the embryo's yolk during the short wet season in winter and spring. The gestation period lasts around 6-8 months. In a captive group of armadillo lizards in North America (with seasons reversed from South Africa), mating took place between the months of January and March. Males actively pursued females at this time. Females gave birth to a single large, live young sometime between the months of September and December. The newborns averaged about 63.5 mm in body length. This species is unique in living in social groups with their young.
Armadillo lizards mature at a snout-vent (body) length of about 95mm.
Cordylus cataphractus does seem to be able to replenish its energy reserves quickly. This species has a notably low resting metabolic rate and very low activity levels during the dry summer season, but individuals rapidly regain fat reserves in winter and spring. This ability may be related to its group-living habit and the extended care that it is able to give its offspring.
Cordylus cataphractus is a potentially long lived species, with life spans reaching 20 to 25 years in captivity. Average and maximum life span in the wild is apparently not known.
Conservation Status
The species Ouroborus cataphractus is classified by the IUCN as near threatened. Cordylus cataphractus is listed as "vulnerable" in the Red Data Book of South Africa and is protected by law. This species is threatened by illegal collection for pet trade as well as habitat degradation, and has locally declined in numbers. Although armadillo lizards are still common in parts of their range, populations will not remain stable if current trends persist.
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Armadillo girdled lizards are collected for the pet trade, which used to be a significant drain on populations but is now illegal. Humans may be the biggest threat, as these lizards are often collected illegally for the pet trade. Armadillo lizards move relatively slowly, and are easily caught by hand if they are out in the open. Living in groups makes them unusually vulnerable to mass-collection. While illegal and locally damaging to lizard populations, this collecting is a source of income for some people and a source of interest and amusement for people buying the lizards as pets, perhaps ignorant of the illegal nature of their purchase.
The IUCN Red List and other sources donât provide the number of the Armadillo girdled lizard total population size.
Conservation Efforts
Local community involvement will be needed to conserve this species. In rural Namaqualand (a biodiversity hotspot located along the Atlantic coast of South Africa and Namibia), Rare Pride Campaign Manager Morne Farmer tries to spread awareness of the illegal pet trade affecting armadillo lizards. Targeting 24,000 community members, posters and fact sheets were distributed that highlighted threats to the animals that are affected by this illegal trade. Presentations about conservation were given, and a giant mascot of Cordylus cataphractus was placed in its natural habitat. The result of this awareness campaign was a 45% increase in local residents knowledge and identification of Cordylus cataphractus and 85% of farmers could identify 3 effects of overgrazing as opposed to 48% before the campaign. The results of this one campaign will have lasting impacts on the wild population of armadillo lizards. More of these conservation attempts will ensure the continued survival of this unique species.
Ecological Role
Armadillo lizards eat termites and other insects and may play a modest role in controlling insect populations. They are probably not eaten in sufficient numbers by other animals to make a significant impact as a source of food.
Armadillo lizards are undoubtedly preyed on by a number of vertebrate predators, though their spiny defenses may discourage many potential enemies. As with many social animals, the large number of alert associates watching for danger can decrease the chance that a predator will approach unseen. When an armadillo lizard sees a predator, its behavior soon alerts all of them to the threat. This lizard species is comparatively sluggish and slow-moving, so living in a cooperative group gives them more time to escape and most of their time is spent close to crevices in which they can hide. They may be most vulnerable to birds of prey.