Armadillo Girdled Lizard – The Lizard That Puts Its Tail In Its Mouth As A Defence Mechanism
Armadillo Girdled Lizards (Photo Credit: belgianchocolate / CC BY 2.0)
The armadillo girdled lizard also known as the armadillo lizard, golden armadillo lizard or armadillo spiny-tailed lizard. They lives only in the deserts of southern Africa. The armadillo girdled lizard can be a light brown to dark brown in coloration. Its usual size ranges from 7.5 to 9 cm. It may grow to a maximum size of 10.5 cm. It can live up to 25 years in captivity.
This tough armored lizard lives under rocks and in cracks in the ground. Females give birth once a year at most and some take a year off between births. The armadillo girdled lizard feeds mainly on small invertebrates, such as insects and spiders. To protect itself – a threatened armadillo lizard will roll up into a protective ball, it takes its tail in its mouth to ward off attackers.
Armadillo Girdled Lizard (Photo Credit: Matt Reinbold / CC BY-SA 2.0)
