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Originally Posted by Lvbandeds
I think I saw them in a pet shop once or twice though.
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I doubt it, unless you're in a very specialized reptile shop. There are other armadillo lizards that are often identified as these guys, but in reality, they're completely different species. There are only a few breeders of these "true" armadillo lizards in this country, and they are somewhat hard to find.
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Can you tell us a little bit 'bout there natural history?
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Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about their natural history, but I do know that they come from South Africa and are diurnal. They are insectivorious, and love to wedge themselves into rock crevices. As a defensive posture, they'll open their mouths and grab their tail, rolling into a spiny ball. I'll try to get some pics of this and post them here. Males can be differentiated from females in that they'll usually have a larger head than their female counterparts. They are livebearers, and will have 1(rarely 2) baby at a time. They can reproduce up to once a year, but will often "take the year off."
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Originally Posted by Rich
what are they like to keep ?
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Their care is actually similar to several terrestrial desert geckos. They reach an adult size of about 8-9", and seem to prefer belly heat to heat lamps(personal observation and advice from breeder). They will bask in a light, but prefer an undertank heater. They are primarily insectivorious, but will accept some greens from time to time. There are several pores located on the inside of the hind legs in both sexes, and these can get plugged easily and lead to infection, unless the substrate is capable of scraping/cleaning them out-that's why I have the astroturf. They are somewhat shy, but seem to be warming up to me.
I hope I covered everything here-let me know if you have any other questions
Cordylus cataphractus
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