Their body usually measures between 2 and 4 inches long, with a tail of roughly the same length again.
But in 2021 (Jan), Armadillo lizard prices have been increased to over 1000 because of their rarity. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging, and long, sticky tongues for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels. Armadillo lizards (Cordylus cataphractus) - sometimes also known as armadillo girdled lizards - are found along South Africas west coast from Orange River to the Piketberg Mountains. How Much Do Armadillo Lizards Cost In 2020, a single armadillo lizard species will cost anywhere between 100 to 1000 based on their size, gender, subspecies, and beauty. They have very poor eyesight, and utilize their keen sense of smell to hunt. Most species dig burrows and sleep prolifically, up to 16 hours per day, foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants, termites, and other insects. It has a stocky, flattened body that can be light brown to dark. Because of their low metabolic rate and lack of fat stores, cold is their enemy, and spates of intemperate weather can wipe out whole populations. The Armadillo girdled lizard is a unique heavily-armored reptile native to South Africa. There are no native populations of this species in South Africa, but it is found in desert areas along the western coast. The giant armadillo can have up to 100 teeth, according to the San Diego Zoo. In the family Cordylidae, the armadillo girdled lizard (Ouroborus cataphractus), also known as the armadillo lizard, the Golden-armadillo lizard, or the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard. The nine-banded armadillo is the official state animal of Texas. Habitat and DietĪrmadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts. Some people eat armadillos and claim it tastes like pork. In fact, only the three-banded armadillo can, curling its head and back feet and contorting its shell into a hard ball that confounds would-be predators. Others have black, red, gray, or yellowish coloring.Ĭontrary to popular belief, not all armadillos are able to encase themselves in their shells. They vary widely in size and color, from the 6-inch-long, salmon-colored pink fairy armadillo to the 5-foot-long, dark-brown giant armadillo. Armadillos are the only living mammals that wear such shells.Ĭlosely related to anteaters and sloths, armadillos generally have a pointy or shovel-shaped snout and small eyes. The species, one of 21 living armadillos, is found in South, Central, and southern North America, and is the only armadillo regularly. The nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus is a mid-sized burrowing mammal with flexible, bone-plated armor covering its head, back and tail. The familiar nine-banded armadillo is the only species that includes the United States in its range.Īrmadillo is a Spanish word meaning “little armored one” and refers to the bony plates that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of most of these odd looking creatures. Nine-Banded Armadillo Facts, Pictures & In-Depth Information. Of the 20 varieties of armadillo, all but one live in Latin America.