Care Guide
Overview
- Common Name: Armadillo Lizard
- Scientific Name: Cordylus Tropidosternum
- Origin: East Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)
- Size: 6–8 inches total length
- Lifespan: 10–15+ years with proper care
- Temperament: Generally calm and hardy, can become fairly tolerant of handling
Enclosure Setup
Tank Size
- Recommended: 20-30 gallon long, floor space is more important than height
Substrate
- Ideal Depth: 2-4 inches
- Our Mixture: Sand and soil mix at a 50:50 ratio, they prefer firm ground
Decor
- Stacked rocks (secured!)
- Cork bark slabs
- tight crevices and hides
- flat basking stones
Temperature and Heating
Temperature Gradient
- Basking Spot: 95–105°F
- Warm side: 85-90°F
- Cool side: 75–80°F
- Night temps: Can drop to 70–72°F
Heating Equipment
- Halogen basking bulb (preferred)
- Ceramic heat emitter (if needed at night)
Humidity
- Target: 40-60%
- Dry basking areas, with slightly more humid microclimates in hides
Lighting
- UVB: Required
- Use T5 HO 5.0-10.0
- Photoperiod: 10-12 hours daily
Diet
Staples
- Crickets
- Dubia Roaches
-Black soldier fly larvae
- Occasional mealworms/superworms as a treat
- Occasional small amounts of greens or fruits is optional
Feeding Schedule
- Adults: 3-4 feedings per week
- Juveniles: Daily
Supplements
- Calcium:
- With D3: 2-3x per week
- Multivitamin: 1x per week
Water:
- Small water dish. They may drink occasionally but don't rely heavily on standing water
Behavior and Handling
- Can be kept solo, in pairs, or even small groups of one male and multiple females (avoid multiple males, they may fight) for groups, upgrade to a 40 gallon or larger enclosure
- Active, alert, and enjoy basking
- Spend lots of time wedged in rock crevices
- Generally more tolerant than many lizards to handling but avoid frequent handling initially and make sure to support the whole body
Shedding
- Shed in patches
To help:
- provide rough surfaces
Key Care Tips
- 20-40 gallon enclosure
- Rock heavy layouts with tight crevices
- Basking 95-105°F
- UVB lightning
- Insect based diet with supplements
- 40-60% humidity (avoid making them too humid)