Armadillo girdled lizards?

[jamest0o0]

Has anyone seen these guys available? They seem to be pretty rare. They are spikey, roll into balls, and should be kept communally. While thinking about different critters I'd like to keep down the road, I thought it'd be cool to try my hand at a desert bio enclosure. This lead me to these guys and they seem pretty awesome. I have no intention of getting anything in the near future, just curious where one would find these, if it's even possible.

 

[leedragon]

smaug giganteus?

 

[jamest0o0]

I think cordylus cataphractus is the name. Smaug giganteus is also amazing, but my understanding is they are extremely rare. I think they may even be threatened?

 

[jamest0o0]

Revived this post just to say I saw some available, for the low price of 5000 dollars... had no idea how much these were worth. Too bad, more cool reptiles added to my "will never have" list

 

[kinyonga]

I did have a couple of species of cordylus but not those.

Mine were much smaller ...either Cordylus tropidosternum or jonesii I think. I also had a pair of what I thought were Corddylus family but could never nail down the species...they had a lot of turquoise and yellow on them.

The Cordylus tropidosternum/jonesii I had were very interesting...I kept them in a group and the males would even guard the babiesby sitting on top of them if they saw me coming to look at them. They have live birth too....only one or two babies per clutch.

I'm pretty sure the ones you're talking about were endangered at one time but I'm not sure if they still are.

 

[jamest0o0]

I did have a couple of species of cordylus but not those.

Mine were much smaller ...either Cordylus tropidosternum or jonesii I think. I also had a pair of what I thought were Corddylus family but could never nail down the species...they had a lot of turquoise and yellow on them.

The Cordylus tropidosternum/jonesii I had were very interesting...I kept them in a group and the males would even guard the babiesby sitting on top of them if they saw me coming to look at them. They have live birth too....only one or two babies per clutch.

I'm pretty sure the ones you're talking about were endangered at one time but I'm not sure if they still are.

You have lived my dream life with all of the amazing creatures you've had. Even my wife loves how these guys look. Maybe the one I came across was less common resulting in that price tag. I was reading about how they protect the babies, that is such an amazing trait when you see it in reptiles. Tokays do similar I have heard which is funny considering their ferocious reputation.

 

[kinyonga]

I never knew that about tokays...they do have a reputation for being ferocious...but I knew someone who could "tame" them and they were amazing then.

I have had a lot of critters (mostly lizards and turtles/tortoises and a few insects).

Not many of the lizards live in groups or protect their young...and those ones are fascinating. There's a largish skink species that lives in groups including more than one male and the babies...every once in a while they kick one out (not always a male) and nobody seems to be able to figure it out. So many interesting things to study.

 

[JoXie411]

Are those what your taking about?

 

[kinyonga]

They are interesting lizards!