Armadillo Girdled Lizard

Unusually for a lizard, it lives in lasting groups. Several animals, and occasionally dozens, share a single rock crevice in the dry country along South Africa's west coast. Rows of thick, keeled, sharply pointed scales cover the body, and it is a slow mover that seldom strays far from its shelter.

• Armadillo Girdled Lizards are closely tied to rocky arid scrub and crevice-filled South African outcrops.
• Their food is mainly small insects and other tiny invertebrates.
• Major pressures include birds, snakes, mongooses, and humans.
• Termites, especially harvester termites, make up much of what it eats, and groups are often found within reach of termite nests.
• In 2011 it was given a genus of its own, Ouroborus, named after the mythical serpent that swallows its own tail.

Mornings are spent basking at the mouth of the crevice, with short trips out to feed. It shelters deep inside at night, and activity is reported to drop in the hottest, driest months.

Habitat: rocky desert scrub and arid outcrop habitat

Native range: South Africa

They feed on small insects and other tiny invertebrates.

Mornings are spent basking at the mouth of the crevice, with short trips out to feed. It shelters deep inside at night, and activity is reported to drop in the hottest, driest months.

Thought to live 10 years or more in the wild; captive animals can live considerably longer.

The female bears live young instead of laying eggs, normally one and sometimes two, and may not breed every year. The young lizard grows up in the group's crevice alongside the adults.

Males are often slightly larger with broader heads.

Rarity: Uncommon · 68/100. Armadillo Girdled Lizard is never easy to find and becomes less secure when rocky desert scrub and arid outcrop habitat is reduced or broken apart.

• Keep distance and let the animal choose the space.
• Avoid blocking movement routes, nesting areas, or feeding behavior.
• Use optics, patience, and quiet observation instead of crowding for a closer view.