# Armadillo Lizards ..NEW PET WITH PICS



## ShortFUSE

Ive just bought a pair of Armadillo Lizards they look like great little lizards but the ting is the dont even look the same species i dont know very much when it comes to these lizards but the small one looks diffrent with the head and body shape and the larger one has a dim bit of yellow
ive read up on the for a few weeks but if anyone has hands on experience with them please let me know asap 
































any comments welcome..and 4 anyone says im planning on getting them of the sand and planning on splitting them up


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## neep_neep

The little one being pinned down looks like a dwarf sungazer to me.


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## odyssey

yeah they look like dwarf sungazers to me. what is the scientific name ? very nice looking set up you have them in : victory:


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## ShortFUSE

when i 1st saw them i dident think they were armadillo lizard ..but the guy insisted they was forest armadillo lizard i even got a link to the page he advertised them on


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## ShortFUSE

it was funny when i 1st holded the smaller one he bit his own tail n curled up it was the cutest thing :lol2:


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## ChrisBowman

cool how big do they get and what viv size can they live in (inches lol)


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## captaincaveman

try googling tropical girdled lizard, or dwarf sungazer, even seen them as east african spiny tailed:no1::lol2:


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## ShortFUSE

there only small so there in a 2dt 24" at the moment but planning on splitting them up


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## ChrisBowman

is that 2 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot ??? lol


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## ShortFUSE

lol no its 24" 15" 15"
so anyone can you whip me up a care sheet


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## skimsa

the little one at the bottem is definatle an girdled lizard cordylus cataphractus, the big guy may very well be but does look different


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## ChrisBowman

so are they 2 different lizards and if they are they look good freinds


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## ShortFUSE

i wish i could find out the exact as im not keen on mixing species


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## Johelian

The bottom isnt a cataphractus...look at the difference in body shape.









The top is C.tropidosternum...the bottom may be Jonesii or warreni.


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## skimsa

yeah that pic is a stocky catphrac but his is in my opinion as the scales on its tail are typical so are the full limb plateing and its allready exhibited the curling defense. i'll admitt the snout should be shorter but it may just be the specimin, i mean not one of your monkey tails in your sig look the same


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## Johelian

Lol  They are just different colours - the body shape is the same. Same as the Cordylus; the one in the posters pics doesnt have the same build at all. This isnt an unusually stocky cataphractus - this is what they look like. 

Have a peek at google pictures under Cordylus cataphractus and you will see what I mean - they are VERY distinctive.

Ive looked at quite a few "armadillo" lizards in the search for a cataphractus, and I am certain that isnt one.


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## skimsa

okie dok agree to disagree:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## beege_3

Johelian said:


> The bottom isnt a cataphractus...look at the difference in body shape.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The top is C.tropidosternum...the bottom may be Jonesii or warreni.


is it possible o get these in the UK?


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## celsbigbeard

i would say that the small one at the bottom is indeed a armadilo as dwarf sungazers wont bite the tail and curl up and also looks like one but the bigger one is a dwarf sungazer i would say as we have two of these and they look the same as it,

i will try to get a pic up of one,
hope this helps,


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## ShortFUSE

yeh it helps thanks ,im going to split them up asap as i dont think its fair keeping 2 diffrent species together


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## celsbigbeard

ok this is clyde and underneath is bonnie :lol2:








sorry about the size of the pics :-(


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## skimsa

:2thumb: 2-1, nah these are well rare mate see the other armadillio thread


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## captaincaveman

xxbeardieloversloverxx said:


> i would say that the small one at the bottom is indeed a armadilo as dwarf sungazers wont bite the tail and curl up and also looks like one but the bigger one is a dwarf sungazer i would say as we have two of these and they look the same as it,
> 
> i will try to get a pic up of one,
> hope this helps,


neither of those posted are armadillos:lol2:


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## celsbigbeard

thats because i have posted pics of our DWARF SUNGAZERS bonnie and clyde :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


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## captaincaveman

xxbeardieloversloverxx said:


> i would say that the small one at the bottom is indeed a armadilo as dwarf sungazers wont bite the tail and curl up and also looks like one but the bigger one is a dwarf sungazer i would say as we have two of these and they look the same as it,
> 
> i will try to get a pic up of one,
> hope this helps,


 
i meant in respect to this:whistling2::lol2:


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## celsbigbeard

dwarf sungazers dont bite their tails and curl up though?

but armadilo's do dont they?


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## captaincaveman

xxbeardieloversloverxx said:


> dwarf sungazers dont bite their tails and curl up though?
> 
> but armadilo's do sont they?


yeah, what pics are you referring to?


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## rob-stl-07

sheffieldUK said:


> it was funny when i 1st holded the smaller one he bit his own tail n curled up it was the cutest thing :lol2:


definately an armidillo lizard then if she/he did theyre great :no1:


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## Brat

The smaller one looks and sounds just like one (The curling up and biting own tail) but the larger one just looks so different..


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## ShortFUSE

once they,ve settled in i,ll try and get a pick of the smaller one biting his/her tail


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## celsbigbeard

still stick with my first oppinion :lol2:

and a pic of it doing this would be fab, does the big one not do it?
it definately looks like our bonnie and clyde, you not agree?

hope i helped, if not sorry


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## zukomonitor

armadillo lizards were just on the box in - life in cold blood - there really cute looking things


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## ThEeDaRkOnE

Yeah... saw them on the show... well cute wee things...


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## Spikebrit

Both of the lizards are Dwarf sungazers Cordylus Tropidasternium NOT armilido lizards Cordylus catapharatcus. The key factor being Cordylus catapharatcus are imposiable to get hold of within the UK.

Jay


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## DeanThorpe

also they really dont look anything alike.

Jay...heard you just aquired a long tail lizard.....
if its female do you fancy selling it?
we have a trio, and a pair.. but want to make the pair a trio lol


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## browner93

the one on the bottom looks like a Armadillo Lizard aznd the one on the top looks like a dwarf sungazer


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## captaincaveman

Ok initial post










Then below an armadillo lizard, take a good look at the head for example, especially the nostril positioning(among many things), these nostrils are very specific for these lizards, and thats not going into the major differences of scales, head shape etc:whistling2::lol2: Just look at the picture below and the amount of scutes down its back compared to the op:Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


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## DeanThorpe

they dont look much aliek at all, honestly, ive never seen an armadillo lizard in the flesh but what i see in pics and on tv is enough to see an unmistakable difference.

sungazers are wicked mind.


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## ev2277

after watching life in cold blood yesterday I would say that the one being pinned down was the armadillo lizard looks just like the ones on tv.. amazing they were.. but the bigger one doesnt look the same... not sure about that


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## DeanThorpe

THEY ARE BOTH DWARF SUNGAZERS...they both LOOK like dwarf sungazers..
its the angle of the gazers in the pic, you happen to see the spikey scales on the one underneath due to angle but they would both have it....
BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT AN ARMADILLO DOES..

100% no argument, those pictured are a male/female pair of dwarf sungazers
_cordylus tropidosternum._


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## odyssey

DeanThorpe said:


> THEY ARE BOTH DWARF SUNGAZERS...they both LOOK like dwarf sungazers..
> its the angle of the gazers in the pic, you happen to see the spikey scales on the one underneath due to angle but they would both have it....
> BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT AN ARMADILLO DOES..
> 
> 100% no argument, those pictured are a male/female pair of dwarf sungazers
> _cordylus tropidosternum._


yep as dean has said they are tropidosternum ! ive owned some and there are NOT cataphractus wich is the true armadillo lizard.


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## DeanThorpe

you were "duped" too werent you mate?
obviously your happy with what you got but the miss info is out there in places and GOOD SHOPS that you wouldnt expect to have it from.

edit..oh do you not have them now? did they go to a good home?

It is bad that if you want a specific thing for a specific reason and you get soemthing "a bit similar" its just not on...we all have limitations on space and we all want what we want... so stop messing around and gettin things wrong people [talking to those who sold as armadillo lizards-shops that should know better]


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## odyssey

yep i was miss sold them and as you know dean they came from a shop which most people say is the best in the area.


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## Athravan

They look like the same species to me which is as other people have said - both dwarf sungazers, males do get quite a bit chunkier and have a broader head. As for the colouration well they do vary from a rust coloured brown, to a light brown, and lighter brown/yellow scales is not that unusual especially on fully grown adults.

I've never seen true armadillo lizards for sale in the UK, only in the USA, although a number of lesser species and similar looking lizards are often advertised as armadillo lizards.. if true armadillo lizards were available here you can bet that they would be costing a significant amount more than sungazers, which are relatively cheap and easy to get hold of.

I can confirm what other people are saying, definitely the same species, definitely both dwarf sungazers, NOT armadillo lizards.


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## Johelian

beege_3 said:


> is it possible o get these in the UK?


I have never seen them for sale here or in Europe, and only once in the US. I really want a pair.

To reiterate what the (correct) others said, neither of those are cataphractus. Sorry! I believe the reddish coloured one may be a C.t.jonesii as I vaguely remember someone posting pics on Repticzone of theirs and it looked similar - slightly prettier than the nominate race.  Either way, they would both fall under the name "dwarf sungazer".


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## Triangulum

bowie1125 said:


> so are they 2 different lizards and if they are they look good freinds


How Can You Tell?
:surrender:
Please Help Us.


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## Genseric

I wonder did the shop in question know that the programme was going to have Cordylus cataphractus and decide to chance their arm? 
Whilst to the untrained eye they can look a wee bit similar, to anyone with a bit of knowledge, it would be easy to tell. 

Great wee lizards none the less.. I just hope you weren't fiscally stroked in paying for them!!


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## liam.b

how about their both dwarf sungazers! the amadillo lizard is a normal sized or big sungazer:no1: oh and weres the u.v?


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## DeanThorpe

sheffieldUK said:


> it was funny when i 1st holded the smaller one he bit his own tail n curled up it was the cutest thing :lol2:


did not see this post at first...
nor the posts relating to it [talking about the biting of the tail...]
I am very confused now...
As I was not aware dwarf sungazers did this... but niether of those are armadillo lizards, im as certain as I can possiby be...
This has got me really bamboozled now.

and yes god question about the uv actually...


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## celsbigbeard

Thats what made me think that the little one is an armadillo dean, cos dwarf sungazers dont do it, or so ours dont anyway lol.

It does look a little like an armadillo, its just the pic isn't as clear as those on google etc and its a little smaller by what you can see. 

just my oppinion of course guys lol


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## Johelian

Sigh...it really isnt.

C. tropidosternum:








C.cataphractus are banned from export and sell for thousands of dollars when they are available...trust me, people wouldnt "accidentally" be selling them. Not only do they look significantly different to these (they are much larger, have bigger spikes, are a different colour, are a bulkier build...do you need more? ) but they are actually almost never seen for sale.


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## DeanThorpe

What do you think as to the original poster saying that one of them [the bottom one ]bit its tail and curled?


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## DeanThorpe

Do the standard sungazers bite thier tails in defence?


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## Asian_Water_Dragon

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/reptile-classifieds-exotics-sale-wanted/27652-dwarf-sungazers.html
There was a pair sold on here last year, these ones are dwarf sungazers though.


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## DeanThorpe

see my other half was saying that our 2 look like the one on top in the originial posters pic...and that the one underneath has a differing shaped head.
The pic johelian posted again is like ours with the rounded head.. [and darker patches on the back]
those you just linked too what you bought of slitherin also do...

so i do agree that the one on the bottom looks slightly off... head shape for instance...
so what other subspecies ,possibly still called dwarf sungazer could it be?
assuming all those so far spoken about are indeed tropidosternum..


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## Johelian

I still think its a jonesii (tropical/jungle girdle-tailed, still called "dwarf sungazers in the UK) - the colour is the thing Im looking at, as "normal" C.tropidosternum are that slightly darker colour of the larger one. It still has the characteristic "dwarf sungazer" head-shape with the lighter scales along the "lips". 

With regards to biting the tail, I havent read anything that documents species other than C.cataphractus doing it...personally I will believe it when I see it.


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## Asian_Water_Dragon

Johelian said:


> With regards to biting the tail, I havent read anything that documents species other than C.cataphractus doing it...personally I will believe it when I see it.


only on life in cold blood:lol2:


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## Johelian

Asian_Water_Dragon said:


> only on life in cold blood:lol2:


C.cataphractus WAS the species in Life in Cold Blood. :/


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## DeanThorpe

Johelian said:


> I still think its a jonesii (tropical/jungle girdle-tailed, still called "dwarf sungazers in the UK) - the colour is the thing Im looking at, as "normal" C.tropidosternum are that slightly darker colour of the larger one. It still has the characteristic "dwarf sungazer" head-shape with the lighter scales along the "lips".
> 
> With regards to biting the tail, I havent read anything that documents species other than C.cataphractus doing it...personally I will believe it when I see it.


Yeh, our 2 have the darker scales sort and are tropidosternum.
I have not seen the others in person but i ddint even notice the diffrence at first, i think ive prolly seen pics of both species whilst researching what I could find on the hole group. I think I just dissmissed it as a variation in age,sex or whatnot and did not think much of it, but thats good to know about jonessi.

That explains it anyway, so do you know if the subspecies can be bred together? 

Would also like to see the curling behaviour the o.p mentioned,


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## Johelian

I dont see why they cant be bred together Dean - I suppose you could get into the ethics of it all, but I doubt there would be any genetic incompatibility. They're all lovely little things, and I would love to get some...but C.cataphractus has spoiled all of the tropidosternums for me


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## monkeybiter

when sheffielduk posted this query on another forum i posted a link [Cordylus tropidosternum] , have you had a look?
as i also said i think the top one is definitely tropidosternum.


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## bluemoo1969

*re armadillo/dwarf sungazers*

so we established what sheffielduk's r then lol, the little one is still very cute, there's only one breeder i found in the us and they do not go cheap. all i want to know is, does anyone know if the sungazer curls up and puts his tail in his mouth as he is part of the armadillo family???????????? thanks:crazy:


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## Nic B-C

celsbigbeard said:


> i would say that the small one at the bottom is indeed a armadilo as dwarf sungazers wont bite the tail and curl up and also looks like one but the bigger one is a dwarf sungazer i would say as we have two of these and they look the same as it,
> 
> i will try to get a pic up of one,
> hope this helps,


I would agree with this too was looking at a colony of armadillos today


Actually re looking at it its not got as poronounced spikes as the I presume male looked today although the females looked more sleek and they had babies as well


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## Central Scotland Reptiles

Where did you see the Armadillos Lizards Nic B-C?


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## pendelm

I picked up a breeding pair of these myself last week, and wasnt sure on sexing them for definite, but assumed that the female was the larger of the two as the smaller one is about 2inches in body size and couldnt possibly have given birth to the 2 babies I saw!! But with reference to males being larger and stockier, I must have been wrong. The larger is very easy to handle, but the smaller is still flighty but fine once caught. Excellent feeders and brilliants lizards, a very happy find and worth eveny penny!


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## Nic B-C

What have people paid for these please as i might trade for this colony


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## GlasgowGecko

Central Scotland Reptiles said:


> Where did you see the Armadillos Lizards Nic B-C?





Nic B-C said:


> What have people paid for these please as i might trade for this colony


Nic, I echo Frasers question above, where have you seen Armadillo lizards?

Alsothe price will depend on the species. True Armadillo lizards (C. cataphractus) are VERY rare and VERY expensive. By this I mean we are talking upwards of £1000 per animal. The same goes for C. giganteus.

It is most likely that the ones you have seen are C. tropidosternum, which come in as WC and sell for around the £30 mark.

Andy


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## cordylidae

GlasgowGecko said:


> Nic, I echo Frasers question above, where have you seen Armadillo lizards?
> 
> Alsothe price will depend on the species. True Armadillo lizards (C. cataphractus) are VERY rare and VERY expensive. By this I mean we are talking upwards of £1000 per animal. The same goes for C. giganteus.
> 
> It is most likely that the ones you have seen are C. tropidosternum, which come in as WC and sell for around the £30 mark.
> 
> Andy


completely agree i highly doubt that it was truely armadillo lizards and was most likely tropical girdle tails/'dwarf sungazers' (cordylus tropidosternum) and yes they will most likely be w.c as i dont know of many people who breed them (i speak to a few in other countires but in the UK i havent spoke to any)

and tbh id be saying a fair bit more than £1000 for c.cataphractus probably 3k upwards id imagine (although thats a guess) i have heard of them being sold at hamm in previous years.Theres a breeder of them with videos on youtube the videos title is 'the real cordylus cataphractus' i think it has his email adress on it aswell im sure he would answer any questions


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## Nic B-C

Well the ,male I presume was exactly like the ones Ive seen on google with the pronounced svales all the way down body. On first looking at it I had to check carefully as i thought it just had scales which were up and it was in bad condition. He was abuot 8 inches in totallength I would guess maybe slightly smaller and the other ones were a little smoother from what i could see as lighting was terrible. There was one with the massive scales and at leat two sligtly smaller which I presume were females and at least two young in the viv and two in a box in another place.

I might go back for them especially if i can trade for some cresties


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## Tiliqua

This is an interesting thread about some really interesting lizards.

I usually stick to scientific names myself, but it does show how people get confused by common names. With Cordylus lizards it is prob best to let giganteus be the sungazer and cataphractus be the armadillo. All the others are properly known as girdle tail lizards. 

The true armadillo lizard (cataphractus) is a legally protected south African endemic. As others have said it is available as captive bred but rarely, with a hefty price tag and mostly within the confines of the European studbook. 

Anyone who says, based on a photo, that a given girdle tail is 100% this species or that species could easily be off the mark. There are a very large number of very similar species which need keying out, often based on detailed scale counting. That said Johelian was prob closest when she suggested that the female in the orig post is C. tropidosternum tropidosternum and the male is C. tropidosternum jonesii. 

Cheers,
Mark.


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## Central Scotland Reptiles

I agree with Mark here. 
People often mis-name members of the Cordylid family due to the 'common' name given by a keeper / vendor. 

Here is a post i created some time ago on this very subject:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/323693-what-name.html


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## bushviper

*Definately not armadillos....*

The larger is a Tropical Girdled Lizard (Cordylus tropidosternum jonesii)
and the smaller is a Transvaal Girdled Lizard (Cordylus vittifer). They are 
definately not cataphractus (armadillo) or giganteus (sungazer). I know this because I spent 30 years in RSA catching reptiles. Good luck with them, they make lovely pets if supplied with uv..


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## sailfinman

have a look at david atts life in cold blood they are featured on the show.


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## Central Scotland Reptiles

Here are some pictures of Sungazers - _Cordylus giganteus _in their natural habitat.

2009 young with an older sibling










Adult male










And my favourite picture, mother and young at the enterance of their burrow. Note how brightly coloured the young is compaired to the adult


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## Nic B-C

Been to check them out properly today and They are not true Armadillo but they are also not like others on here either although more like larger one on first page so could be Cordylus tropidosternum jonesii
I should ahve taken some pics but Im pretty sure they are not sungazers


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## Central Scotland Reptiles

How much were they being offered for?

I know Crystal Palace Reptiles has some true Sungazers for sale. They are £1995 each.


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