Hi there. I'm new to this forum, so please be nice with me.. I currently have bought (at petsmart) yes, i know. bad. a "Jones Armadillo lizard" Now.. they didn't really know much about them at all. and the woman helping me had no clue what they needed. after doing a bit of research into these lizards i wanted to get one. I seen this little guy on his own and he looked so lonely and cramped up in a the tiny little terrarium he was being housed in. so after some thought, i bought him. He is in a 30 gallon tank. I'm using a 100W Infared exo terra light for 24/7 use and a 5.0 UVB tropical lamp also exoterra for daytime (That is all they said i needed, and from what i researched about 'Jones armadillo lizard" is what i felt i needed.. Now.. the humidity usually is sitting around 40% with multiple misting during the day and the temperature in the basking area is around 90 degrees.. He is on half bark, half plantation soil (as what they had in the store.) I haven't really held him much, as it says they don't like to be held. but i don't know for sure if he is a jones armadillo lizard or not, since so many forums and pictures I've seen are always different.. My concern is today, he was in his hide. (and has been in his hide without coming out or eating much since i bought him - last friday) so i looked in the terrarium and went to hold him but he wasn't moving, at all. so i got concerned.. and a little upset cause i thought he was dead. but after a few minutes, he started to move around and all was well again. Im just worried i am not doing things properly.. and maybe the temperature is too high.. or too low... or the humidity isn't right, or the substrate.. please let me know, i will post a picture of him in the next post.
Welcome to the forum! Glad you found us and decided to join Congrats on your new reptile! Other names your little guy might go by are a fire belly armadillo lizard or a forest armadillo lizard.... The Jones Armadillo Lizards name is Cordylus tropidosternum jonesii. A couple things to note from reading up on them: "Girdled Lizards, usually sold as Armadillo Lizards, reach about 7.5 inches in length and usually remain quite shy; they do best in large terrariums where they can be observed w/o disturbance. Some individuals eventually tolerate handling, but please bear in mind that “tolerate” is the key word when speaking about any reptiles. None respond to it as would a tame mammal; best to choose a species based on interest and ability to provide proper care." "Girdled Lizards need UVB radiation. They produce large, live young, which is a real plus if you are considering breeding; and are diurnal (but shy)." "An ambient temperature of 75-80F with a basking site of 90-95 F works well. You’ll need a high output UVB bulb and a hot spot of 90-95 F, as well as a varied diet of several types of insects" "Powder all meals with Calcium…Repticalcium with D3 is a good choice (I suggest with D3 as some lizards can also absorb dietary D3; surest route is via UVB, however). Reptivite or similar Vit/mineral supplement can be used 2-3 times weekly. Provide as much dietary variety as possible, using small insects. Crickets should be allowed to feed for 2-3 days before being used as a food source. Butterworms are good, waxworms perhaps once weekly (hard to digest, high in fat); crickets, calciworms should also be tried. Good idea to order silkworms through internet dealers on occasion." The link to part II of the article is very helpful... http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2009/12/14/breeding-the-tropical-girdled-lizard-or-forest-armadillo-lizard-part-2/ From reading through a couple of articles it looks like you are doing the right thing and that they are just not very happy about being handled.
Welcome to the boards! = ) I do want to make an additional suggestion: Is the UVB producing bulb a coiled, compact flourescent type of bulb? If studies have shown they are almost worthless... its not a well-known fact but they are thought to be potentially hazardous and have also been tested to lose UVB output rapidly. Here's a nice little UVB guide created by a member on our forum: http://www.reptileboards.com/threads/uvb-basics.64396/ Also, how are you measuring your temperatures? Another common error (its not your fault) is using a thermometer such as the "stick-on" brands sold in pet stores. Some of these are okay, but some can be significantly off. To get the most accurate represenation of the temperatures, I'd consider investing in either a tempgun or a digital thermometer with a probe. The latter can be purchased for $10-15 at many home improvement style stores. I've even bought up some good tempguns for $10 at a Harbor Freight hardware location. I'll be honest, I'm not very familiar with this species - so I can only give input from what I know about keeping herps in general. It sounds like you've done quite a bit of research and things look good otherwise for the most part. This isn't a very commonly kept species; another recommendation I have is to add a couple more hides to the enclosure. Having something to retreat to on the warmer and cooler ends of the enclosure (in addition to a basking region) can help to make the animal feel more secure and allow for thermoregulation comfortably as they choose. That way, if he gets too hot, he can still hide out somewhere on the cooler end instead of "toughing it out" on the hot end to avoid being exposed in the open. Best of luck to you! Maybe another member with more experience can chime in, hope this helped some for the general cause = ) He's a cute one!
Wow, he's cool looking!~I don't know much about them, but other people have posted some things to help you, you probably have already looked at a caresheet, but you could try to find a book on them
Stikypaws- ill be sure to read over those links you have provided thank you so much for the fast reply. its nice to have his species clarified. Jeff - yes it is a UVB coiled.. and i read over that link and i will go look at some mercury vapour bulbs as soon as possible!! and yes, i do have the stick on exo terra hygrometer and thermometer, they don't work all that well, so i was already going to start looking into a new way to read the temperatures. I'm going to get a few things at the store today for him, ill invest in another hide for him just in case. lizardgurl - thank you!! i have been looking EVERYWHERE for information on these lizards but theres hardly anything around!! its very frustrating!! and again, thanks for such friendly responses and a warm welcome.. much better than some of the forums i have been in for other animals i have.
yep and that sucks :/ I've looked at books that are just about various kinds of lizards, not really specifically about one kind, but there might be an article on their care in one~you could even just check one out from a library and look. I was looking through some of the pamphlets I took from petsmart(I took one of each about reptiles & amphibians and a few others lol) and I didn't find any about an armadillo lizard, but something about a curly tailed that looks similar...but, I did find this care sheet at Pet Supplies Plus's website: http://www.petsuppliesplus.com/AnimalCare/Reptiles/jonesarmadillolizard.htm hope it helps
I've got a quick reference book that mentions them. I'll paste some of the Important details below: Maximum size: 6.5 inches Lifespan: 7-12+ years Minimum tank size: 20 gallon long (so your 30 is great) Habitat: Dry savanna, cork/wood hides and climbing structures Diet: Variety of insects (good staples are crickets, roaches), variety of finely chopped fruit, and fruit and honey day gecko mixture Info taken from: "Reptiles, Phibians, and Invertebrates: An Identification and Care Guide," Bartlett et. all, p. 107. I'd be happy to go into detail on any of that of you want, but I'm currently typing this on my phone, so I'm going to cop out on it for now. =P Welcome to the forums!
Thanks for all the help guys!!! Cammy.... does it say what type of fruit is ok?? And I'm still having a few concerns. unless its just natural behaviour i don't know.. but he still hardly EVER comes out of his hide. i have noticed he eats the crickets i put in but thats it. so unless he comes out when I'm not around i guess. is this anything to be concerned about or are they just not very social lizards?
These is always a good guide on fruit (and veggies): http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html General rules : Avoid citrus fruit and Avocado = ) I'll let anyone else comment on being social, although Laurens source says they are very shy.
Pretty much everything I read up on them says that they are very shy and generally take up to 6 months eek to get used to their new cages..... kind of cray but I'm seeing the same thing with my new little Uri... Good luck!
Hi I'm new here today. I also own a Jones Armadillo Lizard bred in captivity since it was three weeks old. If the people at the store didn't know much about your little guy, the temperature shift from the store (if the didn't have it hot enough) to your tank could have set of a Brumation cycle. My little one has been Brumating for a week now because we lost power during a storm and it went without heat for 4 hours. Keep an eye on him, he should be fine!
