After shedding, yellow highlights are present on the neck and back, transforming it into an attractive lizard. At this point, most people overlook this species, it is basically a dull brown lizard with a spiny tail. Recent imports are often rusty brown in color with dark spots on the back, a black lateral stripe on either side of the neck, light colored lips and belly. Never buy an individual that has visible hip bones. This species is almost exclusively available as wild caught (WC) individuals from Tanzania, captive born (CB) babies are usually from recently imported pregnant mothers. Tropical Girdled Lizards are similar to a few other species of northern Cordylus and are best identified using a key. giganteus, are larger and have spiny bodies and enlarged spines on the posterior margin of their heads. cataphractus, has a very flattened body and is more heavily armored. The balance involves the content of these four things in what you feed to the insects and the lizard.The Tropical Girdled Lizard, Cordylus tropidosternum, is commonly sold in pet stores and online as the "Armadillo Lizard, Forest Armadillo Lizard, or Dwarf Sungazer." The true Armadillo Lizard, C. Phosphorous, calcium, D3 and vitamin A all play a big roll in bone health and its important that they are in balance. D3 can also build up in the system.so don't overdo it. I also dust twice a month lightly with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder.
(Not sure if they should also have preformed vitamin A.but I worry about it building up in the system.) Beta carotene won't build up. I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A. I dust the insects at most feedings with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to help make up for the usually poor balance between the calcium and phos. I gutload the crickets with greens (dandelion, kale, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, etc.) I feed them mostly gutloaded crickets.but they do get superworms, waxworms, etc. I have a small lid of calcium powder in one corner.not sure if they use it or not. I fill it once a day and they race over to it when they hear the dripping. I provide a peanut butter jar lid for a water dish and I place a small container on the lid over it with a tiny hole in the bottom of it. I have a pebbly/sandy sort of substrate that I leave dry for the most part. The driftwood has artificial greenery attached to it.so he hides in that. The male prefers to sit up on the piece of driftwood that is sitting higher in the cage. On the lid I have a Repti-sun 5.0 along the length of the cage and a regular incandescent bulb in a metal hood at one end of the cage.Īt the cool end of the cage I have a piece of slate that it raised up on two bricks so it forms a cave in the middle. I keep them in a glass cage with a screen lid. I think I must be missing something in the husbandry.maybe they need to be rained on at a certain time of year.or maybe they are missing something in their diet.or maybe the lights aren't bright enough.I don't know. I've kept them for about 8 years but not had any reproductive success.they seem to do well and stay healthy. May we see some pictures of your unique lizards? So with limited imports available, and seemingly not much interest by most hobbiests, the Drankensburg Crag Lizards are left for the select few who are lucky enough to find them! Here is an interesting link from another forum of a herper's trip to Swaziland and some pictures of the Drakensburg Crag lizard and its natural habitat.
Langerwerf discussed the husbandry of these lizards. On a related note, there was a husbandry article in the March 2006issue of REPTILES magazine in which Mr. Langerwerf's ailing condition, I cannot see captive bred animals hitting the market anytime soon (or not in Canada anyways). The only person I have heard that is truly working with a good sized group of them is Bert Langerwerf of Agama International ( ). Additionally, there is limited captive breeding of these animals in captivity. are listed as CITES II ( ), meaning that imports are available, but quantities are restricted/limited. I have never kept them myself nor had any experience with them, but do find them fascinating. The Drankensburg Crag Lizards ( Cordylus (Pseudocordylus) melanotus subviridis) are truly beautiful lizards.