Encyclopaedia
ReptileTerrestrialIntermediate
©AI Generated·Proprietary
Tropical Girdled Lizard
Cordylus tropidosternum
The East African armadillo lizard prefers a horizontal 80x40x40 cm rock-themed terrarium. Provide a dry sand/clay substrate, narrow crevices mimicking natural habitats, strong UVB lighting, and dusted insect prey.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Cordylidae
Subfamily:Cordylinae
Genus:Cordylus
Species:Cordylus tropidosternum
Share
Check out Tropical Girdled Lizard on Atlarium
Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
40 - 60 %
Day temperature
28 - 32 °C
Night temperature
20 - 24 °C
Adult size
10.7 cm
UVB
Medium - High
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Found across the dry savannas, woodlands, and rocky outcrops of East Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique. It shelters in rock crevices and hollow tree trunks.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Cordylidae and the genus Cordylus. Characterized by genetic pathways responsible for heavy osteoderm development, creating a spiked dermal armor for self-defense.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal and moderately social, often living in small family groups. When threatened, they wedge themselves into rock crevices by inflating their lungs, presenting only their sharp, spiky scales to predators.
Morphology: A relatively small lizard reaching 15-18 cm in total length. The body is heavily armored with large, keeled, spiny scales arranged in regular girdles around the body and tail. Coloration is brown, yellowish, or grey.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Provide a horizontal terrarium (minimum 80x40x40 cm). Arrange flat rocks securely to create natural crevice hides. Use a dry substrate of soil-sand mix and add pieces of cork bark.
Lighting and Heating: Requires high basking temperatures. Basking spot should reach 38-42°C (100-108°F), with ambient temperatures of 26-30°C (79-86°F) and a night drop to 18-20°C (64-68°F). Strong 10-12% UVB light is mandatory.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain low humidity (40-50%). Provide a shallow water dish. Lightly spray a corner of the tank once a week to simulate natural dew.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed crickets, small roaches, and mealworms. Dust prey with pure calcium at most feedings, and calcium with D3 and multivitamins twice a week.
Compatibility: Can be housed in small groups consisting of one male and multiple females. Never house multiple males together, as they will fight for dominance.
Health and Common Diseases: Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is a high risk if UVB lighting is outdated or calcium is omitted. High humidity can trap moisture under the scales, causing bacterial or fungal dermatitis.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Found across the dry savannas, woodlands, and rocky outcrops of East Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique. It shelters in rock crevices and hollow tree trunks.
Origin
Africa and Madagascar
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 10.7 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 10.7 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 10.7 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
