Armadillo Lizards, The Fantastical Real-Life Dragons
One of the weirdest animals in the rocky plains of South Africa is the armadillo lizard.
Found in the crevices of the Succulent Karoo region, the armadillo lizard, or Ouroborus cataphractus, is both peculiar and endearing. These odd creatures are considered small-sized reptiles and feature a variety of colors that range from brown to light yellowish-brown. Its most unique attribute, however, is its spiky skin.
Indeed, the armadillo lizard is covered in sharp heavy spikes except for its underbelly which is bare. This makes the lizard's underside vulnerable to attack from predators, which is why this strange animal has evolved an equally distinct form of defense: curling itself up into a ball when threatened, exposing only its armored exterior.
Armadillo lizards will curl up when under attack by natural enemies such as birds, snakes, and mongooses. When needed, these weird creatures can stay in this position for up to an hour.
Besides its defense mechanism, the reptile shares another trait with the armadillo: its choice of food. While the armadillo lizard's diet consists of small insects and invertebrates, their primary food source is termites, much like the armadillo.
Armadillo lizards are one of few lizard species that do not lay eggs and give birth to just one or two offspring a year. Another peculiar trait of this weird creature is its communal living habitat. They are social animals and therefore prefer the added protection that comes along with staying in a large group.
Unfortunately, the biggest threat to the armadillo lizard is humans. The reptile's pint size, distinct appearance, and mellow demeanor have made it a popular commodity on the black pet market, even though the trafficking of these creatures has been made illegal.
In 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered five armadillo lizards inside stuffed animals at a border in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Luckily, however, the species was recently downgraded from IUCN's "vulnerable" status to a status of "least concern" due to more protective laws against owning these weird animals as pets.
