How to Care for a Jones Armadillo Lizard

The Jones Armadillo lizard is one of the few lizards who functions in social groups. Generally docile, they will hide if threatened and if there is no hiding spot available they bite their tail and roll into a ball very similar to an armadillo. The lizard usually lives 10 years and only grows to a length of 6 inches, so it is a great choice for a pet.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Enclosure
• Screen lid
• Full spectrum light
• Heat lamps
• Thermometer
• Shallow water dish
• Hiding rock
• Feeder insects

1. Obtain an appropriately sized aquarium for your lizard. A 20 gallon tank will work for up to three lizards. The enclosure should be covered with a screen lid.

2. Cover the bottom of your lizard's new home with a substrate like sand, mulch or bark.

3. Light the cage with a full spectrum reptile bulb so that your lizard can properly synthesize calcium and other minerals.

4. Provide a thermal gradient inside the enclosure. Most of the enclosure should average 80 degrees Fahrenheit and there should be a basking area with a heat lamp set to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Use a small shallow bowl for water. Fill the bowl with clean, non-chlorinated water daily and wash the bowl every week.

6. Place a hiding rock inside the aquarium as well as a few other decorations of your liking.

7. Feed your Jones Armadillo lizard feeder insects from your local pet store. Crickets and meal worms make a great meal for your lizard.

8. Clean the substrate daily of droppings and change it once every week.

Tips & Warnings

• Gut load your crickets or mealworms before feeding them to your lizard. You should also dust them once a week with a vitamin and mineral supplement.

• Add a night spectrum bulb for viewing your lizard's behavior and interactions at night.

• Avoid using pebbles or gravel because these can be ingested by your armadillo lizard and block its digestive tract, eventually causing death.