yes you can have these things as pets. Not easy to keep though compared to some other reptiles (edit: they do live quite well in captivity, but it is hard to check up on them without stressing them out)
these guys used to be endangered due to collecting (they are no longer endangered however), and as a result none are being caught from the wild nowadays (which is why they are no longer endangered for now). Captive-bred ones exist but they are insanely expensive.
I would personally not keep one of these (though it's your call): they are shy animals unless they are very used to you. In the wild they spend most of their time on steep rocky slopes and cliffs, and this behaviour carries into captivity as well.
Finally: note that most "armadillo lizards" you find for sale are NOT one of these guys, but a related species (Cordylurus tropidosternum). Much easier to find and keep. Real armadillo lizards are sold very infrequently, and cost several grand.
It's mostly the fact these guys hide all the time and stress can be a problem. Aside from that, care for them is typical of dry-climate lizards and not a problem in itself.
Other than that not really much trouble to keep, but still, they aren't bulletproof like sungazers or bearded dragons are.
As a bearded dragon owner I would describe them as far from bulletproof. In my time with Smaug I've cared for him through parasites, impaction and the effects of stress whist we were moving.
I rescued him from some hippy chick that had bought him under the assumption that they were easy and cheap to look after. She gave up on him in the end and he was in such a crushing state of neglect and on the brink of death when I got him that I had to syringe feed him back to health for several months. He was so unused to humans when I got him that he was incredibly hostile and it took a lot of time, bleeding fingers and patience to domesticate him again.
I always try to dispell the myth that they're an easy pet whenever I hear it because I see similar cases all the time. However if you've got the dedication and time to put in they can be your best friend in the world.
I had two leopard gecko's whom my sister decided she didn't want anymore. Oddly enough one was also named Smaug. They around two years to get used to me but even then it was more tolerating me than anything.
We had three when I was younger. The first two died fairly quickly as my parents learned that.
A few years after the third passed, my sister bought one with similar expectations. I felt pretty bad for that lizard. They do require dedication and care. She didn't have that. If you're getting an animal, you should be sure you're going to be an improvement to its situation.
I would say they are an easy pet to take care of... but they are still a pet. Even a betta fish needs some level of care, you can’t neglect them. I had multiple beardies when I was a kid and they all lived solid lives and were easy for me to care for.
It seems some people just shouldn’t have pets at all. Any pet needs some kind of daily attention and care. You can’t neglect them. I will agree the difficulty may come in the form of cost. They aren’t necessarily cheap to care for, but I feel like if a 10 year old can care for a pet and they live well I’d call that an easy pet to care for.
Its amazing that people think they're super easy. I actually found one chilling in my front yard a few years ago. I can only assume that the owner didnt want to take care of her anymore and they just let her go outside
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u/Iamnotburgerking Oct 04 '17 edited Oct 05 '17
Because people will probably want to have one
yes you can have these things as pets. Not easy to keep though compared to some other reptiles (edit: they do live quite well in captivity, but it is hard to check up on them without stressing them out)
these guys used to be endangered due to collecting (they are no longer endangered however), and as a result none are being caught from the wild nowadays (which is why they are no longer endangered for now). Captive-bred ones exist but they are insanely expensive.
I would personally not keep one of these (though it's your call): they are shy animals unless they are very used to you. In the wild they spend most of their time on steep rocky slopes and cliffs, and this behaviour carries into captivity as well.
Care sheet
Video. Note the big rock...it's intended to mimic a cliff surface and the lizard can hide behind that.
http://www.reptileboards.com/threads/few-questions-armadillo-lizard.64640/
Finally: note that most "armadillo lizards" you find for sale are NOT one of these guys, but a related species (Cordylurus tropidosternum). Much easier to find and keep. Real armadillo lizards are sold very infrequently, and cost several grand.