Armadillo lizard rolling crack#

Threatened by the international illegal reptile pet tradeР”В«ecause they live in family groups and are relatively easy to catch, the international illegal reptile pet trade is a growing threat. Teamwork by CapeNature Conservation Services, the Biodiversity Crime Unit, the Nuwerus, Lutzville and Malmesbury police officers of the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit and the Organised Crime office of the National Prosecuting Authority made these substantial convictions possible. He was arrested while collecting the lizards in the veld.

He was planning on selling them in Japan where they are highly sought after as pets.Р’В During the pursuit he threw a cooler bagР’В containing the reptiles out of his car window.Р”Р„nother Japanese man, Takashi Handa, was sentenced to a R300 000 fine or six yearsРІР‚в„ў imprisonment for collecting and possessing Armadillo girdled lizards without permits. Koji Ikoma, who was arrested on 24 November 2017 after a high speed car chase with police, admitted to poaching and possessing the reptiles. In May 2018 a Japanese man faced a sentenceР’В of a R1 million fine or 13 yearsРІР‚в„ў imprisonment for the illegal possession and transport of 48 Armadillo girdled lizards,Р’В Cape TimesР’В reported. They can reach an average total length of about 150-200 mm. It is one of the few lizards that doesР’В not lay eggs. Once a year in autumn, the female gives live birth to one or two babies. They are social animals and form family groups of up to 60 individuals in one crevice.

They often have to travel distances of between four and twenty meters to termite mounds which makes them vulnerable to poachers. They favour rocky areas as close as possible to termite mounds as termites are an important food source. They shelter in the holes and crevices of rock formations. These relatively slow-moving, rock-dwelling lizards are very shy and quick to hide when approached.

Armadillo lizard rolling crack#

The Armadillo girdled lizard does thisР’В to protect its soft under belly when it feels threatened.Р’В TheР’В ouroborosР’В eats its own tailР’В as a symbol of sustaining life in an eternal cycle of renewal.Р”Р„rmadillo girdled lizardsР’В can stay in their defensiveР’В ouroboros position for up to an hour when they are in danger and cannot reach a crevice or rock crack to hide in. ItsР’В scientific name, Ouroborus cataphractus, is derived from its habit of rolling into a ball and biting its tail like theР’В mythical ouroborosР’В found in most ancient cultures. The Armadillo girdled lizard isР’В endemic to the mountains and rocky hills of the Succulent Karoo veld of western South Africa from the Orange River southwards to north of Porterville and eastwards to west of Laingsburg.