The gestation period is around six to eight months. These lizards are polygynandrous, which means both males and females have multiple partners during mating season (September to October). Other prey includes beetles and millipedes, and they sometimes feed on scorpions and plant material. The lizards are active when food is abundant and are inactive when food is scarce during the dry summer months. Ouroborus cataphractus are carnivores, and primarily insectivores, with their main diet consisting of termites (Hodotermes mossambicus). Their habitat is usually dominated by dwarf perennial shrubs.
They can forage for up to 18 m from their homes for food. Ouroborus cataphractus can be found in rock crevices amongst mountain slopes and rock outcrops. This little lizard is endemic to South Africa, and occurs particularly from Little Namaqualand (Northern Cape) to the Piketberg Mountains (Western Cape) and inland at Matjiesfontein (Western Cape) To communicate with each other, Ouroborus cataphractus wag their tails, bob their heads and flick their tongues. It has a scrambling gate similar to that of other lizards. They will only drop their tail as a last resort as it is needed for their defensive mechanism. cataphractus can drop their tail as a distraction to predators. The underbelly and under-chin area are yellow with black or dark brown markings. It has a variety of coloration, ranging from light brown, yellowish-brown to dark brown. The armadillo girdled lizard has a snout to tail length of 12–16 cm. They have a soft belly which they protect by biting their tail and exposing their scales to deter predators. This diurnal lizard has rows of hard spiny scales covering its body. The armadillo lizard received its common name from the way it looks when it curls up into its defensive position, which is similar to that of the mammalian armadillo. Ouroborus cataphractus, previous name: Cordylus cataphractus (F. This small stocky lizard received its name from its defense mechanism of biting their tail and rolling into a ball to protect is soft underbelly.
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