Броненосный ящерица рода Ouroborus (Ouroborus cataphractus)

Species of reptile in the family Cordylidae
Speciesbox
| name = Armadillo girdled lizard
| status = NT
| status system = IUCN3.1
|status ref =
| image= Armadillo girdle tailed lizard. jpg
| image caption = Armadillo girdled lizards in Wuppertal Zoo
| genus = Ouroborus
| parent authority = Stanley, Bauer, Jackman, Branch & Mouton, 2011
| species = cataphractus
| authority = (F. Boie, 1828)
| synonyms = *Cordylus cataphractus
Zonurus cataphractus
Cordylus nebulosus
Zonurus cataphractus
Ouroborus cataphractus
| synonyms ref = also commonly known as the armadillo lizard, the armadillo spiny tailed lizard, and the golden armadillo lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to desert areas along the western coast of South Africa.

The armadillo girdled lizard can be a light brown to dark brown in coloration. The underbelly is yellow with a blackish pattern, especially under the chin. Its size can range from in snout vent length (SVL). It may grow to a maximum size of SVL.

O. cataphractus is endemic to the Succulent Karoo biome in the Northern and the Western Cape provinces of South Africa, where it occurs from the southern Richtersveld to the Piketberg Mountains and the southern Tankwa Karoo. It inhabits rock outcrops mountain slops, preferably on sandstone substrate.

The armadillo girdled lizard is diurnal. It hides in rock cracks and crevices. It lives in social groups of up to 30 to 60 individuals of all ages, but usually fewer. live young; the species is one of the few lizards that does not lay eggs. The female may even feed her young, which is also unusual for a lizard. Females give birth once a year at most; some take a year off between births. One hundred and six individuals from 27 groups were marked and recaptured regularly from May until September 2002. The group that was greater in fidelity had a greater neighboring distance. While the group that was less in fidelity had a less neighboring distance. The neighboring distance correlates to the fidelity of the armadillo girdled lizard species. Males follow either a prenuptial or postnuptial reproductive cycle. The more common cycle is prenuptial with high sperm count being in the fall and winter seasons. In the postnuptial cycle, males produce the most sperm in the late summer season.

The species Ouroborus cataphractus is classified by the IUCN as near threatened. This is mostly due to a general cessation of collection for the pet trade, which was a significant drain on populations but is now illegal. The armadillo girdled lizard is thought to be somewhat susceptible to fluctuations in its primary foodsource (termites), which in turn can be impacted by climatic events such as changes in rainfall patterns, as well as to habitat changes through invasive alien plant species and poor fire management.