Please help i'm so lost about my new baby jones armadillo!?

Question

I Just bought my first Jones Armadillo lizard and the store that I bought it from didnt seem like they really had it together, they told me to get Desert Sand terrarium Substrate because thats what they used at the pet store, they also set me up with a Fluker's clamp lamp that is 5.5" that holds incandescent or ceramic heat emitters, and they said the 75watt tight beam bulb "terrerium Daytime Lamp" How far should the light be to the floor of the tank? Also they said i was suppost to keep it 75-80 degrees is that right? How often does the light need to be turned on? I also read that armadillo lizards get to be three to six inches, the store that i bought him from set me up with like a ten gallon tank is that large enough? What size tank should I have?

This is what I just got emailed from some one, the things that they say seem to go against a lot of other people.. Everyone says different things on how to care for a baby jones armadillo...This is what this guy said: You don't have to mist the cage, as long as there's a small water dish.
They come from a non-humid climate, or put a live plant in the cage.
75 - 80 degrees is fine, maybe a little cooler at night. It needs
something to hide under also. Crickets are fine as long as he eats
them. You really don't need a heat light, but a fluorescent aquarium
light would be better. Just follow the sunlight pattern. Turn on in
the morning, turn off when sun goes down. You can always move it into
a larger tank if you'd like, if you want it to have more room. Put
some rocks for him to climb over.

Answer 1

They get 7-10 inches. They need a 5.0 UVB light. Temps 90 - 100 F basking area, 85-75 cool end. To achieve these temps you need no less than a 50-55 gal. aquarium. They should have hiding spots on both sides of the tank and some branches. I would use reptile carpet as a substrate so he does not get impacted.

http://www.herphangout.com/caresheet.php?sheet=48

I think this is interesting if you didn't know:

If there is no rock available to hide in or under, the Jones Armadillo Lizard will roll into a ball biting its tail.

Answer 2

Here are some caresheets that should answer your questions. The first just covers the basics, the second is pretty long, but gives a lot of observations from a person with 15 years experience keeping them (if you go to the bottom, basic care info is provided)

http://www.noahsarkpetsshop.com/care3/ArmadilloLizard.html http://www.chicagoherp.org/special/garyfogel/art_of_cordylid_lizards.htm

From what I read, a 10 gallon might work if yours is small, but will need something larger as an adult. The temperature will need to be quite a bit higher like about 120o in one corner for a baasking area. A 75 watt might be okay for a 10 gallon - you could put a rock or log under it so he can get closer to the lamp if it's not warm enough, but these aren't terrific climbers, so not too steep.

Good luck with your lizard!

Answer 3

I'd recomend not using any sand-type substrate with lizards, as they tend to accidentally ingest it while eating and it builds up in their gut, causing some serious trouble down the line. I'd think a 20 gallon or larger would be better for a lizard that size. You might want to check out the forums on kingsnake.com for more info on raising your lizard. The link below has pretty good basic info as well.