[1] The armadillo girdled lizard feeds mainly on small invertebrates, such as insects and spiders, but sometimes also may take plant material.

In the wild, its most common prey items are termites, especially Microhodotermes viator[3] and Hodotermes mossambicus.

[6] The armadillo girdled lizard possesses an uncommon antipredator adaptation, in which it rolls into a ball and takes its tail in its mouth when frightened.

[3] This behaviour, which resembles that of the mythical ouroboros and of the mammalian armadillo, gives it its taxonomic and English common names.

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.

[1][3][6] The armadillo girdled lizard is thought to be somewhat susceptible to fluctuations in its primary food source (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.