Rescued armadillo girdled lizard hidden in a stuffed animal gives birth at the Cincinnati Zoo - The Cincinnati Enquirer

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An armadillo girdled lizard recently gave birth at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Nobody may be happier about that than some U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who rescued the mother and four other armadillo girdled lizards at the Cincinnati port of entry last November.

The officers discovered the lizards, named for the armadillo-like shells that protect their bodies, when they checked a package from South Africa bound for southern Florida, according to a CBP press release.

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The package's contents were listed as "toy animals, T-shirts, and markers," and contained an assortment of stuffed animals.

Five lizards found in stuffed animals

"While reviewing X-ray images of the shipment, officers and agriculture specialists noticed the stuffed animals contained distinct shapes of what appeared to be five live animals," the release said.

"When CBP agriculture specialists began opening the toys, the lizards' tails and legs emerged, and they appeared to be moving.' "

The CBP officers contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors who identified the reptiles as armadillo girdled lizards, which are a protected species.

The lizards are not permitted to be exported from South Africa without appropriate documentation because of conservation concerns.

"Our officers and specialists have a broad range of experience, and their quick response saved the lives of these protected species," Acting Area Port Director Eugene Matho said in the press release.

The Cincinnati Zoo agreed to care for the lizards after they were discovered.

Ryan Dumas, the head keeper of herpetology and fish at the Cincinnati Zoo, said in the release that the zoo was happy to provide a home for the lizards.

Cincinnati Zoo: lizards thriving in their new home

"Despite the awful shipping conditions of these smuggled lizards, all are thriving in their new behind-the-scenes habitat, eating, gaining weight and looking great," Dumas said.

Once the zoo reopens, the lizards will be part of the exhibit in the dragons building.

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