I want an Armadillo lizard...!!! But Im not sure I if I could....

Question
Hi, I've been looking for a lizard for the past months, i decided i want one of those armadillo lizards. I've done lots of research on it and, although i have no experience with reptiles, i think I'll be able to handle it. But, I still have some questions I'd like to clarify in order to make sure my lizard (in case i get it) will be just fine.

1. Do you recommend having the lizard in my room? Since I've read they get stressed with a lot of activity around them.

2. Do lizards smell? Will my room smell like lizard?

3. How about when i go on vacations? Do you recommend taking my lizard to my friend's house to take care of him/her?? Can I travel with him/her?

4. I've read that you have to clean the tank fairly often, but do you clean the lizard? If so, How?

5. How do I go about finding a Vet that will know what's going on with my lizard?

6. Do you recommend any place in particular to buy the armadillo lizard? I live in Texas and the weather seems too hot to ship a lizard by Fedex.

Thank you for reading this and answering.  

Answer
If your room is large enough to accomodate a 30 gallon enclosure, that should be fine.  Frankly, I've heard opinions that they can be kept in a smaller tank, but a lizard needs room to move around.

Lizards don't smell, lizard poop smells.  If the tank is not kept clean, the lizard will wind up with poop on his feet and tail and will smell too.  Daily poop removal is essential.  He may poop in his water bowl, so watch for that, as it's easier to take out and clean a water bowl then the whole tank.  If he gets poopy, he gets a bath, scrub the dirt of with a soft toothbrush.  The bath water should be luke warm.  I bathe most of mine in the sink, water up to the shoulders and allow them some time to move around, perhaps even to do their business.  Always stay with him, so he sees a way to get out.

There are several sites where youcan find a reptile vet.
http://www.herpvetconnection.com/texas.shtml
http://www.arav.org

I would not buy any reptile from the pet store chains.  It's best from a breeder.  If you can't find a Texas breeder online, I would check for reptile shows that are in Texas.  I believe there are regular ones that occur around the state.