ArmourTraits: A comparative dataset on the ecological and evolutionary correlates of dermal armour in squamates

ArmourTraits is a comparative dataset quantifying variation in defensive morphology across 131 squamate species belonging to two distantly related lineages, Cordyliformes and Anguimorpha, which independently evolved osteoderm-based body armour. The dataset integrates micro-computed tomography–derived morphological measurements of osteoderm expression and hindlimb skeletal traits with species-level ecological, life-history, and environmental variables. It also includes estimates of predation risk and a time-calibrated phylogeny for all included taxa. By combining quantitative metrics of armour development with locomotor morphology and ecological context, ArmourTraits provides a standardized framework for comparative analyses of defensive trait evolution. The dataset is designed to facilitate phylogenetic comparative studies addressing ecological correlates of armour variation, functional trade-offs between defence and locomotion, convergent evolution, and macroevolutionary diversification of defensive traits in squamates.