Big Black & White Tegu Lizards - Teius - Tupinambis - Tegus - Reptile - Lizard -Reptiles
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Big Black & White Tegu Lizards - Teius - Tupinambis - Tegus - Reptile - Lizard -Reptiles
Tupinambis is a lizard genus which belongs to the family Teiidae, and contains seven described species. These large lizards are commonly referred to as tegus (teiús in Portuguese); T. merianae (Argentine Black and White Tegu), T. rufescens (Red Tegu), and T. teguixin (Gold Tegu) are all common in the pet trade. They are primarily found in South America, although T. teguixin also occurs in Panama. Tegus that have escaped or have been illegally released have adapted to life in the wild in some of the more remote areas of South Florida.
Tegus are large reptiles, with some species reaching a total length of around four feet, and a weight of approximately fifteen pounds. Tegus are omnivorous, foraging for a wide range of foods using their forked tongues, including fruit, seeds, various arthropods, small vertebrates, carrion, and eggs. The amount of meat that is consumed by tegus decreases as the animals mature. Within their native range, tegus are often thought of as pests, sometimes raiding chicken coops to feed on the eggs or fowl. They are noted predators of crocodilian eggs, and in some areas 80% of Spectacled Caiman nests are destroyed by tegus. In South Florida, they prey on the eggs of American Alligators instead. Tegus are sexually dimorphic, with males growing larger than females and developing prominent "jowls" along the base of the lower jaw. These lizards can be found in a variety of habitats, from swamps to rainforests to savannahs. Although terrestrial, they are capable swimmers, able to remain submerged for up to 22 minutes and having even been caught in gill nets set at sea. They exhibit maternal behaviour; female Tegus construct burrows to lay their eggs in, and will protect their brood until they hatch.
Tegus fill the same ecological niche in South America that monitor lizards do in Africa, Asia and Australia, and are an example of convergent evolution. Though similar in appearance to monitors, tegus are not closely related and can be distinguished by their larger heads, shorter necks, heavier bodies and different arrangement of the scales on the body and tail. In addition, tegus can run on their hind legs in a manner akin to a Collared Lizard, while monitors are quadrupedal.
Tegus can be found in captivity, where they are bred for their meat and their hides, or for the pet trade. They are reported to be highly intelligent, learning to recognise their owners, becoming docile and in some cases even ignoring food in favor of social interaction.Young or wild caught specimens, however, are often flighty and defensive. Tegus require large enclosures with full-spectrum lighting and adequate substrate to burrow in. T. merianae and T. ruficens have been successfully crossbred to produce hybrids.
Tegus range as far south as Argentina, where they naturally undergo brumation. In captivity, it has been discovered that this is not needed to maintain their health, but it may have adverse effects on sexual development if their first years' brumation is skipped.