TEGU
General information:
Tegu in Amazonian dialect means giant lizard.
Tupinambis was derived from the name of an extinct Amazonian Indian Tribe.
All tegus belong to: 1) The Order Squamata. 2) The Infrorder Scincomorpha. 3) The Family Teiidae and 4) The Genus Tupinambis.
Tegus are then broken down into individual Species. There are presently four recognized and one unrecognized species. The four recognized species are: 1) The Colombian Black and White Tegu
(Tupinambis Teguixin). 2) The Argentine Black and White Tegu (Tupinambis Merianea). 3) The Gold Tegu
(Tupinambis Nigropunctatus) and 4) The Argentine Red Tegu (Tupinambis Rufescens).
The unrecognized species is the Blue Tegu (Tupinambis Teguixin sp.). Although the Blue Tegu is
An unrecognized species it has not detoured its increase in popularity over the past few years within’ the pet trade industry.
All tegus are from South America. It is the only continent that they inhabit in the wild.
The general distributions of the various tegu species consist of: 1) The Colombian Black and White Tegus range covers Colombia exclusively. 2) The Gold Tegus range overlaps the Colombian Black and White Tegus range in Colombia , but there have been documented sightings of Gold Tegus in other countries such as Ecuador , Venezula , Guyana and Suriname. 3) The Argentine Black and White Tegus range covers Eastern Argentina , Uraguay , Bolivia and Southern Brazil. 4) The Argentine Red Tegus range covers Western Argentina , Paraguay and most of Brazil. Red Tegus seem to prefer hotter and drier regions more than the other tegu species. Red Tegus are the least
Tolerant of cold temperatures than are any of the other tegu species.
The general habitat range for tegus is tropical rainforests , tropical woodlands and arid scrublands.
All tegus are terrestrial (ground dwelling) , but they do occasionally climb and swim.
Tegus are extremely alert and agile lizards , but they are also the second largest and one of the most aggressive lizards in the world. Only the larger species of Monitor lizards are in fact larger than a Tegu.
Note: If cornered tegus will amount a relentless anf ferocious attack clawing with almost razor sharp claws , whipping their tails causing welts and possible lacerations and inflicting extremely painful bites that will require stitches.
It is very important that we protect and conserve tegus in their natural habitats.
The Tegu skin trade in Argentina and Paraguay has become a twenty million per year industry. The chief importers of tegu skins are: 1) The United States. 2) Hong Kong. 3) Mexico and 4) Canada.
Before you make a decision to purchase a tegu there are a few things that you need to consider.
1) The lifespan of a well cared for tegu can be in excess of 12 years. 2) Most tegus never really tame down. You can never become complacent around tegu ; they can and will bite you with little or no warning ; attack you without provocation while cleaning their enclosure or simply bolt out of your grasp. 3) Tegus grow to a very large adult size and they require updates in their enclosures. If you are unable to support the financial responsibilities of proper maintenance of a tegu ; do the tegu and yourself a favor and pick a smaller reptile.
It is very important to take a newly acquired tegu hatchling or adult to a certified Reptile Veterinarian as soon as possible with a fresh stool sample to be checked for parasites and general overall health.
Physical characteristics:
The tegus body is solid with powerful limbs. Juvenile tegus have the ability to run on their hind legs not unlike the basilisk.
The tegus head is large and the snout is tapered. Tegus have forked tongues that they use to sense smell and take the scent into the Jacobson’s Organ for the processing of the scent.
The tegus tail is rounded and considerably longer than the body. The latter part of the tail is banded.
Tegus have the ability to break off their tails at what is known as a fracture point. Note: Never under any circumstance hold a tegu by its tail. Even if the tegu seems to be calm and tame they will bolt with the first given opportunity.
In captivity , a tegus size will depend on: 1) Housing conditions. 2) Nutrition and 3) age.
The general size ranges of the various tegu species vary considerably. The smallest of the tegus is the unrecognized species ; the Blue Tegu reaching an overall length of about 3 ½ feet. The Argentine Red Tegu will reach an average length of 3 feet, nine inches. The Gold Tegu will reach an overall length of 4 feet. The Colombian Black and White Tegu will reach an overall length of 4 ½ feet. Finally , the Argentine Black and White Tegu will reach the ultimate length of 5 feet. The length that the largest of the tegus ; the Argentine is comparable to a mid – size
Monitor lizard such as a Savannah Monitor.
Several attributes distinguish a male from a female tegu and they are: 1) Adult male tegus develop jawls and females do not. 2) The male tegus neck is as wide as its body and a females is smaller. 3) The male tegu is much larger than the female. 4) The male tegu is brilliantly colored were the female is a bit duller in appearance. This is probably best seen in the Argentine Red Tegus coloration. 5) The circumference of the male tegus tail just posterior to the Cloaca tends to be much larger than the females. 6) The male tegu has a larger number of Femoral and Pre – Anal pores than that of the female. 7) Male tegus have two buttons of enlarged scales in the Post – Anal region that the females do not have.
Nutritional information:
In the wild , free – ranging tegus are noted for being carnivorous.
They consume such prey as: 1) Snails. 2) Insects. 3) Small mammals. 4) Snakes. 5) Smaller lizards including other tegus. 6) various fruits. 7) Honey. 8) Nesting eggs of birds , Turtles and Caimen.
Tegus will also occasionally take in carrion (dead prey).
In captivity , Hatchling tegus should be offered: 1) Frozen , Pre – killed “pinkie” mice. 2) ¼ inch Crickets dusted with a vitamin , mineral and calcium supplement. 3) Small mealworms. 4) Egg yolks. And finally 5) Various Fruits.
Juvenile tegus can be offered: 1) Frozen , pre – killed “fuzzie” mice. 2) ½ inch Crickets dusted with a vitamin , mineral and calcium supplement. 3) Large mealworms. 4) Scrambled eggs. 5) Various fruits. And finally 6) Moist cat food.
Adult tegus should be offered: 1) Frozen , pre – killed adult mice. 2) ¾ inch Crickets dusted with a vitamin , mineral and calcium supplement. 3) Superworms. 4) Scrambled eggs. 5) Various fruits (if they will still accept them). And finally 6) Moist cat food.
Note: Do not overfeed a tegu ; they are very aggressive eaters and can easily become obese.
An example of fruits that tegus will accept are: 1) Apples. 2) Avocados. 3) Bananas.
4) Blueberries. 5) Blackberries. 6) Elderberries. 7) Grapes. 8) Papaya. 9) Melon. 10) Pears. 11) Peaches. 12) Pumpkin. 13) Strawberries. And finally 14) Tomatoes.
An example of vegetables that tegus will accept are: 1) Beans. 2) Beets. 3) Broccoli.
4) Brussel Sprouts. 5) Non – White Cabbage. 6) Carrots. 7) Corn. 8) Pea pods. 9) Squash.
10) Turnips. And finally 11) Zucchini.
Housing information:
Hatchling tegus can be housed in a 10 gallon aquarium.
Juveniles progressively grow and can be started off in a 20 gallon aquarium , but you will need to upgrade the aquarium size about every six months.
Adult tegus are very large and need space to move around. Personally , I keep my tegu adults in 260 gallon reptariums. This is as large of an enclosure as it comes in. Within’ the next year , I will have to build my own enclosure. The enclosure that I build will be made of plywood ,
Painted with non – toxic paint , lined at the bottom with a heavy gage plastic , I will put a Plexiglas observation window in the front and a top opening hinged door. The size of this enclosure will be 8 feet in length x 4 feet in width x 4 feet in height.
The most recommended substrates when dealing with tegus are: 1) Cypress mulch. 2) Orchid bark. And 3) Eucalyptus mulch.
Tegus required two separate water bowls within’ their containment. The first water bowl should be of moderate size and weight to keep it from being tipped over and used for drinking. The second water bowl should be heavy and large enough for the tegu to submerge its body in.
Tegus require hides this may be in the form of a large half log , a large or extra large cave or you can construct your own. With larger tegus , I generally will construct my own caves out of large flat rocks. This type of cave serves two purposes: 1) A hide. And 2) A place to bask.
Tegus require UVB lighting. I recommend on small enclosures use a 12 inch ballast and 12 inch UVB light strip. You will need to judge the various ballast and light strip sizes as your enclosure sizes increase. On my 260 gallon Reptarium , I use a 48 inch ballist and a 48 inch UVB
Light strip.
During the Spring tegus require 8 – 10 hours of light. During the Summer tegus require 10 – 12 hours of light. During the Fall tegus will require 8 – 10 hours of light until they go into a full hibernation. If the tegu is not hibernating during the Winter give them between 6 to 8 hours of light.
The day time enclosure temperature should range between 78 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The night time enclosure temperature should range between 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your preference for an enclosure is an aquarium ; you may consider two options for under the tank heating: 1) Under the tank heat strips applied to 1/3 of the tank on the warm side of the tank. 2) Heating pad applied to 1/3 of the tank on the warm side of the tank. If you chose to utilize the heating pad under the tank ; I recommend buying a heating pad for humans it is far cheaper and gives the same results.
Note: I do not recommend nor endorse the use of heat rocks. They tend to burn the undersides of tegus and if the burn is severe enough it will kill your tegu.
Never house two male tegus together in the same enclosure. Male tegus are extremely territorial and aggressive and will fight til one or both is dead for dominance and supremacy.
Breeding:
Tegus prepare for hibernation in August. They will eat a large amount of food prior to hibernating which begins in September. Tegus usually hibernate for approximately six months per year. Tegus generally begin to come out of hibernation in March , but they will not begin feeding until April. The males and females will mate in May and June. The female will lay her eggs which will hatch in late August through mid – September.
Male tegus reach their sexual maturity at between 18 to 36 months depending on: 1) How well their feed. 2) Good overall health. And other proper maintenance.
If a female does not hibernate ; she is capable of having a second brood during the course of the year.
Note: Never deprive a female from hibernating if this is what she chooses to do you may push her too hard to produce a second brood and end up with no survivable eggs and a very depleted female or in the worst scenario a dead female that was too weak for the strain.
The egg incubation period is approximately 66 days for tegus. During the incubation period the eggs should be placed on damp vermiculite at temperature between 80 degrees fahreneit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The humidity range inside of the incubator should be between 80 % to
100 %.
Once the hatchlings have broken out of their shells ; they should immediately be taken out of the incubator and placed in their own enclosure.
Note: Male tegus will cannibalize their own young.
The newborn hatchlings will lose the egg tooth at the end of their snout and begin to shed within’ the first few hours after hatching.
Hatchlings generally will not being to feed until approximately ten days after they hatch.
Once the hatchlings begin to feed they will readily accept: 1) Egg yolks. 2) ¼ inch crickets.
And 3) Small newborn “pinkie” mice.
Hatchling tegus can display a Greenish coloration that soon fades as they shed. This shedding process generally takes nineteen days.
