Argentine Black and White Tegu

Overview

The Argentine black and white tegu is one of the largest lizards in South America, with intelligence rivaling that of monitor lizards. They are notable among reptiles for having near-endothermic (warm-blooded) properties during breeding season - their body temperature rises above ambient temperatures. In the wild they are powerful, opportunistic predators; well-socialized tegus in captivity can become remarkably dog-like companions.

Quick Facts

History

Auguste Duméril and Gabriel Bibron described the species in 1839, and the name merianae honors Maria Sibylla Merian, the German naturalist and illustrator who documented South American insects and reptiles in the early eighteenth century. The pet trade later carried it to Florida, where the first free-living population was found in 2006 in Hillsborough and Polk counties, seeded by escapes and deliberate releases. Nearly 3,300 tegus have since been pulled out of Miami-Dade County alone, and sightings have reached South Carolina. On April 29, 2021 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission added the genera Salvator and Tupinambis to its prohibited list, ending routine sale of the animal in the state that had done most to popularize it.