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Tupinambis is a lizard genus which belongs to the family of Teiidae. These large, South American lizards are commonly referred to as tegus; Tupinambis merianae (Argentine Black and White Tegu), Tupinambis rufescens (Red Tegu), and Tupinambis teguixin (Colombian Black and White Tegu, Gold Tegu, or Common Tegu) are all common in the pet trade. Tegus are an escapee or illegally released species that has adapted to living in more remote areas of South Florida.
They are primarily or entirely carnivorous, except for T. rufescens (which is primarily herbivorous / vegetarian) and T. merianae (which is debatably 50/50). Tegus are considered the next evolutionary step to the monitor and grow in various sizes. The Common Tegu is generally aggressive. The Colombian Tegu grows to about 3-3.5 feet in length and Golds to 2.5 feet. The easiest to handle and best tempered of the bunch are the Argentine Black and White Tegu and the Red Tegu, which grow to about 4.5 feet in length. Additionally, a new variety has been recently introduced, called the Blue Tegu due to the tendency of males to become bright powder blue upon maturity. These beautiful creatures grow to 2.5 feet and have a wonderful nature making them wonderful all-around pets.
Tegus' diet should consist of mice/pinkies, crickets, and assorted fruits and veggies to maintain a healthy diet, in addition to proper housing and UVA and UVB light setups. Typically, the tegu naturally wants to go into a hibernation cycle but has been discovered as not needed to maintain a happy tegu. A perfect basking temperature of 100 F - 110 F is needed on top of a steady enclosure temperature of 80 F - 90 F during the day and just slightly cooler at night.
Tupinambis
| | Name | Tupinambis | | image |  | | Regnum | Animalia | | Phylum | Chordate | | Classis | Reptile | | Ordo | Squamata | | Subordo | Sauria | | Familia | Teiidae | | Genus | Tupinambis | | Subdivision Ranks | Species | | Subdivision | Species |
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