Argentine Black and White Tegu

Salvator merianae

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the argentine black and white tegu. For more facts on your favorite animals be sure to subscribe to the channel!

The Argentine black and white tegu, which is also known as the giant tegu was suggested by YouTube user Charlie Yang. Thank you for the suggestion! It lined up perfectly with trying to stick to a more Halloween themed release for the next few episode since I think they kind of look like you can see their skeleton through their skin due to their color patterns. Speaking of which, Argentine black and white tegus are unsurprisingly black and white in color, though not always. When young they actually appear vibrant green and it’s only after their first few sheddings that the green color starts to be replaced by the white observed in adults. Babies hatch from eggs of which there can be upwards of 30 in a nest and they can live for fifteen or more years in the wild with even longer lifespans in captivity.

There’s a reason these lizards are called giants. When full grown males can reaches lengths of nearly 4.5 feet (1.37 meters) and females can grow to be up to 3 feet (0.91 meters). They’re actually some of the biggest lizards found in the Americas. This massive size may be a contributing factor as to why Argentine black and white tegus have been invasively living in the state of Florida. It’s guessed that they are bought at a young age by pet owners who are unaware of just how big their new pet may grow be. And once they start to grow, there’s no stopping them. They’re also fairly active reptiles - well, at least during the months they are active. Argentine black and white tegus will typically enter a hibernation-like sleep called brumation during cooler months (usually starting around September and ending in March) in which they will burrow into a den and remain still, typically not even coming out to eat. This is one of the key traits that has set Argentine black and white tegus apart from other invasive reptile species in the tropics of North America as this may allow their populations to spread further North.

Another reason they can be harmful to environments in which they don’t belong is their voracious appetite. These lizards will eat almost anything from bugs to snails to fruit to birds to pet food and just about anything in between. This makes them a top predator in areas where prey items have no natural defenses against them. Still, apparently these guys are basically the cats of reptiles and can be house-broken and even learn their name! Owners have reported creating emotional bonds with their giant tegus and even receive affection from them. I just really the idea of a cat personality inside a giant lizard, okay?

While it may look like they would be closely related to monitor lizards this is not the case. These similarities are an example of convergent evolution which is basically when two animals will evolve to have similar features but in reality are not directed related. Monitor lizards and Argentine black and white tegus don’t follow the same lineage they just happened to fill similar positions in the circle of life so they’ve ended up looking as if they they hail from the same gene pool. Aren’t animals awesome?!

Naturally wild giant tegus live in South America with populations in multiple countries including Argentina (betcha ya couldn’t guess that…). They live different habitats such as rainforests, meadows, and along the border of deserts and forests. They need a relatively humid environment to survive. They are also semi-endothermic (or warm-blooded). For those of you who aren’t aware, reptiles are ectothermic - or “cold-blooded” - meaning they get their heat via their environment. However, giant tegus have been observed with higher body temperatures than their surrounding air meaning they are able to, to some degree, produce their own body heat. They only do this during their breeding season and it’s called “seasonal reproductive endothermy.”

They’ve also gone through many different name changes but have ultimately been titled the name they were originally bestowed back in 1838. For a long time it was assumed that they were the same species as the golden tegu and had their name changed but that has since been reconsidered and they’re back to being Salvator merianae.

Thanks again to Charlie Yang for the suggestion of the Argentine black and white tegu! To learn more about these giant lizards be sure to check out the links in the description. Let us know if you have an animal you would like to learn about. Thank you for watching and be sure to give a thumbs up for more Animal Fact Files!