Tupinambis

Big Ass Lizzard
Tupinambis merianae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertilia
Family:	Teiidae
Genus:	Tupinambis
Species
7, see text.

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.

Description

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. 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.

In captivity

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 favour of social interaction. 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.

Brumation

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.

Taxonomy

Species listed alphabetically.

Gold Tegu

• Tupinambis duseni Lönnberg, 1896 – Yellow Tegu
• Tupinambis longilineus Avila-Pires, 1995 – Rondônia Tegu
• Tupinambis merianae (Duméril & Bibron, 1839) – Argentine Black and White Tegu (formerly T. teguixin)
• Tupinambis palustris Manzani & Abe, 2002 Swamp Tegu
• Tupinambis quadrilineatus Manzani & Abe, 1997 – Four-striped Tegu
• Tupinambis rufescens (Günther, 1871) – Red Tegu - Günther 1871
• Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758) – Gold Tegu or Black Tegu (formerly T. nigropunctatus)

Mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates a deep divergence between a northern clade (containing T. teguixin, T. longilineus, T. palustris and T. quadrilineatus) and a southern clade (containing T. merianae, T. rufescens and T. duseni.). The northern and southern clades are morphologically distinct, with the northern clade possessing a single pair of loreal scales and a smooth texture to the scales on the body, and the southern clade possessing two pairs of loreal scales and a bumpy texture to the scales on the body. At least one recent review of the morphology of the Teiidae family has placed the tegus of the southern clade in the genus Salvator, though it remains to be seen if the split will gain wider acceptance among the herpetological community.

Name

As with many other animals from tropical South America (e.g. the Cariamae), the Tupinambis owes its scientific name to the pioneering accounts given by Piso & Marcgrave in their Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648). There was, however, a misinterpretation (by Linnaeus) of the Latin text, which reads "TEIVGVACV [...] Tupinambis", 'to the Tupinambá [Indians] TEIVGVACU'. Tupinambis was merely a metalinguistic term meaning 'to/for the Tupinambá,' whereas the intended, indigenous name for the animal was teiú-guaçú [lizard-big], lit. 'big lizard'.

External links

• Reptilecare.com
• Tegu Information at Rainforest Pet Store