Tupinambis

Tupinambis
Tupinambis teguixin
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, 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 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.

Tegus are usually primarily carnivorous, except for T. rufescens (which is primarily herbivorous) and T. merianae (which changes from a mostly carnivorous diet as a juvenile, to a mostly herbivorous diet as an adult). Tegus fill the same ecological niche as monitor lizards and are an example of convergent evolution.

In captivity

Black and white tegu at Reptile Zoo in Monroe, Washington.

The two most docile and easiest to handle species are the Argentine Black and White Tegu and the Red Tegu. Additionally, a new variety has been recently introduced, called the Blue tegu due to the tendency of males to become bright blue upon maturity. These variations grow from just under 2 feet to a larger 4+ feet (gold and blue tegus being the smallest and the red and Argentine black and white being the largest) and have a pleasant nature, making them popular pets. Tegus are also recognized for their intelligence, and have an impressive ability to remember details.^{[citation needed]}

Most tegus are opportunistic feeders, accepting a wide variety of foods. Tegus' diets can consist of crickets, mealworms, an occasional mouse, fish, hard boiled eggs, chicken, etc. Certain fruits and vegetables may be offered as well (for example, strawberries, mangoes, papayas, bananas) but usually will only be eaten by the red or Argentinian black and white tegus. The Colombian tegus tend to be almost entirely carnivores/insectivores.

Dairy products should never be given to reptiles, since, like all other non-mammalian creatures, they lack the ability to digest lactose (only mammals can).

Also, dog food should only be offered in strict moderation to thin, underdeveloped, or sick animals, and only for a limited time. Dog food contains many ingredients that are not meant for lizard consumption, and is also very fatty. In addition, all tegus need size-appropriate housing with UVA and UVB light setups, maintaining a steady enclosure temperature of 80 F–90 F during the day and at about 75F during the night.

Because tegus, like all lizards, are ectothermic, a temperature gradient will allow them to find the perfect location for their needs, so they also need a spot for basking with a temperature of 100F-110F. This can mean that a variable number of "warm spots" are needed in a housing; so the animal can comfortably move between them, as often as necessary, the number depending mostly on the local climate.

Hibernation

Tegus naturally go into a hibernation cycle. 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' hibernation is skipped.

Species

Listed alphabetically.

Argentine Black and White Tegu at Iguazu Falls

• 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
• 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)

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'.