Black and White Argentine Tegu

The Black and white tegus in stock are 7-10" in length.

The Black and White tegu is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. It is an omnivorous species which inhabits the tropical rain forests, savannas and semi-deserts of eastern and central South America. They are notable for their unusually high intelligence and can also be housebroken. Like other reptiles, tegus go into brumation in autumn when the temperature drops. They exhibit a high level of activity during their wakeful period of the year.

Tegus are omnivorous. Juvenile tegus in the wild have been observed to eat a wide range of invertebrates including insects, annelids, crustaceans, spiders and snails. They also eat fruits and seeds. As they grow, they become more predatory and the protein content of their diet rises. They may seek out eggs from other reptiles' and from birds' nests and will eat small birds and other vertebrates such as fish, anurans, other lizards, snakes and small mammals (such as rodents). In adulthood, tegus continue to eat insects and fruits and it is assumed that such components include desirable or essential nutrients.