Reptile & Amphibian Forums

thanx

What species are you refering to?

the columbian black and white tegu. i dont know the scientific name

That's the unfortunate thing. People have been tossing around and creating "common" names for tegus to the extent that they have almost become useless. I've seen "Columbian black&white" applied to at least 4 species so far. Conversely, where one species is represented (Tupinambis merianae) because it is so polymorphic, people have started calling each and every little colour differentiation a distinctly different name as if they represented a different species or subspecies, when in fact they don't. I'm sorry if this comes across as pedantic, but as a scientist I've learned to stick to scientific names as they represent one recognized species and one species only.

I'm trying to figure out whether my tegu is argentine or some other species. Can u help me out in that way?

It might be a little hard to do over the forum, especially if you do not have much experience with most of the species. If you can, I recommend you get your hands on a copy of

Colli, G.R., A.K. Péres, Jr., and H.J. da Cunha, 1998. A new species of Tupinambis (Squamata: Teiidae) from central Brazil, with an analysis of morphological and genetic variation in the genus. Herpetologica 54: 477-492.

They describe most of the common tegus in there (not including some of the newer described sympatric species of certain areas).

Chances are, though, if you acquired your tegu within the last several years (ie. the recent glut that has become available to the market), I'd be willing to bet dollars to toe-nail clippings it's Tupinambis merianae.

what happens when someone crosses a red and blue? that is not something occuring in the wild to my knowledge.

and what do you do when people who do not know breed argentines and columbians and mix things up all around?
-----
Bennett

beardiedragon.com
Home of the Florida Orange

Very good points.
Personally, I'm very much against crossing any species. It's foolish and frankly quite dangerous, because if just one specimen of a crossed species gets back out into the wild and manages to breed, then the genetics of everything has just been thrown out of whack.
That being said, there are a lot of people crossing species for the herpetoculture trade in order to create the "new" look and make a buck. In my opinion, you've now changed a cherished companion into little more than a status symbol, but that's my view. In any case, such breeding should also be accompanied with papers to claim the heritage of the animal, same as occurs with pure breds like dogs, horses, etc. Lets face it, if people think they have the right to play God, then they'd also better be prepared to be responsible for their actions.
In proper accredited zoos, there are quite a few cross-species, and in all cases, they are tracked and recorded as to their genetic lineage.
Maybe it's a little arrogant of me, but if you don't even know the species with which you're meddling, then perhaps you shouldn't be playing that particular game. Let's face it, you wouldn't want me playing around your neighborhood with some military grade explosives that I knew little about, would you? I think the same thing goes for breeding animals. The consequences that can occur from an accident are just too great and outweigh by far the advantages.

The "correct" scientific name for the Columbian Black and White Tegu is Tupinambis teguixin. The biggest difference between merinae and teguixin is the Columbian has smooth skin while the Argentinian has beaded skin. There is also a difference in size, merinae being larger than teguixin. I have a Columbian but he's an adult now. Here's a pic from a while ago.
-Beth

Sorry to correct you, Beth, but T.merianae does NOT have beaded skin, it has regular scales like any other tegu. It has coarser scaling on the dorsal surface of the neck and head, but not beaded.
My point is that people apply common names to whatever they wish.
And whereas the scientific names have recently undergone a shuffling and reclassification due to rediscovery of the original descriptions, many are still unaware of them and use them erroneously. The current Tupinambis teguixin is the former T.nigropunctatus, the current T.merianae used to be included in T.teguixin. As for the "correct" common name, please point me towards the body that determines that, as unlike birds wherein a specific common and officially recognized name does get appointed to each species, such does not exist for reptiles. Hence, people throw whatever common name they care to use on whichever animal they are talking about. I have seen people use "Colombian black&white tegu" (there is no 'U' in Colombia unless you're talking Nor.Am. locations) applied to T.teguixin, T.merianae, T.palustris, and T.longilineus. Are they all correct? One would think not, but until an official body is established to verify common names in reptiles, then they could be.
If your argument is based on geographic orientation of the species, then why is T.merianae frequently referred to as the "Argentinian black&white tegu" when it predominantly occurs in Brazil? Likewise, T.teguixin occurs in many other countries than just Colombia.