Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those who feel they know their tegus, please post what species you think this one to be.

I am no tegu 'expert'. I believe until there is better classification and everyone can agree on the "facts" that there will never be 'experts' beyond those few people who have been breeding tegus for years, the Pierres and Langerwerfs for example.

As far as the type of tegu that is, do you have a better picture of the head?

There are some easy ways, which I am sure you are already aware of, to tell Argentine tegus from Columbian tegus. Link

My guess is that it is a golden tegu, but again, I am no expert. I have some experiance with Arg. B&Ws and Col. Blacks, but none with golden/yellow, blue, etc.

My understanding of the golden tegus is that they were once classified as Tupinambis quadrilineatus, but was recently reclassified and now are concidered "Columbian Golden Tegus" aka Tupinambis teguixin ssp. (the latin name merely indicates it's a subspecies of the columbian black tegu, same exact latin name as the blue tegu.)

Rick
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It's a columbian.
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Ryan
beardeduro@yahoo.com
1.1.0 Snow X German Giant Gollum/Legolas
0.1.0 Arginitina Black & White Tegu Nina

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After the last post you answered ,Id say that it is a Mernianae.

russ,

Just curious why you stated T.mernianae?

I can't see a lot of detail, it does indeed look closer in body patterns to a T.mernianae, but it's rather hard to tell by the pictures. I would enjoy seeing some close ups on the head, side profiles and under the tegu near the rear legs, base of the tail.

Rick
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look at the head . It looks like a blue , but the people he works with in Brazil call them Merianae.I could be wrong . I think he is trying to make a piont.Russ

My non-expert guess would be T. duseni / T. Merianae cross or how about an unclassified yellow T. Merianae?

I'm very eager to hear the St. Pierre's determination on this specimen. I implore you to respond, especially as it is you to whom many on this post defer their judgement to.

So I'd say T. merianae.

Note the same two loreal scales on this male blue tegu.

Bill

This is the closeup I meant to post. Sorry.

Two loreal scales. Male blue tegu.

Bill

Thanks Bill, that's a real beaut you have.