Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok my first queation is ,How far do tegus wonder off from there borrows in the wild?Also What typs of fruit did you notice them eating in the widand how much of fuit do they eat? And are they mainly a scavenger type lizard ?how big are ther borrows? And what is the humidity level in the borrow?sorry for so many Questions ,I just cool that I can speak To someone who has worked with them in there natural Habitat.Thanks Russ

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Damn, Russ, but everytime I see that picture, I can't help but imagine you've got to be pumping him with steroids. However, an uneducated guess on my behalf and from little tidbits I've heard, my guess would be your baby's lineage is originally from the southern end of the continent, due to the markings and that I believe (perhaps erroneously) that T.merianae get bigger the farther south one goes.
As for your questions, well Russ, this is one area where I want to make it clear to everyone that I am NOT an expert, my principle research is in environmental physiology, these are more ecological questions, but I'll give you my opinion from what I've seen around here.
Some tegus show very strong fidelity to their burrows and do not wander that far (100m radius), others show high vagility and take off all over the place. Somewhere out there, there is one of my girls running around with a $1500 telemetry implant in her abdomenal cavity. Either that, or a caiman ate her. Expensive loss either way. I think the degree to which they'll roam is a factor of how resource rich their environment is. The wild guys right here in the compound are quite happy to sit right here as they get a steady supply of chicks and what ever other food items we get delivered. For them, there is such a thing as a free meal ticket. Why leave?
What types of fruit do they eat....That, Russ, is going to be a very difficult question to answer. Not because I don't know, but because I don't think you'll know what I'm talking about (I wouldn't have before I came here). Acerola, pitanga, umm this particular weird fruiting tree thingy I have no idea what it is but can only advise people not to park under them - the branches tend to grow out a long ways and then snap off with alarming frequency and can only describe the fruit as something resembling a cross between green raspberries and bananas, some palm fruits, the fruiting body from a particular Philodendron plant (which incidently my colleagues have published a report showing that juvenile caimans also tend to eat - blowing to waste the idea that crocodilians are strict carnivores), um this other fruit that resembles an apricot but is very sour and has a different pit, mushrooms......sorry, I haven't spent much time learning all these local plants.
They are pretty much a scavenger lizard, but they will certainly also hunt smaller lizards (including their own species - yes they're canibals) particularly Ameivas, but take advantage of any birds or other vertebrates they can easily get.
I really don't know anything about their burrows other than to say they are preferentially thieves - meaning they prefer to take advantage of what's already there as opposed to going to the trouble to dig their own. I have not encountered a true, natural, tegu burrow since I've been here. They'll occupy old pipes, sewers, burrowing owl dens, drains, you name it.
I think you also asked in a previous post about their colouration and camouflage. Again, I will state this isn't my expertise. However, there was one thing I was struck with when I came down here. The South American continent, particularly that of the Brazilian savanahs, has an ecology that is completely different from what we are used to in NorAm. Burrowing rodents? There really aren't any to speak of down here, that niche seems to be filled by beetles. Large terrestrial mammals? Haven't seen one. Up in Amazon,yes, but around here? Capybaras and tapirs are about it. There are a few wild canids, but they aren't particularly plentiful. So, what it all really boils down to is this - these guys, the large tegus, are basically the top of the food chain. They don't have much in the way of natural predators to speak of. So for the larger tegus, camoflauge is not a concern. Besides, their hide is tough and thick (trust me on this, suturing these guys up after surgery is NOT fun), they've got natural armour, a mean disposition, and not much to fear.

Some very interesting tidbits of information.

Rick
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Just rats fruit and kingworms.He grew to 471/8"tl and 11 lbs in one year.He did eat alot. Thanks Russ