well, as most of us know tegus generally move slowly and methodically, with the occasional short burst of speed when excited or frightened. they just aren't built for speed like basilisks and frilled dragons. their legs are too short and they're too heavy. anyway, i took stubbs, my 27" red tegu (named stubbs because he's missing nearly all the tips of his toes on his front feet and several on the rear, i suspect it was a husbandry error by the pet store/"breeder" where i got him) out to the back yard and across a field to a little pond (actually its not a field, its a small seldom used grass air strip).
i usually take him out there and then let him explore in the grass for awhile. anyway, he started getting really jittery in my arms as we approached the pond, and i suspected it was because of the birds that were wading on the shore. a small white egret of sorts took to flight. as soon as stubbs saw it, he leaped out of my hands and took off across the runway, toward my yard. i've NEVER seen a lizard move that fast, and i've kept all sorts of them. even with his missing toes and thick unmowed grass, he moved so quickly that i couldn't catch him if i was sprinting flat out. his front legs weren't even touching the ground (similar to the way a basilisk runs across water). the really amazing thing was that he sustained this speed all the way back into my yard until he found some cover. this was a good 60-75 YARDS. "he was going flat out like a lizard drinkin'."
just keep this in mind, if the tegu really wants to get away from you, he probably can.
