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Tupinambis merianae or Tupinambis teguixim?

Whats the difference between both?

I started to read about both of them and now im not sure wether my new tegus is a merdianae or a teguixim!!

Flavia

Anyway, I think tegus are very tame. From the description, I think you have T. merianae, because T. teguixin is a bit more skittish and jumpy. I think the nose difference might just be a regional issue. Most of our tegus in the US are called Argentine Black and Whites. I have also seen recent tegus sold as Paraguayan. They look the same, maybe a bit darker. Maybe your Brazilian just has a pointier nose.

The difference between merianae and teguixin, besides size, is generally the loreal scale between the nose and the eye. Merianae has 2 scales between the eye and nose while teguixin has only one. Merianae also has a distinctive thick black line above each front leg in the shoulder area.

If you're still in doubt, post a picture.

Tks! Ill check my baby for scales and dark lines as soon as i arrive home from work.You gave me new excuses to handle him!

Tks again!;D

Flavia

Go to this link and scroll down to near the bottom of the page. There are photos showing the difference between the two.

http://www.agamainternational.com/pages/tegus.html

Bill