Gold tegu

Gold tegu

Golden tegu, Common tegu, Black tegu, Colombian black and white tegu, Tiger lizard (in Trinidad)

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Tupinambis teguixin
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
10-20 years
Weight
3.5-4
7.7-8.8
kglbs
kg lbs 
Length
60-100
23.6-39.4
cminch
cm inch 

The Gold tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) is a species of lizard native to South America. They live in various habitats and are known for their large size and predatory habits.

No

Nocturnal

Ca

Carnivore

Ov

Oviparous

Pr

Precocial

Br

Brumation

Te

Terrestrial

Te

Territorial

Pu

Pursuit predator

Bu

Burrowing

So

Solitary

No

Not a migrant

G

starts with

Appearance

The Gold tegu has a glossy body, powerful limbs, and a thick tail. There are many black and gold stripes down its body. Tegus use their tongues and vomeronasal organ to find chemical cues associated with their prey and other lizards. A vomeronasal organ is an organ of chemoreception located in the nasal chamber.

Distribution

Geography

Gold tegus live in northern and central South America, as well as in Panama. Their South American range extends to the island of Trinidad. They inhabit tropical forests, wet savannas, fields, gardens, and edges of suburban and urban areas. They are frequently found on sea coasts and prefer areas located near water.

Gold tegu habitat map

Climate zones

Gold tegu habitat map
Gold tegu
Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

Habits and Lifestyle

Gold tegus are solitary territorial lizards. They live on the ground and are adapted to digging deep burrows where they spend daytime hours. They are good swimmers and like to bathe when it gets too hot; they also like to bask in the sun. Gold tegus hunt by night actively searching and pursuing their potential prey. When confronted, tegus initially stop moving with their head held up high and then attempt to flee. They may turn aggressive if cornered, biting and attacking with the powerful tail.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Gold tegus are carnivores. They feed on insects, other invertebrates (such as snails), small mammals, other reptiles (such as smaller lizards and small snakes), birds, and fish. They also take bird eggs, turtles, and caimans. They may sometimes eat fruit and honey.

Mating Habits

REPRODUCTION SEASON
May-June
INCUBATION PERIOD
3 months
INDEPENDENT AGE
at birth
BABY NAME
hatchling
web.animal_clutch_size
20-50 eggs

Gold tegus breed after winter brumation. Mating occurs between May and June and during this time males compete with each other for females. The female lays around 20-50 eggs in a burrow. Incubation takes about 3 months. The hatchlings are able to take care of themselves right after birth, They spend most of their time in trees where they are safe from many predators. Young males of this species become reproductively mature and start to breed at the age of 18-36 months.

Population

Population threats

The Gold tegu doesn’t face major threats at present.

Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Gold tegu total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.

References

1. Gold tegu Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_tegu

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About