| general
|
| description |
The largest
of all the tegus and it is one of the most popular pet
tegus. Hatchlings start off with green to lime color.
Adults are black and white. |
| a.k.a |
Giant Tegu, Big-headed
Tegu |
| distribution |
 
southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay and eastern
Argentina |
| adult
size |
SVL 19 inches ; total
length 59 inches |
| hatchling
size |
approx. 8" |
| housing |
| natural
habitats |
Terrestrial; rainforests |
| cage |
A simple and easy-to-clean
cage is the best thing, specially for adults. It should
be large enough but does not need to be high because they
do not climb much. (e.g. Wooden
Terrarium, Glass
Terrarium) |
| substrate |
wood shavings, barks (e.g.
Repti Bark, Coconut
Bark), gravel, sand (e.g. Repti
Sand, Calci-Sand),
compressed paper granules (e.g. Good
Mews) |
| activity
period |
 Daytime (diurnal);
12
- 14 hours each day with direct natural sunlight or UV
lamp (e.g. ReptiSun 5.0,
UV Heat Bulb) |
| temperature |
32 - 38 ¢XC -- basking
spot (e.g. Basking
Spot Lamp)
23 - 28 ¢XC -- cooler area (e.g. Daylight
Blue Bulb)
21 - 25 ¢XC -- at night (e.g. Nightlight
Red Bulb, Infrared
Heat Lamp, Ceramic
Heat Emitter) |
| humidity |
mid to high |
| hiding
place |
Essential, since it seems
to need its privacy. Keep it slightly moist but never
wet to the touch.
Possibllites include caves (e.g. Habba
Hut, Heat Cave), etc |
| water
bowl |
a large shallow water
bowl or pool is needed for it to soak in and drink. also
it almost always excrete in the water. |
| diet |
| diet |
Omnivorous |
| primary
food |
Insects, worms, rodents
(e.g. mice, rats), low-fat meat (e.g. fish, chicken) |
| occasional
food |
cooked eggs, various fruits,
specially the sweet and soft ones (e.g. Kiwis, passion
fruits, mangos, star fruits, strawberries, grapes, peaches,
plums, etc) |
| notes |
Do not ever try to move
your hands close to it when it is eating since tegus are
usually aggressive feeders.
Food items should be no larger than the diameter of its
head. |
| reproduction |
| reproduction
|
Oviparous |
| mating
age |
lays 35 eggs in 1 clutch
per year |
| misc |
| shedding |
If fruits are not offered,
it tends to develop problems shedding its skin. Shed skin
should not be allowed to remain on it as it can lead to
a loss of digits and painful skin infections.
To solve this, keep proper humidity all around the cage
and add fruits which are high in Vitamin C to its diet. |
