Argentine black and white tegu

Last updated

Argentine black and white tegu
Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae) male - Flickr - berniedup.jpg
Male
Black and White Tegu.jpg
Female
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Salvator
Species:
S. merianae
Binomial name
Salvator merianae
LagartoOvero.png
Synonyms [4]
  • Salvator merianae
    A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839
  • Teius teguixim
    — Gray, 1845
  • Tupinambis teguixin
    — Boulenger, 1885
  • Tupinambis merianae
    — Dirksen & De la Riva, 1999
  • Salvator merianae
    — Harvey et al., 2012

The Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae), also known as the Argentine giant tegu, the black and white tegu, or the huge tegu, [1] is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is the largest of the "tegu lizards". [5] It is an omnivorous species which inhabits the tropical rain forests, savannas and semi-deserts of eastern and central South America. They are native to southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, eastern Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. [6]

Contents

Tegus are sometimes kept as pets by humans. They are notable for their unusually high intelligence and can also be housebroken. Like other reptiles, tegus go into brumation in autumn when the temperature drops. They exhibit a high level of activity during their wakeful period of the year. They are the only known extant non-avian reptiles to be partly endothermic.

Tegus fill ecological niches similar to those of monitor lizards, but are only distantly related to them; the similarities are an example of convergent evolution.

Etymology

The Argentine black and white tegu is of the Order Squamata and Family Teiidae, [7] which also includes racerunners and whiptails. There are nine total genera of tegu, though new taxonomic classifications change, with the Argentine black and white tegu being of the Salvator genus. The specific name, merianae, is in honor of German-born naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, [8] a naturalist and artist who studied insects, plants, and reptiles from the 17th to the 18th centuries. [9]

Description

An Argentine black and white tegu seen in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil Black and white tegu.JPG
An Argentine black and white tegu seen in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

As a hatchling, Salvator merianae has an emerald green color from the tip of its snout to midway down its neck, with black markings. The emerald green becomes black several months after shedding. As a young tegu, the tail is banded yellow and black; as it ages, the solid yellow bands nearest to the body change to areas of weak speckling. Fewer solid bands indicates an older animal. A tegu can drop a section of its tail as a distraction if attacked. The tail is also used as a weapon to swipe at an aggressor; even a half-hearted swipe can leave a bruise.[ citation needed ] The tegu can live up to twenty years. [10]

Tegus are capable of running at high speeds and can run bipedally for short distances. They often use this method in territorial defense, with the mouth open and front legs held wide to look more threatening.[ citation needed ]

Adult males are much larger than the females and can reach 3 feet (91 cm) in length at maturity. They may continue to grow to lengths of 4–4.5 feet (120–140 cm).[ citation needed ]

The females are much smaller, but may grow up to 3 feet (91 cm) in length from nose to tail. They have beaded skin and stripes running down their bodies. Adult females can reach a weight of 2.5–7.0 kilograms (5.5–15.4 lb). [11]

The skull is heavily built with a large facial process of the maxilla, a single premaxilla, paired nasals, a single frontal bone and two parietal bones separated by the sagittal suture. Biomechanical analyses suggest the posterior processes of the parietal might be important for dealing with torsional loads due to posterior biting on one side. [12] In the large adults, the posterior teeth are larger and more rounded than the anterior teeth. [13]

Sex

When a tegu reaches the age of 8 months, the beginning of their juvenile age, their sex can easily be determined visually; their vent at the base of the tail will bulge when it is a male and lie flat when it is a female. Breeders generally inform the buyer on the sex of the animal before the purchase. In adults, the main difference is in the jowls; adult males have substantially developed jowls (a result of hypertrophic lateral pterygoideus muscles [14] ), while females' jawlines are more streamlined.[ citation needed ]

Ecology

Distribution and habitat

As the name would suggest, this tegu is native to Argentina, but also to Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia [1] and Uruguay. [15]

Salvator merianae (once known as Tupinambis merianae), the Argentine black and white tegu, is a large reptile native to South America. There are significant populations of Argentine black and white tegus in the southern United States and the Brazilian coast. They are a consistently problematic invasive species in Florida and Georgia counties, along with sightings in South Carolina, [16] most likely as a result of escaped or released species from the early 2000s pet trade. Previous studies have found that the differing weather and climate patterns far outside of their natural habitat range do not prevent adult Argentine black and white tegus from surviving in diverse areas across the United States, furthering concerns about their invasive status. In the wild, tegus inhabit both forested and open plain environments, widening their potential invasive range. [17] The first evidence of a reproducing population of Argentine Black and White Tegus into southeastern Florida occurred when a female Argentine Black and White Tegu was tracked to her nest mound. One clutch of 21 eggs from the current year was found and one clutch of 22 hatched eggshells and 13 unhatched eggs was found from a past year. Established communities were identified in Hillsborough and Polk counties in Florida. [18]

Tegus have also been found in scrub and wet habitats such as flooded savannas, canals, ponds, and streams. They largely seem indiscriminate of habitat type as long as they have the ability to burrow. [19]

Diet

Tegus are omnivorous. Juvenile tegus in the wild have been observed to eat a wide range of invertebrates including insects, annelids, crustaceans, [20] spiders and snails. [21] They also eat fruits and seeds. As they mature, their diet becomes more generalized, and plant consumption increases. They may seek out eggs from the nests of birds and other reptiles, and will eat small birds and other vertebrates such as fish, frogs, other lizards, snakes and small mammals (such as rodents). [20] [22] They can also hunt larger prey such as armadillos.[ citation needed ] In adulthood, tegus continue to eat insects and wild fruits and it is assumed that such components include desirable or essential nutrients.

In captivity, tegus commonly are fed high protein diets that include raw or cooked flesh such as ground turkey, canned and dry dog food, commercial crocodile diet, chicken, eggs, insects and small rodents. The inclusion of fruit in the diet is recommended. Though some captive tegus do not readily eat fruit, others enjoy bananas, grapes, mangoes and papayas. [20] However, there is evidence that, as in most husbandry of carnivores, it is good practice to cook most of the egg in the diet, so as to denature the protein avidin that occurs in the albumen. Raw avidin immobilises biotin, so excessive feeding of raw eggs may cause fatal biotin deficiency. [23]

As adults, they have blunted teeth and exaggerated lateral pterygoid muscles which allow them to be generalist feeders. In captivity, they have been observed eating various feeder insects like mealworms, superworms, earthworms, silkworms, crickets and cockroaches, as well as vertebrate prey like mice, rats, fish, turkey (offered in a ground form), rabbit, quail and chicks. Crustaceans such as crayfish are also readily consumed. Like all lizards, blue tegus need a properly balanced diet; incomplete prey items such as insects or ground meat require dusting with a mineral/multi-vitamin supplement. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to trouble shedding skin, lethargy and weight loss; a calcium deficiency can lead to metabolic bone disease, which can be fatal. [24]

Tegus are notorious egg predators which makes them a concerning rising predator of sea turtles, alligators, and crocodiles as their invasive populations spread across the United States. [19]

Tegus will eat anything from plants to hatchlings, but their diet varies by season. Small vertebrate prey is more common in the spring while plant life and invertebrates are more commonly consumed in the summer. [25]

Mortality

Predators of tegus include cougars, jaguars, otters, snakes, caimans, and birds of prey. A known predator of the Argentine black and white tegu is the lesser grison (Galictis cuja), a mustelid related to weasels. [26] Salmonella enterica was found in fecal samples from almost all S. merianae at a captive breeding field station at State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia state, Brazil [27] illustrating the prevalence of salmonella infection in tegu lizards. [27]

Life cycle

Argentine black and white tegu lizards are typically hatched at the beginning of spring. When they hatch they are about ten grams and grow up to eight kilograms within four or five years, experiencing a nearly eight-hundred-fold increase in body size. During this time their diet changes from insects to small vertebrates, eggs, carrion, and fruits. They are reproductively mature by their third year (when they are around 1.5 kilograms), and cease their growth by around their fourth year with the highest growth rate being their first and second years of life. Tegu lizards also experience a seasonal life cycle that begins within their first year, being very active during hotter months and in a hibernative state in the colder months. However, regardless of the season the Argentine tegu does not experience any significant fluctuations in metabolism or body mass, which means their sensitivity to temperature underlying their metabolic rate does not change body mass. This differs from other endotherms and further explains the tegu's alternating endothermic and ectothermic behavior. [28]

Brain vesicles (constructed from two neural tube constrictions) that make up the anterior forebrain, midbrain, and posterior hindbrain are developed and distinguishable from day three of embryonic development. On day four, visceral arches (consisting of mesenchymal tissue condensation and separated by grooves) form and are fully grown and fused by day nine. Day four also marks the development of limbs as small swellings. Its hindlimb development (developing claws faster than the forelimb) is more similar to crocodile or turtle embryonic development than other lizards. This alludes to the hindlimbs having greater functionality in tegu adults. Pigmentation is the last morphological structure to form and occurs late in development after other distinguishing characteristics have already been formed (such as scales). Pigmentation is observed from day thirty-nine first on the dorsal portion of the head and body. It later extends down to the proximal and distal portions of the limbs by day forty-five and extends down to the flanks by day forty-eight. As development advances, the pattern begins to show lateral stretch marks by day fifty-one. Pigmentation of the ventral portion of the body occurs between days fifty-seven and sixty, characterized by individualized spot patterns. Paired genital tubercles manifest in both sexes (called hemipenes in males). Reptile embryo development involves separate processes of differentiation and embryo growth. Differentiation is determined by external morphological features and is documented early. As the embryo approaches hatching, development stages are categorized into periods rather than ages (characterized by parameters of development speed). [29]

Behavior

Aggression

Aggression is a vital facet to animal behavior as it provides advantages to survival when resources are limited. For the Argentine tegu, the physical performance of their aggressive behavior (i.e. biting) tends to be hindered by their large size. Regardless of sex, tegus with higher bite force are more aggressive to potential threats. Those with a higher bite force also exhibit less escape responses and tend to be slower, displaying a trade off of fight or flight abilities, but also have the advantage of minimizing risk of energy by reducing the threshold for engagement in an aggressive encounter. This fight or flight trade off is more commonly observed in mammals rather than reptiles, and may be present in tegus because of an increase in head mass (correlated to stronger biting behavior) that makes it difficult to maneuver quickly. In their home territory, Argentine tegus are generally less aggressive (less likely to display arching behavior) and are less likely to attempt escape regardless of size or bite force. [30]

Reproduction

Squamate reptiles like snakes and lizards tend to rely on chemical cues to search for potential mates in their environments. A study using skin lipids indicates chemical cues can be used to modify movements of invasive reptiles in their non-native range, which could be useful in management strategies. [31] The Argentine black and white tegu exhibits similar behavior, such as a marked "pausing and turning" as they trail in the spring. In particular, female tegus exhibit stronger trailing behavior than males, following scent trails more intensely and expressing a more sensitive response to mating-specific chemical odors. They also exhibit more decisive behavior, demonstrating a common vertebrate trend of female reproduction being the defining factor in influencing population size. Knowledge of this behavior is currently being explored as a strategic avenue to inhibit the current rise of the tegu as an invasive species. Prioritizing the removal of female tegus from the environment can potentially be a more effective way to curb these invasive populations. Tegus are a burrowing species in both their native and invasive habitats, especially during the winter. They mate during the spring after hibernating when their mating hormones are at their peak. During the spring, male Argentine tegus exhibit scent-marking behaviors such as delineating territory with gland scents. [32]

Blue tegus, like other tegus, may breed up to twice a year. They only lay between 18 and 25 eggs in a clutch, sometimes more dependent upon animal size and husbandry as well as the individual health of the gravid female.[ citation needed ]

During maternal seasons, female Argentine black and white tegus build nests out of dry grass, small branches, and leaves in order to maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels. Egg incubation lasts for an average of sixty-four days, with a range of forty to seventy-five days depending on incubation temperature and other extenuating factors. [29]

Physiology

Invasive advantage

Physiologically, tegus possess traits that correlate well with their extreme success as an invasive species. Notably, they mature early, reproduce annually, have large clutch sizes, and a relatively long life span compared to other competing species. Out of the Teiidae family, tegus tend to grow to the largest body sizes (around five kilograms). Tegus are also omnivorous and consume everything from fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates, eggs, and carrion. Their large dietary breadth also contributes to their high survival rate outside of their native habitat. Tegus are active on a seasonal schedule. They avoid dangerously cold or dry climates by hibernating underground. Additionally, they are capable of utilizing endothermy to elevate their body temperatures in response to their environment. [17]

Endothermic behavior

Tegus in their native environment spend most of the colder months hibernating in their burrows without feeding but emerge in the spring for their mating season. While hibernating, their metabolism generates heat that maintains their temperature a few degrees above the burrow temperature, marking them as partial endotherms. This self-reliant endothermic behavior continues into the reproductive season. However, Argentine tegus only display this behavior for part of the year and behave as ectotherms for the rest (sunbathing, temperature reliant on environment). This endothermic behavior is also not a sex-biased evolutionary adaptation for egg production as both males and females indiscriminately exhibit this behavior. [33]

The Argentine tegu experiences significant shifts in metabolism and body temperature by season. They are highly active throughout the day during warmer months (such as participating in reproductive endothermy during the spring) and experience drastic metabolic suppression during the winter. [34]

Salvator merianae has recently been shown to be one of the few partially warm-blooded lizards, having a temperature up to 10 °C (18 °F) higher than the ambient temperature at nighttime; [35] however, unlike true endotherms such as mammals and birds, these lizards only display temperature control during their reproductive season (September to December), so are said to possess seasonal reproductive endothermy. Because convergent evolution is one of the strongest lines of evidence for the adaptive significance of a trait, the discovery of reproductive endothermy in this lizard not only complements the long known reproductive endothermy observed in some species of pythons, [36] but also supports the hypothesis that the initial selective benefit for endothermy in birds and mammals was reproductive. [37] [38]

Locomotion

The Argentine black and white tegu is used to study the evolutionary history of shoulder joint locomotive muscles. Because of its weight and heavy girth, it has unique modifications to its skeletal gait that help map the evolutionary history of the non-mammalian musculoskeletal structure. [39]

Interactions with humans and livestock

As household pets

Blue tegu

An immature blue tegu resting. Note the single black mark on its snout. Blueteguspiral.jpg
An immature blue tegu resting. Note the single black mark on its snout.

The blue tegu is a variant known for its light blue coloration, which is most intense and vivid in the adult males. Even immature animals can be easily distinguished from other tegus – mostly black and white – by the "singe mark" on their nose. They are among the more suitable tegus for pets and can be easily tamed but, in the wild, will either try to run away or react aggressively if provoked.

The scientific classification of the blue tegu is contentious. Large-scale taxon sampling of the teiids has not led to any strong resolutions based on morphological and genetic data; [40] the majority of data about the blue tegu comes from hobbyists. Some believe it is a mutation of the Argentine black and white tegu, while others, including the original importer, believe it is sufficiently different to classified as its own species, or a subspecies. The first blue tegu to be exported from South America was in a wholesale shipment of tegus from Colombia. [41]

The coloring of a "blue" tegu can range from a simple black and white color, to albino, to powder blue, to even 'platinum' (which is basically a high white color morph). The distinct colouration does not tend to appear until the animal reaches sexual maturity, around the age of 18 months or it reaches 2 feet (61 cm) or more in size. Just like the Argentine black and white tegu, the blue tegu has a very quick growth rate, almost reaching 75% of its full length in 1 year. Their adult length can vary from 2.5 feet (76 cm), in adult females, to sometimes even longer than 4 feet (122 cm) in adult males. Unlike many other lizards, tegus are very heavily built animals, ranging from 7 to 12 pounds (3.2 to 5.4 kg) or more when fully grown. Size varies due to genetics, husbandry (if any), and diet. [42]

Legality

On May 28, 2021 the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources banned importation and breeding, and requires registration of black and white tegus already in South Carolina. [43] [44]

As food

S. merianae – like a lot of other animals used for bushmeat – is a common food source for humans in its native range. It could be an economically and dietarily beneficial meat source if used more widely. [45] [46]

Leather trade

The Argentine black and white tegu has long been hunted for their skins to supply the international leather trade. They are one of the most exploited reptile species in the world, but trade is legal in most South American countries. It is not an endangered species and overharvesting has not as of yet been observed. [47]

Invasive species

In Florida Argentine black and white tegus have escaped from the pet trade [15] and are now an invasive species in Florida, [15] [22] [48] Georgia [49] [50] [51] and South Carolina. [52] [53] The first sighting of S. merianae in Berkeley County, South Carolina was on 10 September 2020. Eight total sightings in South Carolina had been recorded as of 10 September 2020. [53]

The Argentine black and white tegu has been a particular threat to native birds and reptiles that build nests or burrows on the ground. Notably, they exhibit a particular type of both predatory and competitive behavior known as intraguild predation, which worsens their invasive effect on wildlife: Argentine tegus will pursue and kill – but not eat – other native reptiles. Efforts such as placing traps or local hunting have been largely unsuccessful in reducing their bad effects in the non-native environments. [32]

Because of their invasive threat to native and imperiled species, population containment initiatives have been a priority in the past ten years, leading to the extraction of nearly 3,300 tegus from Miami-Dade County alone. Unfortunately tegu culling efforts have had little effect: Historically, tegus survived brutal leather-trade harvests in their native environment, demonstrating that they are a remarkably resilient species. [17]

As of 29 April 2021, residents of Florida are now legally allowed to kill these invasive Argentine black and white tegus that are spotted on private property, with the landowners' permission, and on the public lands of Florida. Legal barriers that had been protecting the non-native reptiles have been removed, to prevent the population of tegus from increasing in Florida. As an alternative to killing them, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff offer to take control and maintain this species by capturing and removing tegus from the environment. [54]

Taxonomy

The two prominent loreal scales between the eye and nostril of this Argentine black and white tegu, plus its round pupils, identify it as belonging to the genus Salvator. 20110721 Berkenhof Zoo (0050).jpg
The two prominent loreal scales between the eye and nostril of this Argentine black and white tegu, plus its round pupils, identify it as belonging to the genus Salvator .

In 1839, this species of tegu was originally described as Salvator merianae. However, beginning in 1845 and continuing for 154 years, it was confused with Tupinambis teguixin and was considered a synonym of that species. In 1995, it was again given species status as Tupinambis merianae because subsequent studies had shown that the gold tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) was distinct from it. In 2012, the Argentine black and white tegu was reassigned to the resurrected genus Salvator as Salvator merianae. [55]

S. merianae is called the "Argentine black and white tegu" to distinguish it from the "Colombian black and white tegu", which is another name for the gold tegu. Unscrupulous or incompetent pet dealers sometimes pass off gold tegus as Argentine black and white tegus.[ citation needed ]

S. merianae and T. teguixin can be distinguished by skin texture and scale count:

In the ecotone between the arid Chaco and the Espinal of central Argentina, they are known to naturally hybridise with the red tegu (Salvator rufescens) with a stable hybrid zone. [56]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warm-blooded</span> Animal species that can maintain a body temperature higher than their environment

Warm-blooded is an informal term referring to animal species whose bodies maintain a temperature higher than that of their environment. In particular, homeothermic species maintain a stable body temperature by regulating metabolic processes. Other species have various degrees of thermoregulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizard</span> Informal group of reptiles

Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes, encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepidosauria</span> Superorder of reptiles

The Lepidosauria is a subclass or superorder of reptiles, containing the orders Squamata and Rhynchocephalia. Squamata also includes lizards and snakes. Squamata contains over 9,000 species, making it by far the most species-rich and diverse order of non-avian reptiles in the present day. Rhynchocephalia was a formerly widespread and diverse group of reptiles in the Mesozoic Era. However, it is represented by only one living species: the tuatara, a superficially lizard-like reptile native to New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teiidae</span> Family of lizards

Teiidae is a family of Lacertoidean lizards native to the Americas. Members of this family are generally known as whiptails or racerunners; however, tegus also belong to this family. Teiidae is sister to the Gymnopthalmidae, and both families comprise the Teiioidea. The Teiidae includes several parthenogenic species – a mode of clonal reproduction. Presently, the Teiidae consists of approximately 150 species in eighteen genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monitor lizard</span> Genus of reptiles

Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus Varanus, the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recognized.

<i>Tupinambis</i> Genus of lizards

Tupinambis is a lizard genus which belongs to the family Teiidae and contains eight described species. These large lizards are commonly referred to as tegus. T. merianae, T. rufescens, and T. teguixin are popular in the pet trade. They are primarily found in South America, although T. teguixin also occurs in Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endotherm</span> Organism that maintains body temperature largely by heat from internal bodily functions

An endotherm is an organism that maintains its body at a metabolically favorable temperature, largely by the use of heat released by its internal bodily functions instead of relying almost purely on ambient heat. Such internally generated heat is mainly an incidental product of the animal's routine metabolism, but under conditions of excessive cold or low activity an endotherm might apply special mechanisms adapted specifically to heat production. Examples include special-function muscular exertion such as shivering, and uncoupled oxidative metabolism, such as within brown adipose tissue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common side-blotched lizard</span> Species of lizard

The common side-blotched lizard is a species of side-blotched lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to dry regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. It is notable for having a unique form of polymorphism wherein each of the three different male morphs utilizes a different strategy in acquiring mates. The three morphs compete against each other following a pattern of rock paper scissors, where one morph has advantages over another but is outcompeted by the third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern fence lizard</span> Species of lizard

The eastern fence lizard is a medium-sized species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is found along forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps in the eastern United States. It is sometimes referred to as the prairie lizard, fence swift, gray lizard, gravid lizard, northern fence lizard or pine lizard. It is also referred to colloquially as the horn-billed lizard. One of its most notable behaviors is that of its escape behavior when encountering fire ants, which have been known to invade and negatively affect many of their populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaco eagle</span> Species of bird

The Chaco eagle or crowned solitary eagle, is an endangered bird of prey from eastern and central South America. Typically it is known simply as the crowned eagle which leads to potential confusion with the African Stephanoaetus coronatus. Due to its rarity, not much is known about its biology or population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six-lined racerunner</span> Species of lizard

The six-lined racerunner is a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold tegu</span> Species of lizard

The gold tegu, also known as the golden tegu, common tegu, black tegu, Colombian black and white tegu and tiger lizard, is a species of tegu.

<i>Iguana</i> Reptile genus of herbivorous lizards

Iguana is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena. Two species are placed in the genus: the green iguana, which is widespread throughout its range and a popular pet; and the Lesser Antillean iguana, which is native to the Lesser Antilles. Genetic analysis indicates that the green iguana may comprise a complex of multiple species, some of which have been recently described, but the Reptile Database considers all of these as subspecies of the green iguana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red tegu</span> Species of lizard

The red tegu is a lizard native to western Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is sold in the pet trade around the world due to its ease of care and relatively docile nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tegu</span> Index of animals with the same common name

Tegu is a common name of a number of species of lizards that belong to the families Teiidae and Gymnophthalmidae. Tegus are native to Central and South America. They occupy a variety of habitats and are known for their large size and predatory habits.

<i>Diploderma swinhonis</i> Species of lizard

Diploderma swinhonis, also known commonly as the Taiwan japalure, Swinhoe's japalure, Swinhoe's lizard, and Swinhoe's tree lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to Taiwan. It is considered an invasive alien species in Japan after likely being transported from Taiwan by humans. A foraging ambush predator, this lizard preys primarily on arthropods and thus remains at the bottom of forests perched on trees where sunlight is present. D. swinhonis is not a major threat to humans and is able to adapt to a variety of habitats, including urban environments. The male D. swinhonis is physically distinct from the female, with its body size being much larger and having a yellow stripe. This species sexually reproduces on a seasonal basis and hibernates during the winter time.

<i>Salvator</i> (lizard) Genus of lizards

Salvator is a genus of lizards known as tegus which belong to the family Teiidae. The genus is endemic to South America.

<i>Salvator duseni</i> Species of lizard

Salvator duseni is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is sometimes known commonly as the yellow tegu. It is native to South America.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Scott, N.; Pelegrin, N.; Montero, R.; Kacoliris, F.; Fitzgerald, L.; Carreira, S.; Cacciali, P.; Moravec, J.; Cisneros-Heredia, D.F.; Aparicio, J.; Avila-Pires, T.C.S. (2016). "Salvator merianae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T178340A61322552. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T178340A61322552.en . Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ Duméril AM, Bibron G (1839). "Le sauvegarde de Mérian, Salvator Merianæ, Nobis". Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Vol. 5. Paris: Roret. pp. 85–90. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.87584.
  4. ↑ "Tupinambis merianae". www.reptile-database.org. The Reptile Database.
  5. ↑ "Wild Herps - Argentine Giant Tegu (Salvator merianae)". www.wildherps.com.
  6. ↑ Wood, Jared P.; Beer, Stephanie Dowell; Campbell, Todd S.; Page, Robert B. (December 2018). "Insights into the introduction history and population genetic dynamics of the Argentine black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae) in Florida". Genetica. 146 (6): 443–459. doi:10.1007/s10709-018-0040-0. ISSN   0016-6707. PMID   30244302.
  7. ↑ "Teiidae | lizard family | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  8. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). "Tupinambis merianae". The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 175. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5.
  9. ↑ "Maria Sibylla Merian | Artist Profile".
  10. ↑ Harvey, Rebecca G.; Dalaba, Justin; Ketterlin, Jenny; Roybal, Art; Quinn, Daniel; Mazzotti, Frank J. (2021-09-23). "Growth and Spread of the Argentine Black and White Tegu in Florida: WEC347/UW482, 6/2021". EDIS. 2021 (5). doi:10.32473/edis-uw482-2021. ISSN   2576-0009.
  11. ↑ Basso, C. P.; Garriz, C.; Vieites, C. M.; Acerbi, M.; Perez Camargo, G. M.; Gonzalez, O. M. (2004). "Rendimiento de canales de lagartos (Tupinambis merinae) criados en cautiverio" [Carcass yield of tegu lizard (Tupinambis merinae) raised in captivity](PDF). Archivos de Zootecnia (in Spanish). 53 (203): 345–348. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013.
  12. ↑ Jones ME, Gröning F, Dutel H, Fagan MJ, Evans SE (2017). "The biomechanical role of the chondrocranium and sutures in a lizard cranium". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 14 (137): 20170637. doi:10.1098/rsif.2017.0637. PMC   5746569 . PMID   29263126.
  13. ↑ Presch W (1974). "A survey of the dentition of the macroteiid lizards (Teiidae: Lacertilia)". Herpetologica. 30 (4): 344–349. JSTOR   3891430.
  14. ↑ Rieppel, Olivier (1980). "The trigeminal jaw adductor musculature of Tupinambis, with comments on the phylogenetic relationships of the Teiidae (Reptilia, Lacertilia)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 69 (1): 1–29. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1980.tb01930.x .
  15. 1 2 3 "Tegu Lizards - Everglades CISMA". 21 September 2022.
  16. ↑ Haro, Daniel; McBrayer, Lance D.; Jensen, John B.; Gillis, James M.; Bonewell, Lea' R.; Nafus, Melia G.; Greiman, Stephen E.; Reed, Robert N.; Yackel Adams, Amy A. (2020-11-04). "Evidence for an Established Population of Tegu Lizards (Salvator merianae) in Southeastern Georgia, USA". Southeastern Naturalist. 19 (4). doi:10.1656/058.019.0404. ISSN   1528-7092.
  17. 1 2 3 Goetz, Scott M.; Steen, David A.; Miller, Melissa A.; Guyer, Craig; Kottwitz, Jack; Roberts, John F.; Blankenship, Emmett; Pearson, Phillip R.; Warner, Daniel A.; Reed, Robert N. (10 March 2021). "Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae) can survive the winter under semi-natural conditions well beyond their current invasive range". PLOS ONE. 16 (3): e0245877. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1645877G. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245877 . PMC   7946314 . PMID   33690637.
  18. ↑ Pernas, Tony; Giardina, Dennis J.; McKinley, Alan; Parns, Aaron; Mazzotti, Frank J. (2012). "First Observations of Nesting by the Argentine Black and White Tegu, Tupinambis merianae, in South Florida". Southeastern Naturalist. 11 (4): 765–770. doi:10.1656/058.011.0414. ISSN   1528-7092. JSTOR   41819793.
  19. 1 2 Pernas, Tony; Giardina, Dennis J.; McKinley, Alan; Parns, Aaron; Mazzotti, Frank J. (December 2012). "First Observations of Nesting by the Argentine Black and White Tegu, Tupinambis merianae, in South Florida". Southeastern Naturalist. 11 (4): 765–770. doi:10.1656/058.011.0414. S2CID   86304661.
  20. 1 2 3 Kiefer, Mara Cíntia; Sazima, Ivan. "Diet of juvenile tegu lizard Tupinambis merianae (Teiidae)" (PDF). pp. 105–108. in "Short Notes". Amphibia-Reptilia. 23 (1): 93–124. 1 January 2002. doi:10.1163/156853802320877654.
  21. ↑ Colli, Guarino R.; Péres, Ayrton K.; Cunha, Hélio J. da (1998). "A New Species of Tupinambis (Squamata: Teiidae) from Central Brazil, with an Analysis of Morphological and Genetic Variation in the Genus". Herpetologica. 54 (4): 477–492. JSTOR   3893442.
  22. 1 2 "Argentine Black and White Tegu". FWC.
  23. ↑ Hoff, Gerald (6 December 2012). Diseases of Amphibians and Reptiles. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 643–. ISBN   978-1-4615-9391-1.
  24. ↑ "Tegus Directory". Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  25. ↑ Offner, Marie-Therese; Campbell, Todd S.; Johnson, Steve A. (June 2021). "Diet of the Invasive Argentine Black and White Tegu in Central Florida". Southeastern Naturalist. 20 (2). doi:10.1656/058.020.0210. S2CID   236288920.
  26. ↑ Braga, Caryne; de Oliveira Drummond, Leandro; Dawn Henry, Malinda; Azevedo Khaled, Fábio; Rojas Arias, Juan D.; Ruiz-Miranda, Carlos R.; Rodrigues Gonçalves, Pablo (July 2020). "Predation of the black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae) by the lesser grison (Galictis cuja)". Mastozoología Neotropical . 27 (1): 182–186. doi: 10.31687/saremMN.20.27.1.0.22 . S2CID   225635805.
  27. 1 2 Maciel, B. M.; Argôlo Filho, R. C.; Nogueira, S. S. C.; Dias, J. C. T.; Rezende, R. P. (December 2010). "High Prevalence of Salmonella in Tegu Lizards (Tupinambis merianae), and Susceptibility of the Serotypes to Antibiotics: Prevalence of Salmonella in Tegus". Zoonoses and Public Health. 57 (7–8): e26–e32. doi:10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01283.x. PMID   19968856. S2CID   27434339.
  28. ↑ Toledo, Luís F.; Brito, Simone P.; Milsom, William K.; Abe, Augusto S.; Andrade, Denis V. (March 2008). "Effects of Season, Temperature, and Body Mass on the Standard Metabolic Rate of Tegu Lizards ( Tupinambis merianae )". Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 81 (2): 158–164. doi:10.1086/524147. hdl: 11449/21152 . PMID   18190282. S2CID   14258317.
  29. 1 2 Iungman, Josefina L.; Molinero, María N.; Simoncini, Melina S.; Piña, Carlos I. (April 2019). "Embryological development of Salvator merianae (Squamata: Teiidae)". Genesis. 57 (4): e23280. doi:10.1002/dvg.23280. PMID   30620139. S2CID   58636676.
  30. ↑ Herrel, Anthony; Andrade, Denis V.; de Carvalho, José Eduardo; Brito, Ananda; Abe, Augusto; Navas, Carlos (November 2009). "Aggressive Behavior and Performance in the Tegu Lizard Tupinambis merianae". Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 82 (6): 680–685. doi:10.1086/605935. hdl: 11449/21155 . PMID   19758090. S2CID   1982447.
  31. ↑ Parker, M. Rockwell; Tillman, Eric A.; Nazarian, Lauren A.; Barlowe, Megan L.; Lincoln, Julianna M.; Kluever, Bryan M. (2023-10-31). "Skin lipids alone enable conspecific tracking in an invasive reptile, the Argentine black and white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae)". PLOS ONE. 18 (10): e0293591. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1893591P. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293591 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   10617720 . PMID   37906547.
  32. 1 2 Richard, Shannon A.; Bukovich, Isabella M. G.; Tillman, Eric A.; Jayamohan, Sanjiv; Humphrey, John S.; Carrington, Paige E.; Bruce, William E.; Kluever, Bryan M.; Avery, Michael L.; Parker, M. Rockwell (12 August 2020). "Conspecific chemical cues facilitate mate trailing by invasive Argentine black and white tegus". PLOS ONE. 15 (8): e0236660. Bibcode:2020PLoSO..1536660R. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236660 . PMC   7423067 . PMID   32785239.
  33. ↑ Tattersall, Glenn J.; Leite, Cleo A. C.; Sanders, Colin E.; Cadena, Viviana; Andrade, Denis V.; Abe, Augusto S.; Milsom, William K. (22 January 2016). "Seasonal reproductive endothermy in tegu lizards". Science Advances. 2 (1): e1500951. Bibcode:2016SciA....2E0951T. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500951. PMC   4737272 . PMID   26844295.
  34. ↑ Zena, Lucas A.; Dillon, Danielle; Hunt, Kathleen E.; Navas, Carlos A.; Buck, C. Loren; Bícego, Kênia C. (1 January 2020). "Hormonal correlates of the annual cycle of activity and body temperature in the South-American tegu lizard (Salvator merianae)". General and Comparative Endocrinology. 285: 113295. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113295. PMID   31580883. S2CID   203661361.
  35. ↑ Tattersall, Glenn J.; Leite, Cleo A. C.; Sanders, Colin E.; Cadena, Viviana; Andrade, Denis V.; Abe, Augusto S.; Milsom, William K. (22 January 2016). "Seasonal reproductive endothermy in tegu lizards". Science Advances. 2 (1): e1500951. Bibcode:2016SciA....2E0951T. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500951. PMC   4737272 . PMID   26844295.
  36. ↑ Hutchison, Victor H.; Dowling, Herndon G.; Vinegar, Allen (11 February 1966). "Thermoregulation in a Brooding Female Indian Python, Python molurus bivittatus". Science. 151 (3711): 694–696. Bibcode:1966Sci...151..694H. doi:10.1126/science.151.3711.694. PMID   5908075. S2CID   45839432.
  37. ↑ Farmer, C. G. (March 2000). "Parental Care: The Key to Understanding Endothermy and Other Convergent Features in Birds and Mammals". The American Naturalist. 155 (3): 326–334. doi:10.1086/303323. PMID   10718729. S2CID   17932602.
  38. ↑ Farmer, C. G. (December 2003). "Reproduction: The Adaptive Significance of Endothermy". The American Naturalist. 162 (6): 826–840. doi:10.1086/380922. PMID   14737720. S2CID   15356891.
  39. ↑ Fahn-Lai, Philip; Biewener, Andrew A.; Pierce, Stephanie E. (18 February 2020). "Broad similarities in shoulder muscle architecture and organization across two amniotes: implications for reconstructing non-mammalian synapsids". PeerJ. 8: e8556. doi: 10.7717/peerj.8556 . PMC   7034385 . PMID   32117627.
  40. ↑ Pyron, R.; Burbrink, Frank T.; Wiens, John J. (2013). "A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13 (1): 93. Bibcode:2013BMCEE..13...93P. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-93 . PMC   3682911 . PMID   23627680.
  41. ↑ "Blue tegus (Tupinambis teguixin spp.)". Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. Retrieved 2020-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  42. ↑ "Blue tegu – information and care". Pets with Scales. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  43. ↑ "New regulations will ban tegus, require current owners to register reptiles". South Carolina Department of Natural Resources . 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  44. ↑ Cheatam, Kristen (2021-06-02). "Invasive lizard species banned from South Carolina". WSPA-TV 7News. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  45. ↑ Saadoun, A.; Cabrera, M.C. (November 2008). "A review of the nutritional content and technological parameters of indigenous sources of meat in South America". Meat Science. 80 (3): 570–581. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.03.027. PMID   22063568. S2CID   31912208.
  46. ↑ Saadoun, A.; Cabrera, M.C. "Table 10- uploaded by Maria Cabrera".
  47. ↑ Romero, Mieres; Margarita, Maria (2002). Monitoring and managing the harvest of tegu lizards in Paraguay (Thesis). hdl: 1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2002-THESIS-M54 .
  48. ↑ "Control of invasive tegus in Florida". Argentine black and white tegus. The Croc Docs. Ft. Lauderdale, FL: U. Florida.
  49. ↑ "Tegus". Georgia Invasive Species Task Force. 20 January 2021.
  50. ↑ "Argentine black and white tegus". georgiawildlife.com. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division.
  51. ↑ "Invasive Tegu Lizards Are Eating Their Way Through Southeastern US". WBUR-FM . 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  52. ↑ "First sighting of black and white tegu lizard confirmed in midlands" (Press release). South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 21 August 2020.
  53. 1 2 "Invasive tegu lizard spotted in Berkeley County, DNR monitoring". Charleston City Paper . 20 September 2020.
  54. ↑ "Argentine black and white tegu" (profile). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  55. ↑ Harvey, Michael B.; Ugueto, Gabriel N.; Gutberlet, Ronald L. Jr (2012). "Review of teiid morphology with a revised taxonomy and phylogeny of the Teiidae (Lepidosauria: Squamata)". Zootaxa. 3459 (1): 1–156. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3459.1.1.
  56. ↑ Cabaña, Imanol; Chiaraviglio, Margarita; Di Cola, Valeria; Guisan, Antoine; Broennimann, Olivier; Gardenal, Cristina N; Rivera, Paula C (1 October 2020). "Hybridization and hybrid zone stability between two lizards explained by population genetics and niche quantification". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 190 (2): 757–769. doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa018 . hdl: 11336/141610 .

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.