Gold tegu
| Gold tegu | |
|---|---|
_(Tupinambis_teguixin).JPG) | |
| on Trinidad | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Teiidae |
| Genus: | Tupinambis |
| Species: | T. teguixin |
| Binomial name | |
| Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Teius teguexim (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
The gold tegu, also known as golden tegu, common tegu, black tegu, Colombian tegu and tiger lizard (on Trinidad),[2] is a species of tegu. Its old scientific name (synonym) was Tupinambis nigropunctatus but it has since renamed to Tupinambis teguixin.[1]
Gold tegus grow to be approximately 2 to 3 feet (60 to 100 cm) on average, and up to 3.5 to 4 kg in weight, with a glossy body, powerful limbs and a thick tail.[3] They have many black and gold stripes down their body. Gold tegus live in the tropical forests of northern and central South America, as well as Panama. They feed on insects, invertebrates, small mammals, reptiles and birds, as well as fish and sometimes fruit. They typically do not make as good a pet as its larger southern cousins; Argentine black and white tegu or the red tegu but if handled frequently, can make a good pet.
References
- Gold tegus
- Bartlett, R.D., and Bartlett, P. (2003). Reptiles and Amphibians of the Amazon: An Ecotourist's Guide.
External links
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Wikispecies has information related to: Tupinambis teguixin |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tupinambis teguixin. |