Blue tegu
The blue tegu is one of the smaller tegus, growing to about 1 meter in length. It is known for its light blue coloration, which is most intense in the adult males.
| Blue tegu | |
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| An immature blue tegu resting | |
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| Species: | Salvator spp. |
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| Salvator spp. | |
Even immature animals can be easily distinguished from other mostly black and white tegu species 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. There is much controversy about the correct scientific classification of this animal. Large-scale taxon sampling of the teiids has not led to any strong resolutions based on morphological and genetic data;[1] 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,[2] believe it is sufficiently different to have its own classification. The first blue tegu to be exported from South America was in a wholesale shipment of tegus from Colombia,[3] and it has been propagated in captivity since 1998.[4]
Captive husbandry
To accommodate their size, a lone adult should be housed in nothing smaller than a 6'x3'x2' size cage, with the largest floor size possible. For a pair, you need to double that size. They must have tons of floor space. About six inches of substrate should be used to allow for burrowing, as well as a substrate that holds humidity well. Most owners use Cyprus Mulch mixed with Coconut Fiber, as it retains humidity extremely well, and is commercially available. Use only organic substrates, as anything with pesticides or additives, much like what you would commonly find at a hardware store, will cause many health issues with your tegu, including death. A good UVA and UVB bulb is imperative to keeping a tegu in good health. They need UVB to produce Vitamin D in their bodies, as well as metabolizing calcium. If they are not allowed exposure to UVB on a daily basis, they can experience severe pain and/or deformities from diseases such as Metabolic Bone Disease. Along with UV a blue tegu also needs a temperature gradient. This means that one side of the cage must be cooler, while the other is much warmer and provides a basking spot. This is so they can regulate their body temperature by going to whatever temperature works for them at the moment. Ambient temps on the cooler side should be around 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23C) and the warmer side should be about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32C). They also need the surface of their basking spot to meet specific temperature requirements. As juveniles and younger, they need it around 100F (37C), though as they get older it can go up to 110F-120F (43C-48C). For healthy shedding a humidity of 60-80% is preferred.
Like most lizards, fresh water should be provided daily. Like other tegus you should make sure your tegu has enough water to soak in if they wish. Some tegus are also known to enjoy swimming and since they grow to about 1 meter long or more, a medium to large kitty litter box can be used as an appropriate sized water dish. Never allow water level to be above shoulder height for a tegu, as many tegus commonly drown when left without supervision.
Diet
Tegus in the genus Salvator are omnivorous as adults but primarily carnivorous as juveniles. As adults, they have blunted teeth and exaggerated lateral pterygoidal 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 roaches, 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.[5]
Morphology
Blue tegus are similar in size and body structure to The coloring of a blue tegu can range from a simple black and white animal to albino to a powder blue to even "platinum" which is basically a high white morph of the species. The blue coloration is typically most vivid on mature males and doesn't tend to appear until the animal reaches sexual maturity around the age of 18 months or 2 feet 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 a year. Their adult length can vary from 2.5 feet in females to sometimes even longer than 4 feet in adult males. Unlike other lizards these are very heavily built animals ranging from 7 to 12 pounds or more when fully grown. Size is relative to genetics as well as husbandry and diet.
Brumation
Like other tegus, the blue tegu may or may not enter a state of brumation for 5–7 months out of the year depending on the surrounding environment. That said, they can enter brumation without any changes in climate, alluding to some sort of natural internal clock that will take them into a state of brumation. If they enter brumation, it's safer to allow them to brumate naturally.
Sex
When a tegu reaches about 8 months old, which is commonly referred to as the beginning of their juvenile age, you can easily determine their sex on your own by sight. Their vent at the base of the tail will bulge when it is a male and lie flat as a female. Breeders generally can do such a thing by sight and feel, telling you before purchasing one, though if you have to make the assumption on your own, this is when you will start to notice the difference. If anything, you may always refer to their jowls. Adult males have substantially developed jowls, a result of hypertrophic lateral pterygoideus muscles.[6] Females' jawlines are more streamlined.
Breeding
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 individual health of the gravid female.
References
- 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: 93. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-93. PMC 3682911. PMID 23627680.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. Retrieved 2002-12-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2002-12-07. Retrieved 2002-12-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1999-09-22. Retrieved 2018-11-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Tegus Directory". Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- Rieppel, O. 1980. The Trigeminal Jaw Adductor Musculature of Tupinambis, with Comments on the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Teiidae (Reptilia, Lacertilia). Zool. J. Linne. Soc. Vol. 69(1):1–29.