Blue Tegu
Encyclopedia
The blue tegu is a smaller tegu
, growing to about 1 meter long, renowned for its light blue coloration, which is most intense on adult males. 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 in the hobbyist community about the correct scientific classification of this animal. It is often thought to be a mutation of the Argentine Black and White Tegu
The coloring of a blue tegu can range from an all white animal to a powder blue to even platinum
. The color is most vivid on mature males and doesn't really appear until the animal reaches sexual maturity around the age of 18 months.
Just like the Argentine Black and White Tegu, the blue tegu has a very quick growth rate, almost reaching its full length in a year. Their length varies from 2.5 feet in females to close to 4 feet in adult males. Unlike other lizards these are very heavily built animals ranging from 7 to 12 pounds when fully grown.
A good UVA
and UVB bulb really helps with the raising of these animals. Some people have done it without a light but it's one of those things where its better to have one and not need it than be without one and need it. Along with UV a blue tegu also needs the basic heating and basking with a basking temp being around 43C (110F). For healthy shedding a humidity of 40-60% 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 a medium to large kitty litter box can be used as an appropriate sized water dish.
Like other tegus, a foot of substrate should cover the floor as they are ground dwelling creatures. Be sure to stay away from any sticky substrate that may get caught in the Tegu's claws. Examples include Cyprus
mulch, eucalyptus
bark, Lizard Litter and Repti Bark.
s and roaches. They also eat mice
, rats, ground turkey, crayfish
, dog food (not recommended), rabbit, chicks and eggs. A varied diet will keep a blue's interest but they often have favorites and as adults stick to one food type.
It is important to make sure all insects fed are dusted with a mineral/multi-vitamin
supplement; mice will not require this as they are a "complete meal," including bones. 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.
for 5-7 months out of the year depending on the surrounding environment.
in a 'clutch
'. Of all the tegu species, the blue tegu lays the least amount of eggs.
Tupinambis
Tupinambis is a lizard genus which belongs to the family Teiidae, and contains seven described species. These large, South American lizards are commonly referred to as tegus; Tupinambis merianae , Tupinambis rufescens , and Tupinambis teguixin are all common in...
, growing to about 1 meter long, renowned for its light blue coloration, which is most intense on adult males. 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 in the hobbyist community about the correct scientific classification of this animal. It is often thought to be a mutation of the Argentine Black and White Tegu
Argentine Black and White Tegu
The Argentine black and white tegu, , is the largest species of tegu. It is also known as the Argentine giant tegu. It belongs to the teiid family...
The coloring of a blue tegu can range from an all white animal to a powder blue to even platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
. The color is most vivid on mature males and doesn't really appear until the animal reaches sexual maturity around the age of 18 months.
Just like the Argentine Black and White Tegu, the blue tegu has a very quick growth rate, almost reaching its full length in a year. Their length varies from 2.5 feet in females to close to 4 feet in adult males. Unlike other lizards these are very heavily built animals ranging from 7 to 12 pounds when fully grown.
Housing
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, 6'x4' floor space is alright but bigger is always better. About a foot of mulch should be used to allow for burrowing and to help keep humidity up.A good UVA
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
and UVB bulb really helps with the raising of these animals. Some people have done it without a light but it's one of those things where its better to have one and not need it than be without one and need it. Along with UV a blue tegu also needs the basic heating and basking with a basking temp being around 43C (110F). For healthy shedding a humidity of 40-60% 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 a medium to large kitty litter box can be used as an appropriate sized water dish.
Like other tegus, a foot of substrate should cover the floor as they are ground dwelling creatures. Be sure to stay away from any sticky substrate that may get caught in the Tegu's claws. Examples include Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
mulch, eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
bark, Lizard Litter and Repti Bark.
Feeding
These tegus are almost strictly meat eaters, most like various feeder insects like mealworms, superworms, earthworms, silkworms, cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
s and roaches. They also eat mice
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...
, rats, ground turkey, crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
, dog food (not recommended), rabbit, chicks and eggs. A varied diet will keep a blue's interest but they often have favorites and as adults stick to one food type.
It is important to make sure all insects fed are dusted with a mineral/multi-vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
supplement; mice will not require this as they are a "complete meal," including bones. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to trouble shedding skin, lethargy and weight loss; a calcium deficiency can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease
Metabolic bone disease
Metabolic bone disease is an umbrella term referring to abnormalities of bones caused by a broad spectrum of disorders.Most commonly these disorders are caused by abnormalities of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or vitamin D leading to dramatic clinical disorders that are commonly...
, which can be fatal.
Variations
There are many different shades of blue and as hatchlings it's hard to tell what they'll look like when they grow up. However, the blue tegu does offer something unique when it comes to tegus, they come in an Albino and Snow phase. The Snow phase is a tegu that is completely white without pattern or red eyes to it.Hibernation
Like other tegus, the blue tegu may or may not enter a state of hibernationHibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
for 5-7 months out of the year depending on the surrounding environment.
Gender
As with other large lizards, the tegu's sex cannot be determined without probing (only to be attempted by a professional) until adulthood, in the tegu 25-28 inches. In females there are clitoral bumps on the V area at the base of the tail and for males a bump at the base of the tale in the center underside. Another way to tell your tegu's sex is the males generally have a wider 'puffier' jaw where as females have a more narrow jawline.Breeding
Blue tegus, like other tegus, may breed up to twice a year, however only lay between 8 and 12 eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
in a 'clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
'. Of all the tegu species, the blue tegu lays the least amount of eggs.