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reptileadvanced
Argentine Black & White Tegu
Salvator merianae
A puppy-sized, remarkably intelligent lizard that can become genuinely tame — the most interactive (and demanding) of the big lizards.
4–5 ft15–20 years
Habitat
Enclosure
8×4×4 ft for an adult
Temperature
Basking 110–125°F · ambient 80–90°F
Humidity / Water
60–80%
Heating & lighting
A huge halogen basking zone plus strong UVB, and deep (12–24 in) damp substrate for burrowing. They brumate — going cool and sleepy for months each winter is normal.
Diet
Feed these
- Frozen-thawed rodents
- Quail or chicken eggs
- Dubia roaches and superworms
- Fruits — berries, melon, banana
- Whole-prey ground diets
Never feed
- Processed dog food as a staple
- Feeder goldfish
- Citrus and avocado
- Wild-caught prey
Varied omnivore: roughly half protein, half fruit and vegetables as adults. They can be litter-trained and come when called — but never hand-feed; food-aggression training matters.
Cohabitation
Can live with
No one — house this species alone.
Never house with
Other tegus — territorial Anything smaller — it's food
One tegu per enclosure. They're smart enough to recognize their keeper and can be very tame, but two adults together means serious fights.
