A striking and powerful lizard native to northern and central South America, including countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Guianas. Named for the shimmering gold or bronze tones that often shine through their patterned scales, gold tegus are sleek, fast-moving, and highly adaptable.
Gold tegus are known for their robust, muscular bodies, long tails, and powerful jaws. Their scales are often arranged in distinctive black and gold bands or mottled patterns, which help them camouflage in forest underbrush, savannas, and even semi-arid areas. They are diurnal, meaning they’re active during the day, and they spend much of their time foraging for food or basking in the sun to regulate their body temperature. These tegus are excellent diggers and will often take shelter in burrows or under logs and rocks.
One of the most interesting things about the gold tegu is its dietary flexibility. It is an opportunistic omnivore, happily feeding on insects, small mammals, reptiles, birds, eggs, fruits, carrion, and just about anything it can overpower or scavenge. This varied diet allows it to thrive in a wide range of environments, from dense rainforests to human-altered landscapes like farms and plantations. Its long, forked tongue works like a snake’s, flicking out to pick up scent particles and helping it locate food with precision.
Though impressive, the gold tegu is also less social and more defensive than the more docile Argentine black and white tegu. When threatened, it may hiss, puff up its body, lash with its tail, or bite. In the wild, however, they prefer avoidance over confrontation and will quickly retreat into dense cover or underground tunnels. Despite their wariness, they play an important ecological role by controlling pest populations and dispersing seeds through their fruit-eating habits.
Distribution
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
VenezuelaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
