Harmless · Native to South America · Invasive in Florida · Kept as a pet

Argentine black and white tegu

Salvator merianae (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)

Also called giant Argentine tegu
Data updated October 2026

Argentine black and white tegu walking on dry ground in front of a red earth bank, showing its banded black-and-white pattern
Fig. 1 — An adult on the move. The black-and-white banding gives the species its name.
Side view of a tegu head against a blue sky, showing its long snout and speckled scales
Fig. 2 — The long, pointed snout and speckled head scales.

At a glance

A large, powerful, black-and-white lizard from South America. Escaped and released pets have founded breeding populations in Florida, where tegus eat the eggs of alligators, crocodiles, turtles and ground-nesting birds.

01

Identification

Tegus are big, heavy-bodied lizards with a long, pointed snout and a thick tail. The skin is mottled black and white, often in bands across the body and tail. Hatchlings have similar markings but bright green heads, which fade within about a month.

  1. 01Black-and-white bands. Mottled crossbands along the body and tail.
  2. 02Large size. Adults commonly reach 4 to 5 feet.
  3. 03Green-headed young. Hatchlings show a green head for their first weeks.

Commonly confused with

Red and gold tegus are related species that have also been seen in Florida. They are similar in shape and differ mainly in color.

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft5 ft6 ft7 ft8 ft Large adult · 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m)

Adults grow to 4 to 5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) long and can weigh up to about 10 pounds (4.5 kg). Females in Florida mature at about 12 inches (30 cm) long or after their second winter.

03

Range & habitat

Tegu walking across bare stony ground, tail stretched out behind
Fig. 3 — Tegus are ground-dwellers that dig burrows and travel widely.

The native range is in South America: Brazil, Paraguay, eastern Uruguay and northern Argentina. Through the pet trade the species has become established in Florida, with breeding populations in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Charlotte and St. Lucie counties, and in southeast Georgia. Escaped pets turn up elsewhere too.

Tegus use savanna and disturbed habitats such as forest clearings, roadsides and fence rows. In Florida they live in dry, sandy uplands and in dense vegetation along canals and roads. They rarely climb high but are strong swimmers.

04

Diet & predators

Tegus are omnivores. They eat fruit, insects and other invertebrates, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and carrion, and they are efficient egg predators. In Florida they have been recorded eating American alligator eggs, disturbing American crocodile nests and eating young gopher tortoises.

Feeds on

  • Bird and reptile eggs
  • Fruit
  • Insects and other invertebrates
  • Small mammals, frogs and reptiles

05

Behavior & seasons

Tegus are active by day. They spend late fall and winter underground in burrows, which lets them avoid freezing temperatures; in south Florida they usually emerge in February.

06

Reproduction

Breeding begins in early spring. Females in south Florida mature in two to three years and lay about 30 to 35 eggs a year, in spring and summer. The eggs incubate for about 60 days. Tegus may live 15 to 20 years.

07

Conservation

In Florida it is an invasive species that threatens native wildlife, and it was added to the state’s prohibited species list in 2021. Sightings in Florida can be reported to the FWC Exotic Species Hotline at 888-483-4681 or through IveGot1.org.

08

In captivity

Tegus are large, strong, long-lived lizards. In general terms they need a very large, secure enclosure with deep substrate for digging, a warm basking area with a temperature gradient, UVB lighting, and a varied diet of animal protein, insects and some fruit. They can live 15 to 20 years, so keeping one is a long commitment.

In Florida the species is now prohibited: only animals owned before the 2021 rule may be kept, under permit, and the FWC Exotic Pet Amnesty Program accepts unwanted tegus without penalty. A pet tegu should never be released. See our pet care guides.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages