The Gold Tegu, also known as the Golden Tegu or Colombian Tegu (Tupinambis teguixin), is a species of tegu lizard native to South America.
They are known for their distinctive golden color and are highly sought after in the pet trade.
Gold Tegus are available for sale through our affiliate partner CBReptile.com
Golden tegus are different from Argentine Black & White tegus (Salvator merianae) and from Red tegus (Tupinambis rufescens).
Compared to other tegu species, the Colombian grow a bit smaller (2-3 feet on average) and are known to be a bit more difficult to tame, although with proper handling and a bit of patience, they can be just as docile as Argentine tegus.
They also differ in diet, as Colombian tegus are prevalently carnivores – you should feed them a diet consisting 90% of protein and 10% fruits and vegetables.
Colombian Tegu Care Sheet
General Info
| Scientific Name: | Tupinambis teguixin (formerly Tupinambis nigropunctatus) |
| Common Names: | Colombian tegu Gold tegu Golden tegu Tiger lizard |
| Regions Found: | South and Central America including Colombia, Northern Argentina, Brazil Panama |
| Class: | Terrestrial living in tropical forests Juveniles have arboreal tendencies |
| Longevity: | 15-22 years |
| Sexual Maturity: | 18-36 months |
| Adult Size: | 2-3 feet |
| Temperament: | Somewhat aggressive, can become docile with regular handling |
Husbandry
| Housing Size: | minimum 6x3x3 (ideally 8x4x4) |
| Diet: | Mostly Carnivore |
| Foods: | Various insects, meats, eggs, small amounts of fruits and vegetables. |
| Temperature: | Air temperature of 28-30°C (82-86°F) with a basking spot of 38-46°C (100-115°F) |
| Humidity: | 50% – 80% |
Breeding
| Breeding Difficulty: | Hard |
| Clutch Size: | 1 clutch with 20-50 eggs (average of 30) |
| Gestation Period: | 2-3 weeks |
| Incubation Temperature: | 30-32°C |
| Incubation Humidity: | 80-100% |
| Incubation Period: | 90 days |
Golde tegus can grow quite big, although not as big as other tegu species. We recommend an enclosure that is at the very minimum 6x3x3, but the bigger the better.
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Read more: Gold Tegu Care & Dietary Info
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PetsWithScales.com is an informational website about big lizard pet care. We collect and provide information from different sources across the web on how to keep and care for reptiles as pets. The species we mainly deal with are tegus, monitor lizards, skinks and geckos. Our aim is to provide high quality information to help pet owners make better, more informed decisions about their animal’s diets, health and life.
PetsWithScales.com is an informational website about big lizard pet care. We collect and provide information from different sources across the web on how to keep and care for reptiles as pets. The species we mainly deal with are tegus, monitor lizards, skinks and geckos. Our aim is to provide high quality information to help pet owners make better, more informed decisions about their animal’s diets, health and life.