There are over 400 species of tegu lizards out there, but only a few are kept in captivity: the Argentine black and white tegu (salvator merianae), the Red tegu (Salvator rufescens), and the Colombian golden tegu (salvator teguixin).
Despite their names, none of these species are limited to one color, and breeders have fun experimenting with genetic combinations in order to create rare, unique morphs.
Below, a list of all the most unique and amazing tegu morphs and hybrids in the trade.
Rare & Unique Tegu Morphs
Chacoan White-headed Tegu
Salvator merianae
Genes: Chacoan
Also known as Paraguayan tegu, this is sometimes mistaken for a distinct species but it’s actually a morph. Juvenile Chacoan tegus have a green coloration which fades into white as they grow into adults.
source: undergroundreptiles
Albino Tiger Ice Tegu
Salvator merianae x Salvator rufescens
Genes: Blue, Chacoan, Red
A fascinating albino hybrid with banding and crisp waving patterns with high purple blushing.
source: undergroundreptiles
Super Blue Tegu
Salvator merianae
Genes: Blue, Red, Het Albino
Fantastic smaller variety of tegu with great temperament. Adults grow around 3-3.5 feet in size.
source: undergroundreptiles
Firebelly Tegu
Salvator merianae
Genes: Unknown
A very colorful “black and yellow” tegu with an orange belly.
Source: Ackerman’s Wholesale Exotic Pets
Pink Panther Tegu
Salvator merianea x Salvator rufescens
Genes: Red, Blue, Het Albino
They display an awesome array of patterns and colors and grow to 3-4 feet in length.
source: undergroundreptiles
Porphura Tegu
Salvator merianea x Salvator rufescens
Genes: Blue, Red, Ice Het Albino
Yellow and black coloration with reddish hues.
source: undergroundreptiles
Tribrid Tegus
A tribrid tegu is a morph that results from the combination of three different genes of tegu. For example, some tegu may have a black & white tegu x blue tegu x red tegu genes combination.
Tribid tegus are some of the rarest and most sought after morphs in the market, as they often display the most diverse variety of colors.
TEGU QUICK LINKS
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.