SpeciesArgentine black and white tegu
Argentine black and white tegu
Salvator merianae
Over a metre long, as clever as a dog and requiring a permit in Switzerland. Anyone with the space and the permit gets one of the most approachable reptiles there is.
- Group
- Lizard
- Level
- Advanced
- Origin
- South America
Where the species comes from
- World region
- South America
- Countries
- Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, eastern Bolivia and much of Brazil
- Habitat
- Open woodland and savannah with burrows
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- An enclosure, not a terrarium.
- Temperature
- Basking spot at 45 °C, ambient 26–30 °C, cool corner 24 °C, 20–22 °C at night.
- Humidity
- 60–70 %.
- Lighting
- Strong UV-B, twelve hours.
- Substrate
- At least 50 cm of soil-sand mix. Tegus dig extensive burrows.
- Furnishings
- A large cave, stable stones, a basin allowing full immersion.
- Water
- Large basin.
- Feeding
- Omnivore: insects, rodents, egg, fruit, vegetables. Two to three times a week.
- Behaviour
- Diurnal, very alert, recognises people. Calm if habituated early and patiently.
- Handling
- Quite possible with accustomed animals. Powerful bite and tail lash when stressed.
- Cohabitation
- Alone. Pairs only temporarily for breeding.
- Health
- Obesity from overly generous feeding; the winter rest belongs to the yearly cycle.
- Seasonal cycle
- Winter rest of three to four months at 15–18 °C, during which the animals barely feed.
- Safety
- Tegus over one metre in total length require a permit under Art. 89 of the Ordinance and proof of competence.
Legal position in Switzerland
Permit required
Requires a permit. Art. 89 let. f of the Ordinance covers tegus reaching more than 1 m total length as adults. The Argentine tegu grows considerably longer
Training required
Proof of competence under Art. 85 para. 3 let. c of the Ordinance is required. It is a precondition for the permit and must be obtained before acquisition
Species protection applies
CITES Appendix II: Import and transfer only with papers. When buying, ask for proof of origin and captive breeding
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 27 (Large tegus): floor area 5 × 3 body lengths, height 3 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 2 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the snout-vent length, without the tail. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Snout-vent length | At least |
|---|---|
| 35 cm | 175 × 105 × 105 cm |
| 42 cm | 210 × 126 × 126 cm |
| 50 cm | 250 × 150 × 150 cm |
The ordinance names Tupinambis spp. The Argentine tegu was only later placed in the genus Salvator.
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
