Argentine Black-and-white Tegu
Salvator merianae
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyTeiidae (Whiptails and Tegus)
- GenusSalvator
- SpeciesSalvator merianae (Argentine Black-and-white Tegu)
The Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae), also commonly known as the Argentine giant tegu, the black and white tegu, the blue tegu, and the huge tegu, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is the largest of the "tegu" lizards. It is an omnivorous species, which inhabits the tropical rain forests, savannas, and semideserts of eastern and central South America. It is native to south and southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, eastern Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina. Tegu lizards are sometimes kept as pets, being notable for their unusually high intelligence and their relatively gentle nature. Like some reptiles, tegus enter brumation in autumn when ambient temperature drops. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Argentine Black-and-white Tegu sighting in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 11 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 12 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 14 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 15 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 16 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Argentine Black-and-white Tegu in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Argentine Black-and-white Tegu sighting in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Argentine Black-and-white Tegu in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas?
November has the highest sighting rate for Argentine Black-and-white Tegu in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas in our monthly data.