Argentine Black-and-white Tegu
Argentine Black-and-white TeguArgentine Black-and-white TeguArgentine Black-and-white TeguArgentine Black-and-white Tegu

Argentine Black-and-white Tegu

Salvator merianae

Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Iberá National Park
60 Verified sightings at Iberá National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,323 Verified sightings across all 16 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the 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. They exhibit a high level of activity during their wakeful period of the year. They are the only known nonavian reptiles to be partly endothermic during breeding season.

Tegus fill ecological niches similar to those of monitor lizards, but are only distantly related to them; the similarities are an example of convergent evolution. The Argentine black and white tegu is a member of the family Teiidae, which also includes racerunners and whiptails. The term "tegu... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~70%
2 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~70%
3 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~60%
4 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~60%
5 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
6 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
7 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
8 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
9 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
10 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
11 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
13 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
14 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
15 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
16 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Argentine Black-and-white Tegu in Iberá National Park?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Argentine Black-and-white Tegu sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Argentine Black-and-white Tegu in Iberá National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Argentine Black-and-white Tegu in Iberá National Park in our monthly data.

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