acanthaster is a small genus of large and venomous starfish placed in its own family , acanthasteridae .

its members are known as crown-of-thorns starfish .

acanthaster

the whole genome shotgun sequencing project of okinawan and australian crown of thorns starfish , acanthaster planci .
fenner , bob . 1995 . acanthaster , crown of thorns sea stars . fama 1 / 95 .
informations on acanthaster planci has been recorded for the following locations . click on the name for additional informations .
quantitative studies of feeding and nutrition during larval development of the coral reef asteroid acanthaster planci ( l . )
hybrid crown - of - thorns starfish ( acanthaster planci x a . brevispinus ) reared to maturity in the laboratory
kosarek , n . 2000 .
acanthaster planci
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed
tsuda , r . t . 1971 . status of acanthaster planci and coral reefs in the mariana and caroline islands june 1970 to may 1971 . university of guam . summary : summary of surveys of acanthaster in the mariana and caroline islands .
hybrid crown - of - thorns starfish ( acanthaster planci x a . brevispinus ) reared to maturity in the laboratory | nature
( of acanthaster pseudoplanci caso , 1962 ) caso , m . e . ( 1962 ) . estudios sobre asteridos de mexico . observaciones sobre especies pacificas del genero acanthaster y descripcion de una subespecies nueva acanthaster ellisii pseudoplanci . sobretiro de los anales del instituto de biologia . 32 ( 1 + 2 ) : 313 - 331 . page ( s ) : 322 [ details ]
( of acanthaster ellisi pseudoplanci caso , 1962 ) caso , m . e . ( 1962 ) . estudios sobre asteridos de mexico . observaciones sobre especies pacificas del genero acanthaster y descripcion de una subespecies nueva acanthaster ellisii pseudoplanci . sobretiro de los anales del instituto de biologia . 32 ( 1 + 2 ) : 313 - 331 . page ( s ) : 322 [ details ]
frédéric ducarme marked
file : crown of thorns starfish2 . jpg
as trusted on the
acanthaster gervais 1841
page .
birkeland , charles & john s . lucas . acanthaster planci : major management problem of coral reefs . 1990 . crc press .
recommended citation : global invasive species database ( 2018 ) species profile : acanthaster planci . downloaded from urltoken on 09 - 07 - 2018 .
frédéric ducarme added an association between
file : crown of thorns starfish2 . jpg
and
acanthaster planci ( linnaeus , 1758 )
.
frédéric ducarme marked
file : coralline algae feeding juvenile cots . jpg
as trusted on the
acanthaster planci ( linnaeus , 1758 )
page .
frédéric ducarme marked
file : crown of thorns starfish2 . jpg
as hidden on the
acanthaster gervais 1841
page . reasons to hide : duplicate
nakamura , r . 1986 . a morphometric study on acanthaster planci populations in the ryukyu islands japan , galaxea 5 ( 2 ) : 223 - 238 .
remark type species : acanthaster echinus gervais , 1841 ( = asterias planci linnaeus , 1758 ) by monotypy ( rowe & gates , 1995 ) . [ details ]
table 1 : localization of genes and features in the mitochondrial genome of acanthaster planci and a . brevispinus . genes with asterisks are coded on the complimentary h strand .
an integrative approach to the taxonomy of the crown - of - thorns starfish species group ( asteroidea : acanthaster ) : a review of names and comparison to recent molecular data .
table 2 : comparison of base composition of the mitochondrial genomes of acanthaster planci , a . brevispinus and asterina pectinifera . * data from asakawa et al . [ 10 ] .
table 3 : total codon usage in the 13 protein - coding genes of acanthaster planci , a . brevispinus and asterina pectinifera . * data from asakawa et al . [ 10 ] .
tsuda , r . t . , jones , r . s . , randall , r . h . and struck , m . r . 1970 . acanthaster planci crown of thorns starfish : resurvey of saipan and tinian : survey of aguijan . university of guam . summary : results of surveys for acanthaster and the state of coral communities of saipan , tinian and aguijan islands .
an integrative approach to the taxonomy of the crown - of - thorns starfish species group ( asteroidea : acanthaster ) : a review of names and comparison t . . . - pubmed - ncbi
frédéric ducarme marked
file : crown of thorns sea star 2013 - 09 - 13 11 - 19 . jpg
as trusted on the
acanthaster planci ( linnaeus , 1758 )
page .
table 4 : comparison of nucleotide and amino acid sequences in 13 protein - coding genes of acanthaster planci , a . brevispinus and asterina pectinifera . genes that showed size variations are indicated as bold .
to cite this page : ault , l . ; j . mccardle and c . sussman 2011 .
acanthaster planci
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
mah , c . 2010 .
worms taxon details : acanthaster planci
( on - line ) . world asteroidea database . accessed through : world register of marine species . accessed may 24 , 2011 at urltoken .
examples of what a scourge acanthaster plancii can become . here is a wave of individuals scouring acroporid beds in the philippines and about the only effective human intervention to date : sticking them and removing to the land to dry and die .
chesher , r . h . 1969 . destruction of pacific corals by the sea star acanthaster planci , science 165 : 280 - 283 . summary : review of the damage caused in the 1960s by the crown of thorns starfish outbreaks .
acanthaster stars share many / most characteristics with other asteroids ; need for pollution - free water , carnivorous feeding habits , physiology , behavior , embryology . . . their big shortcoming / point of interest is their strict coral - eating diet .
during acanthaster planci outbreaks in japan , the carcasses of starfish were used as fertiliser ( m . yamaguchi , pers . comm . , in birkeland and lucus 1990 ) . acanthaster planci is a significant coral predator and is known as a keystone species . it has the potential to alter coral ecosystems in significant and important ways . this makes it a useful indicator species and one which should be monitored when assessing the health of coral reef ecosystems ( see hill and wilkinson 2004 ) .
de vantier , l . m . and deacon , g . 1990 . distribution of acanthaster planci at lord howe island solomon islands south pacific ocean the southernmost indo - pacific reef , coral reefs 9 ( 3 ) : 145 - 148 .
there is substantial research and information on both ecological and management - based aspects of the coral - feeding starfish ( acanthaster planci ) and its control . please follow this link for details on management options for the control of a . planci compiled by issg .
though they seem to prefer certain live coral polyps , acanthaster are opportunistic omnivores eating algae , encrusting invertebrates , dead fish and other aquatic protein , even other starfishes ! they have been trained in captivity to accept prepared and fresh foods in the place of expensive scleractinians .
birkeland , c . and lucus , j . s . 1990 . acanthaster planci : major management problems of coral reefs . florida : crc press . summary : an online book available in limited form . overview of global management strategies for the crown of thorns starfish .
of the several sea stars known by marine aquarists the genus acanthaster is probably the most familiar and notorious for it ' s celebrated coral - eating destructiveness . this article offers pertinent information on the selection and care of this group of species and some biological notes of interest .
faure , g . 1989 . degradation of coral reefs at moorea island french polynesia by acanthaster planci , journal of coastal research 5 ( 2 ) : 295 - 305 . summary : feeding preference of a . planci on the coral reefs of moorea ( french polynesia ) .
seymour , r . m . 1989 . is acanthaster planci a near - optimal predator ? , ecological modelling 46 ( 3 - 4 ) : 239 - 260 . summary : discusses the link between population outbreaks of a . planci with large - scale environmental disturbances such as cyclones
colgan , m . w . 1987 . coral reef recovery on guam ( micronesia ) after catastrophic predation by acanthaster planci , ecology 68 ( 6 ) : 1592 - 1605 . summary : a study reporting the quick recovery of coral reefs in guam following predation by a . planci .
hoegh - guldberg , o . 1994 . uptake of dissolved organic matter by larval stage of the crown - of - thorns starfish acanthaster planci , marine biology ( berlin ) 120 ( 1 ) : 55 - 63 . summary : study on feeding ecology of a . planci larvae .
alignment of the twenty - two trna form mitochondrial genome of a . planci , a . brevispinus and asterina pectinifera . * data from asakawa et al . 1995 10 . a . planci : acanthaster planci ; a . brevis : acanthaster brevispinus ; asterina : asterina pectinifera , each anticodon is located at the middle of anticodon loop ( + + + ) . bars above alignments indicate unambiguously aligned stem regions . asterisks indicate deletions and dots indicate the same nucleotides as a . planci . the last one letter is one nucleotide protrusion of 3 ' amino - acid accepter stem .
( of acanthaster echinus gervais , 1841 ) fisher , w . k . ( 1919 ) . starfishes of the philippine seas and adjacent waters . bulletin of the united states national museum , 3 ( 100 ) : 1 - 547 . 156 pls . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
( of acanthaster mauritiensis de loriol , 1885 ) rowe , f . w . e & gates , j . ( 1995 ) . echinodermata . in ‘zoological catalogue of australia’ . 33 ( ed a . wells . ) pp xiii + 510 ( csiro australia , melbourne . ) [ details ]
glynn , p . w . 1993 . monsoonal upwelling and episodic acanthaster predation as probable controls of coral reef distribution and community structure in oman , indian ocean , atoll research bulletin 0 ( 379 ) : 1 - 66 . summary : a . planci presence on coral reefs of oman is reviewed .
pratchett , m . s . 2001 . influence of coral symbionts on feeding preferences of crown - of - thorns starfish acanthaster planci in the western pacific , source marine ecology progress series 214 : 111 - 119 . summary : the effect of mutualistic crustacean on the feeding preference of a . planci .
( of acanthaster echinites ( ellis & solander , 1786 ) ) rowe , f . w . e & gates , j . ( 1995 ) . echinodermata . in ‘zoological catalogue of australia’ . 33 ( ed a . wells . ) pp xiii + 510 ( csiro australia , melbourne . ) [ details ]
done , t . j . 1988 . simulation of recovery of pre - disturbance size in populations of porites spp . damaged by the of thorns starfish acanthaster planci , marine biology 100 : 51 - 61 . summary : estimation for recovery times for five reefs in the great barrier reef are caculated using models .
johnson , l . g . and cartwright , c . m . 1996 . thyroxine - accelerated larval development in the crown - of - thorns starfish , acanthaster planci , biological bulletin ( woods hole ) 190 ( 3 ) : 299 - 301 . summary : report on larval development of a . planci .
in this study , we determined the complete sequences of the mitochondrial genome of a . planci and its sibling species , acanthaster brevispinus and compared in detail the full sequences of both species and a third asteroid species , asterina pectinifera . also , we describe some characteristics of both mitochondrial genomes of a . planci and a . brevispinus .
yamaguchi , m . 1973 early life - histories of coral reef asteroids , with special reference to acanthaster planci ( l . ) . in biology and geology of coral reefs : 2 , biology 1 ( eds o . a . jones & r . endean ) , pp . 369–387 . new york , ny : academic press .
babcock , r . c . and mundy , c . n . 1992 . reproductive biology , spawning and fiels fertilization rates of acanthaster planci , aust . j . mar . freshwater res . 43 : 525 - 534 . summary : a study of a . planci spawning patterns and behaviour at davies reef in the great barrier reef .
birkeland , c . 1982 . terrestrial runoff as a cause of outbreaks of acanthaster planci ( echinodermata : asteroidea ) , marine biology 69 : 175 - 185 summary : this paper analyses the distinct possibility that historical outbreaks of a . planci can be linked to fluctuations in phytoplanktons , in particular because of heavy rain seasons in micronesia and polynesia .
sano , m . 2000 . stability of reef fish assemblages : responses to coral recovery after catastrophic predation by acanthaster planci , marine ecology progress series 198 : 121 - 130 . summary : an interesting look at the recovery of reefs at iriomote island ( ryukyu islands , japan ) - one of the places most affected by a . planci predation .
fabricius , k . e . 1996 . ecosystem recovery after episodic disturbance : resilience of some coral reefs after acanthaster outbreaks , senckenbergiana maritima 27 ( 3 - 6 ) : 227 - 235 . summary : a study on the growth of macro - benthos , such as soft corals or macro - algae , following invasion damage by a . planci .
keesing j . k . and lucas j . s . 1992 . field measurement of feeding and movement rates of the crown - of - thorns starfish acanthaster planci , journal of experimental marine biology & ecology 156 ( 1 ) : 89 - 104 . summary : study of feeding rates of a . planci on the great barrier reef ( australia ) .
chess , j . r . , hobson , e . s . and howard , d . f . 1997 . interactions between acanthaster planci ( echinodermata , asteroidea ) and scleractinian corals at kona , hawai i , pacific science 51 ( 2 ) : 121 - 133 . summary : a study of feeding preferences of a . planci in an hawaiian reef .
de ath , g . and moran , p . j . 1998 . factors affecting the behaviour of crown - of - thorns starfish ( acanthaster planci l . ) on the great barrier reef : 1 : patterns of activity , journal of experimental marine biology & ecology 220 ( 1 ) : 83 - 106 . summary : feeding behaviour and activity times of a . planci .
babcock , r . c . , mundy , c . n . and whitehead , d . 1994 . sperm diffusion models and in situ confirmation of long - distance fertilization in the free - spawning asteroid acanthaster planci , biological bulletin ( woods hole ) 186 ( 1 ) : 17 - 28 . summary : study on the diffusion of sperm during spawning of a . planci .
engelhardt , u . & lassig , b . 1997 a review of the possible causes and consequences of outbreaks of the crown - of - thorns starfish ( acanthaster planci ) on the great barrier reef—an australian perspective . in the great barrier reef science , use and management a national conf . proceedings , pp . 243–259 . townsville , australia : great barrier reef marine park authority .
( of acanthaster mauritiensis de loriol , 1885 ) clark , a . m . ( 1993 ) . an index of names of recent asteroidea , part 2 : valvatida , in : jangoux , m . ; lawrence , j . m . ( ed . ) ( 1993 ) . echinoderm studies , 4 : pp . 187 - 366 ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
johnson , d . b . , moran , p . j . and driml , s . 1990 . evaluation of a crown - of - thorns starfish acanthaster planci control program at grub reef central great barrier reef australia , coral reefs 9 ( 3 ) : 167 - 171 . summary : review of a control project carried out at grub reef ( great barrier reef , australia ) .
( of acanthaster echinites ( ellis & solander , 1786 ) ) clark , a . m . ( 1993 ) . an index of names of recent asteroidea , part 2 : valvatida , in : jangoux , m . ; lawrence , j . m . ( ed . ) ( 1993 ) . echinoderm studies , 4 : pp . 187 - 366 ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
black , k . p . and moran , p . j . 1991 . influence of hydrodynamics on the passive dispersal and initial recruitment of larvae of acanthaster planci echinodermata asteroidea on the great barrier reef , marine ecology progress series 69 ( 1 - 2 ) : 55 - 65 . summary : study which has implications for a . planci control , in particular for the development of early warning systems .
( of acanthaster mauritiensis de loriol , 1885 ) de loriol , p . ( 1885 ) . catalogue raisonne des echinodermes receuillis par m . v . de robillard a l ' ile maurice . 2 . stellerides . memoires de la société de physique et d ' histoire naturelle de genève . 29 ( 4 ) : 1 - 84 . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 6 [ details ]
cameron , a . m . , endean , r . and de vantier , l . m . 1991 . predation on massive corals : are devastating population outbreaks of acanthaster - planci novel events ? , marine ecology progress series 75 ( 2 - 3 ) : 251 - 258 . summary : interesting study on the changes in coral composition caused by a . planci on the great barrier reef ( australia ) .
aside from the large two regions , there are 4 tatatatataa - like sequences found between the following genes in both acanthaster species : trna leu and trna gly , trna pro and co1 , co3 and trna pro , nd6 and cytb . except for the region between the genes for trna leu and trna gly , all other tatatatataa - like sequences are located in the boundaries where the coding strand shifts to the complimentary one . as already pointed out by asakawa et al . [ 13 ] , these sequences are the possible bi - directional promoters , which play the role for replication and / or transcription . however , the sequence located between 16s rrna and nd2 that were reported in a . pectinifera and sea urchin species , strongylocentrotus purpuratus [ 23 ] and paracentrotus lividus [ 24 ] are not found in the two acanthaster species .
predation of corals by acanthaster planci , storm damage , coral diseases and temperature - related stresses were the most commonly recorded natural impacts to coral reefs . the impact of coral - feeding starfish on natural coral assemblages can be severe and long - lasting . in some reefs 90 % of live coral cover is lost . please follow this link for details on the general impacts of a . planci compiled by the issg .
itis ( integrated taxonomic information system ) , 2007 . online database acanthaster planci summary : an online database that provides taxonomic information , common names , synonyms and geographical jurisdiction of a species . in addition links are provided to retrieve biological records and collection information from the global biodiversity information facility ( gbif ) data portal and bioscience articles from bioone journals . available from : urltoken ; _ value = 157194 [ accessed 6 february 2007 ]
acanthaster s should be handled only with a net and then only carefully . the spines evident in the accompanying photos are sharp and accompanied with a hemolytic ( blood - cell splitting ) toxin . this is a similar situation to that posed by the handling of many commercial sea urchins that many people handle haphazardly . be careful ! here is a close up of a specimen in pulau redang , malaysia . . . you get my point ?
lourey , m . j . , ryan , d . a . j . and miller , i . r . 2000 . rates of decline and recovery of coral cover on reefs impacted by , recovering from and unaffected by crown - of - thorns starfish acanthaster planci : a regional perspective of the great barrier reef , marine ecology progress series 196 : 179 - 186 . summary : a study of coral recovery rates in the great barrier reef .
benzie , j . a . h . 1999 . major genetic differences between crown - of - thorns starfish ( acanthaster planci ) populations in the indian and pacific oceans , evolution 53 ( 6 ) : 1782 - 1795 . summary : this paper explores the genetic diversity between populations of a . planci from two different oceanic regions ( the pacific and the indian oceans ) and contributes to growing evidence that widespread marine species can be highly structured and may speciate ( form new species ) rapidly .
hart , a . m . and klumpp , d . w . 1996 . response of herbivorous fishes to crown - of - thorns starfish acanthaster planci outbreaks : i . substratum analysis and feeding ecology of acanthurus nigrofuscus and scarus frenatus , marine ecology progress series 132 ( 1 - 3 ) : 11 - 19 . summary : a study conducted in the great barrier reef to investigate whether the increased turf algal resource linked to a . planci is prompting responses in the feeding ecology of herbivorous fishes .
keesing , j . k . , wiedermeyer , w . l . , okaji , k . , halford , a . r . , hall , k . c . and cartwright , c . m . 1996 . mortality rates of juvenile starfish acanthaster planci and nardoa spp . measured on the great barrier reef , australia and in okinawa , japan , oceanologica acta 19 ( 3 - 4 ) : 441 - 448 . summary : study providing evidence of the importance of predation as a determinant of survival rates of small starfish .
teruya , t . , suenaga , k . koyama , t . , nakano , y . and uemura , d . 2001 . arachidonic acid and alpha - linolenic acid , feeding attractants for the crown - of - thorns sea star acanthaster planci , from the sea urchin toxopneustes pileolus , journal of experimental marine biology & ecology 266 ( 2 ) : 123 - 134 . summary : details the discovery of chemical compounds derived from a sea urchin which could be potentially used as feeding attractants in the control of a . planci .
the echinoderm mitochondrial rrna genes are located separately from each other [ 22 ] , and this arrangement appears also in a . planci and a . brevispinus mtdna genomes . the 5 ' and 3 ' end of 12s rrna genes are defined as immediately adjacent to the ends of the flanking genes trna phe and trna glu , in the two acanthaster mtdna genomes . however , an alignment of a . pectinifera does not support their 3 ' end boundaries ; the 12s rrna sequences deduced from the sequence comparison with a . pectinifera overlapped with the beginning of trna glu by two nucleotides .
( of acanthaster echinus gervais , 1841 ) gervais , p . ( 1841 ) . astérie . pp . 461 - 481 in :
plusieurs professeurs du jardin du roi
( eds ) ( 1840 - 1841 ) dictionnaire des sciences naturelles dans lequel on traite méthodiquement des différents êtres de la nature , . . . ; suivi d ' une biographie des plus célèbres naturalistes . supplément . tome i . viii + 527 pp . , 20 pls . ch . pitoit , paris . , available online at urltoken ; = frontcover & output ; = reader & hl ; = en & pg ; = gbs . pp11 [ details ]
the trna genes ranged in size from 67 ( trna cys ) to 74 ( trna thr ) and they are large enough for encoded trnas to fold into cloverleaf structures . as often found in other metazoan mtdna genomes , trna ser ( gcu ) lacks the dhu loop . the potential secondary structures of trnas are quite similar between a . planci and a . brevispinus , whereas the comparison between the acanthaster species and a . pectinifera reveals that several size variations have occurred at the dhu and tψc loops . the comparison between the dhu and tψx loops shows that size variations are more likely to be found in the dhu loop than the tψx loop .
gervais , p . ( 1841 ) . astérie . pp . 461 - 481 in :
plusieurs professeurs du jardin du roi
( eds ) ( 1840 - 1841 ) dictionnaire des sciences naturelles dans lequel on traite méthodiquement des différents êtres de la nature , . . . ; suivi d ' une biographie des plus célèbres naturalistes . supplément . tome i . viii + 527 pp . , 20 pls . ch . pitoit , paris . , available online at urltoken ; = frontcover & output ; = reader & hl ; = en & pg ; = gbs . pp11 page ( s ) : 474 [ details ]
description the members of the genus are confined to tropical seas where they inhabit coral reefs , usually in the littoral zone , while . . .
description the members of the genus are confined to tropical seas where they inhabit coral reefs , usually in the littoral zone , while a . brevispinus has been recorded from somewhat deeper water . they feed on coral polyps . occur throughout the indo - pacific region ( grindley , 1963 ) . [ details ]
( of echinaster gray , 1840 ) gray , j . e . ( 1840 ) . xxxii . a synopsis of the genera and species of the class hypostoma ( asterias , linnaeus ) . annals of the magazine of natural history . 6 : 275 - 290 . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 281 [ details ]
clark , a . m . ( 1993 ) . an index of names of recent asteroidea , part 2 : valvatida , in : jangoux , m . ; lawrence , j . m . ( ed . ) ( 1993 ) . echinoderm studies , 4 : pp . 187 - 366 ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
( of asterias planci linnaeus , 1758 ) linnaeus , c . ( 1758 ) . systema naturae per regna tria naturae , secundum classes , ordines , genera , species , cum characteribus , differentiis , synonymis , locis . editio decima , reformata . laurentius salvius : holmiae . ii , 824 pp . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
note goa , west coast of india . type data : status . . .
type locality goa , west coast of india . type data : status and whereabouts undetermined ( rowe & gates , 1995 ) . [ details ]
description colour in life : deep brown above with deep red tips to spines , tube feet fawn ( humphreys , 1981 ) . associated with live coral . . .
description colour in life : deep brown above with deep red tips to spines , tube feet fawn ( humphreys , 1981 ) . associated with live coral beds , sometimes taking shelter under stones close to the live colonies ( sastry , 1991 ) . also distributed in gilbert islands , tuamotus , new caledonia ( clark , 1954 ) ; se arabia , w india , pakistan , maldive area , ceylon , bay of bengal , east indies , north australia , philippine , china , south japan , south pacific is . and hawaiian is . ( clark & rowe , 1971 ) ; australia ( rowe & gates , 1995 ) ; lakshadweep ( india ) ( sastry , 1991 ) . general distribution : tropical , indo - pacific region , depth range 0 - 30 m . ( rowe & gates , 1995 ) ; east coast of africa to hawaiian islands ( sastry , 1991 ) . ecology : benthic , reef ( rowe & gates , 1995 ) . [ details ]
( of stellonia echinites l . agassiz , 1836 ) agassiz , l . ( 1836 ) . prodrome d ' une monographie des radiaires ou echinodermes . mémoires de la société des sciences naturelles de neuchâtel . 1 , 168 - 199 . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 192 [ details ]
( of asterias echinus gervais , 1841 ) gervais , p . ( 1841 ) . astérie . pp . 461 - 481 in :
plusieurs professeurs du jardin du roi
( eds ) ( 1840 - 1841 ) dictionnaire des sciences naturelles dans lequel on traite méthodiquement des différents êtres de la nature , . . . ; suivi d ' une biographie des plus célèbres naturalistes . supplément . tome i . viii + 527 pp . , 20 pls . ch . pitoit , paris . , available online at urltoken ; = frontcover & output ; = reader & hl ; = en & pg ; = gbs . pp11 [ details ]
( of echinaster ellisi gray , 1840 ) gray , j . e . ( 1840 ) . xxxii . a synopsis of the genera and species of the class hypostoma ( asterias , linnaeus ) . annals of the magazine of natural history . 6 : 275 - 290 . , available online at urltoken page ( s ) : 281 [ details ]
clark , a . m . ; rowe , f . w . e . ( 1971 ) . monograph of shallow - water indo - west pacific echinoderms . trustees of the british museum ( natural history ) . london . x + 238 p . + 30 pls . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
bell , f . j . 1909 . report on the echinoderma ( other than holothurians ) collected by mr . j . stanley gardiner in the western parts of the indian ocean . transactions of the linnean society of london . 2nd series : zoology 13 , 17 - 22 . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
rowe , f . w . e & gates , j . ( 1995 ) . echinodermata . in ‘zoological catalogue of australia’ . 33 ( ed a . wells . ) pp xiii + 510 ( csiro australia , melbourne . ) [ details ]
mah , c . l . ; mcknight , d . g . ; eagle , m . k . ; pawson , d . l . ; améziane , n . ; vance , d . j . ; baker , a . n . ; clark , h . e . s . ; davey , n . ( 2009 ) . phylum echinodermata : sea stars , brittle stars , sea urchins , sea cucumbers , sea lilies . in : gordon , d . p . ( ed . ) ( 2009 ) . new zealand inventory of biodiversity : 1 . kingdom animalia : radiata , lophotrochozoa , deuterostomia . pp . 371 - 400 . [ details ]
liu j . y . [ ruiyu ] ( ed . ) . ( 2008 ) . checklist of marine biota of china seas . china science press . 1267 pp . ( look up in imis ) [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
zenetos , a . ; gofas , s . ; verlaque , m . ; cinar , m . ; garcia raso , j . ; bianchi , c . ; morri , c . ; azzurro , e . ; bilecenoglu , m . ; froglia , c . ; siokou , i . ; violanti , d . ; sfriso , a . ; san martin , g . ; giangrande , a . ; katagan , t . ; ballesteros , e . ; ramos - espla , a . ; mastrototaro , f . ; ocana , o . ; zingone , a . ; gambi , m . ; streftaris , n . ( 2010 ) . alien species in the mediterranean sea by 2010 . a contribution to the application of european union’s marine strategy framework directive ( msfd ) . part i . spatial distribution . mediterranean marine science . 11 ( 2 ) : 381 - 493 . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
zenetos , a . ; meric , e . ; verlaque , m . ; galli , p . ; boudouresque , c . ; giangrande , a . ; cinar , m . ; bilecenoglu , m . ( 2008 ) . additions to the annotated list of marine alien biota in the mediterranean with special emphasis on foraminifera and parasites . mediterranean marine science . 9 ( 1 ) : 119 - 165 . , available online at urltoken [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
( of asterias planci linnaeus , 1758 ) clark , a . m . ( 1993 ) . an index of names of recent asteroidea , part 2 : valvatida , in : jangoux , m . ; lawrence , j . m . ( ed . ) ( 1993 ) . echinoderm studies , 4 : pp . 187 - 366 ( look up in imis ) [ details ]
( of asterias planci linnaeus , 1758 ) rowe , f . w . e & gates , j . ( 1995 ) . echinodermata . in ‘zoological catalogue of australia’ . 33 ( ed a . wells . ) pp xiii + 510 ( csiro australia , melbourne . ) [ details ]
can be seen to have a role in diversifying the habitat . however , if coral cover is drastically reduced , populations of coral reef specialists ( animals that depend exclusively on coral cover for shelter and food ) may decrease . thus the impact of
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
is found throughout the indo - pacific region , ranging from the indian ocean ( red sea and east africa ) to the pacific ( from mainland japan south to lord howe island , and from the west coast of panama to the gulf of california ) . this species is particularly common on the great barrier reef of australia .
is commonly found on coral reefs , foraging over coral colonies in shallow , protected areas of the backreef .
possesses large , venomous spines in contrast to the short , blunt spines usually present on starfish . the venomous quality of these spines is not fully understood ; saponin has been discovered in the spines’ underlying tissue , though the quantity is not sufficient to trigger the painful reactions seen in humans who have come into contact with the spines . there is no evidence that
: juvenile , sub - adult , and adult . growth rates are age - specific : growth is rapid for juveniles ( up to 16 . 7 mm per month ) while the rate slows as they transition from sub - adult to adult ( 4 . 5 mm per month ) .
( engelhardt , et al . , 1999 ; moran , 1988b ; stump , 1996 )
crown - of - thorns starfish reproduce by spawning , in which males and females release their gametes into the seawater , where fertilization occurs . unlike some other starfish , which can reproduce through somatic fission or arm autonomy ,
releases chemicals that induces spawning in nearby individuals . however , not all individuals in a given population spawn at the same time .
will climb to a high place on a coral outcrop , then arch its body . gametes are released through five pores on the aboral surface of the body , as the animal waves its arms and moves its tubefeet vigorously .
spawns seasonally during summer months , according to each population’s location . populations in the northern hemisphere generally spawn between may and august , while populations in the southern hemisphere spawn between november and february . these seasons have been roughly correlated with periods of warmer water temperature in the respective habitats . gravid females may contain anywhere from 12 to 24 million eggs , and may produce as many as 60 million eggs throughout a season .
breeding season this species breeds in the summer months in the northern and southern hemispheres .
as this asteroid is a broadcast spawner with a planktonic larval stage , there is no parental investment in offspring .
is expected to live to about 15 - 17 years barring predators or limiting resources ; however , the actual lifespan of this organism in the wild is unknown .
juveniles and sub - adults are the most geographically widespread asteroids recorded within the great barrier reef region . one year after settlement onto the reef , newly formed adults migrate great distances over reef habitats . locomotory behaviors observed in
are typical of predatory starfish . individuals crawl at the rate of up to 35 cm per minute over coral reefs and rubble , encountering and consuming stony corals by everting the stomach onto the coral substratum and digesting the polyps . juveniles feed at night on exposed front reef zones , where apparently they are less likely to be noticed by predators , while adults are more commonly seen in protected back reef zones .
( engelhardt , et al . , 1999 ; engelhardt , et al . , 2001 ; stump , 1996 )
uses a combination of chemical detection and tactile senses via its tube feet to locate mates , detect its prey , and perceive its environment .
while developing as larvae in the water column , individuals of this species consume smaller planktonic organisms . as an adult , this asteroid is an opportunistic carnivore , consuming sclerectinian corals , encrusting sessile invertebrates , and dead animals . it feeds by everting its stomach through its mouth onto its prey and digesting the tissues , absorbing the nutrients through the stomach wall .
the crown - of - thorns starfish is protected from many types of predators by its long , venomous spines , though many adults ( up to 60 % within a population ) may have missing arms , indicating that predation does occur . juveniles assume more cryptic behaviors , inhabiting crevices and the undersides of ledges . predators of
( glynn , 1976 ; keesing and lucas , 1992 ; wilson , et al . , 2008 )
larissa ault ( author ) , san diego mesa college , juliet mccardle ( author ) , san diego mesa college , caitlin sussman ( author ) , san diego mesa college , paul detwiler ( editor ) , san diego mesa college , renee mulcrone ( editor ) , special projects .
living in australia , new zealand , tasmania , new guinea and associated islands .
living in sub - saharan africa ( south of 30 degrees north ) and madagascar .
living in the nearctic biogeographic province , the northern part of the new world . this includes greenland , the canadian arctic islands , and all of the north american as far south as the highlands of central mexico .
living in the southern part of the new world . in other words , central and south america .
body of water between the southern ocean ( above 60 degrees south latitude ) , australia , asia , and the western hemisphere . this is the world ' s largest ocean , covering about 28 % of the world ' s surface .
referring to an animal that lives on or near the bottom of a body of water . also an aquatic biome consisting of the ocean bottom below the pelagic and coastal zones . bottom habitats in the very deepest oceans ( below 9000 m ) are sometimes referred to as the abyssal zone . see also oceanic vent .
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment ; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature .
offspring are produced in more than one group ( litters , clutches , etc . ) and across multiple seasons ( or other periods hospitable to reproduction ) . iteroparous animals must , by definition , survive over multiple seasons ( or periodic condition changes ) .
a large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows . in insects ,
incomplete metamorphosis
is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form , and
complete metamorphosis
is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms . butterflies have complete metamorphosis , grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis .
the area in which the animal is naturally found , the region in which it is endemic .
islands that are not part of continental shelf areas , they are not , and have never been , connected to a continental land mass , most typically these are volcanic islands .
found in the oriental region of the world . in other words , india and southeast asia .
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female ; development of offspring occurs outside the mother ' s body .
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males , each of which also pairs with several different females .
a form of body symmetry in which the parts of an animal are arranged concentrically around a central oral / aboral axis and more than one imaginary plane through this axis results in halves that are mirror - images of each other . examples are cnidarians ( phylum cnidaria , jellyfish , anemones , and corals ) .
structure produced by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral polyps ( class anthozoa ) . coral reefs are found in warm , shallow oceans with low nutrient availability . they form the basis for rich communities of other invertebrates , plants , fish , and protists . the polyps live only on the reef surface . because they depend on symbiotic photosynthetic algae , zooxanthellae , they cannot live where light does not penetrate .
an animal which has an organ capable of injecting a poisonous substance into a wound ( for example , scorpions , jellyfish , and rattlesnakes ) .
) in the central great barrier reef region . results of fine - scale surveys conducted in 1999 - 2000 .
fabricius , k . , g . de ' ath . 2004 . identifying ecological change and its causes : a case study on coral reefs .
fong , p . , p . glynn . 2000 . a regional model to predict coral population dynamics in response to el nino - southern oscillation .
glynn , p . 1976 . some physical and biological determinants of coral community structure in the eastern pacific .
hay , m . , j . parker , d . burkepile , c . caudill , a . wilson , z . hallinan , a . chequer . 2004 . mutualisms and aquatic community structure : the enemy of my enemy is my friend .
( l . ) around lizard island , cairns section , great barrier reef marine park .
wilson , s . , s . burgess , a . cheal , m . emslie , r . fisher , i . miller , n . polunin , h . sweatman . 2008 . habitat utilization by coral reef fish : implications for specialists vs . generalists in a changing environment .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
an introduction to the echinoderms : the sea stars , sea urchins , sea cucumbers and more . . . by james w . fatherree , m . sc .
, the panamic crown of thorns seastar ; from the sea of cortez to peru . an a . ellisii in the sea of cortez .
bigger pix : the images in this table are linked to large ( desktop size ) copies . click on
framed
images to go to the larger size .
( linnaeus 1758 ) , the crown of thorns seastar common species in its respective range . here the two species are shown . a . plancii in moorea , french polynesia
of particular import , i ' d like to stress that these starfishes are toxic to the touch ; yes , i mean it : they are venomous .
something nice in the way of adequate space and coral , rocky space and arrangements to behaviorally adjust for light and circulation .
echinoderms are used as biological assays for pollution , quality of synthetic salt mixes and other as an indication of their sensitivity . they are among the first to be mal - affected by metabolite and / or metallic problems .
these stars and all other echinoderms have been maintained under all available system modalities , with natural and synthetic waters . frequent partial water changes and monitoring are encouraged .
is very simple . once a suitable specimen has been selected and transported to your site , drip - acclimate it over a half to full hour or so and net into the desired space .
due to obvious spininess and possibly known crunchy toxicity asteroids are generally left alone . other than the triton mollusk charonia ( pictured ) they seem to enjoy about predator - free existence in the wild . i would not put it past certain triggers , angels , puffers , large crustaceans among others to try out stars ( or most anything else ) out of boredom or hunger . certain polychaete and other worms are known to feed on sea stars .
by sexual means ( all echinoderms are dioecious , = two houses ; boys and girls ) , and fragmentation . hence the lack of logic in destroying individuals by cutting , hammering . . . programs have run their course in the p . i . ( fancy acronym for philippine islands ) , australia et al . in mano a mano ( hand to hand ) collection / removal attempts . natural mechanisms have prevailed .
typical water - vascular , optic - cup aided , tube foot crawling / pulling .
most notably a fungus ( branchiomycetes sp . ) and vibrio bacterial infections are primary sources of infectious disease mortality . proper selection ( see above ) and appropriate environment are not all a hobbyist can employ to assure on - going success . the use of a fresh water bath / dip goes a long way in freeing sea - stars ( and most all other aquarium marine invertebrates ) of undesirable parasitic , infectious and vector matter .
helwig offers griseofluvin at 250 mg per twenty gallons as a sure cure for fungal problems and furan compounds and antibiotics for bacterial difficulties . it bears repeating that all such treatments must be administered out of the main bio - system with provision for monitoring / ameliorating water quality .
once one or all related organisms in the phylum begin dissolving / otherwise dying in the system , one must act very quickly , make that immediately to arrest total wipe - out . changing 30 % plus of the system water , removing affected stock to treatment quarters is strongly indicated .
so my peek at this genus of asteroids goes . yes , they can be gorgeous , like this purple specimen in the andaman sea off of thailand ' s western coast . . .
esterbauer , hans . 1995 . the crown - of - thorns starfish . tfh 11 / 95 .
fenner , robert m . 1998 . the conscientious marine aquarist . microcosm , vt . 432pp .
herwig , nelson . 1980 . starfish , sea urchins and their kin . fama . rcm publications .
kenchington , r . a . & b . morton . two surveys of the crown of thorns starfish over a section of the great barrier reef . 1976 . aust . govt . publ . svc . , canberra .
oliver , a . p . h . 1980 . the larousse guide to shells of the world . larousse and co . , inc . new york .
raymond , robert . coral death & the crown of thorns starfish wars . mcmillan comp . of aust . pty . ltd . melbourne 1986 .
walls , jerry g . 1979 . the creepy crawly coral cruncher . tfh 1 / 79 .
a taxonomic genus within the family acanthasteridae – certain starfish , called crown - of - thorns starfish .
this page was last edited on 14 december 2017 , at 12 : 41 .
text is available under the creative commons attribution - sharealike license ; additional terms may apply . by using this site , you agree to the terms of use and privacy policy .
hall , m . r . , kocot , k . m . , baughman , k . w . , fernandez - valverde , s . l . , gauthier , m . e . a . , hatleberg , w . l . , krishnan , a . , mcdougall , c . , motti , c . a . , shoguchi , e . , wang , t . , xiang , x . , zhao , m . , bose , u . , shinzato , c . , hisata , k . , fujie , m . , kanda , m . , cummins , s . f . , satoh , n . , degnan , s . m . , degnan . b . m . the crown - of - thorns starfish genome as a guide for biocontrol of this coral reef pest . nature , 2017
warning : the ncbi web site requires javascript to function . more . . .
snsb - zoologische staatssammlung münchen , münchhausenstr . 21 , d - 81247 münchen , germany . ; email : haszprunar @ snsb . de .
snsb - zoologische staatssammlung münchen , münchhausenstr . 21 , d - 81247 münchen , germany . ; email : unknown .
1 mechanical and environmental informatics , graduate school of information science and engineering , tokyo institute of technology , 2 - 12 - 1 ookayama , meguro - ku , tokyo 152 - 8552 . japan
nina yasuda : pj . ca . hcetit . iem . vw @ adusay ;
this is an open access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution license ( urltoken ) , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original work is properly cited .
the gene arrangement , base composition , codon usage and trna structure of a . planci are similar to those of a . brevispinus . however , there are significant variations between a . planci and a . brevispinus . complete mtdna sequences are useful for the study of phylogeny , larval detection and population genetics .
the strand specific bias of the a + c content of protein - coding genes is also seen . in short , the a + c content of the h strands in a . planci and a . brevispinus are 31 . 4 % and 30 . 9 % , respectively , whereas those in the l strands are 57 . 3 % and 57 . 6 % , respectively . these values are similar to those of a . pectinifera ( 34 . 1 % for the l strand and 56 . 5 % for the h strand ) .
( forcipulatida , asteriidae ) was the most primitive taxon among asteroids . in these trees , the close affinities of species belonging to the same family ( except for asterinidae ) , showing monophyly , were well supported . in contrast , the confidence values for the branches linking different families were not so higher . the close affinity between
species was found and the asterinidae mixed together in the same group , suggesting a non - monophyletic relationship .
were the closest species showing 89 . 2 % homology between the two sequences , but these were consistently separated by 100 % bootstrap supports in the tree .
] but the monophyly of asterinidae was not clearly indicated from their ml and mp analyses as well as our data . in this study ,
( forcipulatida , asteriidae ) was the most primitive taxon among the asteroids . on the other hand , the mitochondrial
sequences was obtained , is unclear . the phylogenetic relationships among asteroids remain extremely controversial in spite of many morphological and molecular studies that have been applied to this issue [
for polymorphic marker using mtdna variation , the desirable characteristics are as follows : evolutional rate is rapid enough to distinguish among local populations and substitutions are neutral . in a . planci mtdna sequence , the largest unassigned region between trna the and 16s rrna is most variable . in this region , size variations ranging from 538 to 546 bp are observed in the 23 individuals . the variation includes 62 base substitutions and 5 deletions / insertions ranging from 1 to 5 bp ( data not shown ) . these sequences can be useful in the analysis of intraspecific variation of a . planci collected from several localities .
oligonucleotide primers were designed in accordance with sequences reported in asterina pectinifera [ 12 ] and other species in order to amplify the intervening regions . sequences were completely determined from the ends of these pcr fragments , then internally by primer walking .
three partial sequences of a . planci and a . brevispinus mtdna were obtained . they were amplified to a total volume of 100 μl containing 5 u of lataq ( takara ) , 50 μl of 2 × gc buffer i , 2 . 5 mm of mgcl 2 , 16 μl of dntps mixture ( 2 . 5 mm each ) , 0 . 5 μm of each oligonucleotide primers , and 10 to 50 ng of the genomic dna . the mixture was subjected to 40 cycles of amplification in a thermal cycler ( pc - 800 , astec ) . the oligonucleotide primers of a . planci and a . brevispinus are summarized in table 6 [ see additional file 6 ] . the first cycle was preceded by initial denaturation for 1 min at 94°c . each cycle consisted of denaturation for 30 sec at 94°c , annealing for 30 sec at 50–55°c , and extension for 7 min . the last cycle was followed by a final extension step for 10 min at 72°c .
all pcr products were electrophoresed in 1 % agarose gels and stained with ethidium bromide . the agarose gel slices containing the pcr - product band were excised under uv , and dna was purified from the agarose plug by using genelutetm agarose spin columns ( sigma ) , followed by an ethanol precipitation . amplified products were either sequenced directly or cloned into pgem - t ® easy vector in the pgem - t ® easy system ( promega ) and topoxl ® vector using the topoxl ( invitrogen ) . recombinant plasmids were extracted by the qiaprep spin miniprep kit ( qiagen ) .
all dna sequence data were determined using abi prism 3100 genetic analyzer ( applied biosystems ) dyenamic et terminator cycle sequencing kit and dyenamic terminator dilution buffer ( amersham bioscience ) .
co1 , co2 , co3 , cytochrome oxidase subunit i , ii and iii protein genes ; cytb , cytochrome b gene ; atp6 , atp8 , atp synthase subunit 6 and 8 genes ; nd1 , nd2 , nd3 , nd4 , nd4l , nd5 and nd6 , ndah dehydrogenase subunit 1–6 , 4l genes ; 12s rrna and 16s rrna , small and large ribosomal rna genes ; trna , transfer rna genes with standard 3 - letter 22 amino acid abbreviations are used . pcr - rflp , polymerase chain reaction based – restriction fragment length polymorphism .
table 5 : primer sequences for long pcr to amplify the mitochondrial dna in a . planci and a . brevispinus .


the argentine black and white tegu ( salvator merianae ) , also called the argentine giant tegu , is the largest species of tegu lizard .

they are an omnivorous species which inhabits the tropical rain forests , savannas , and semi-deserts of east and central south america .

argentine tegus have unusually high intelligence .

it has been observed and recorded that some will regularly and clearly seek out human affection , just as a dog or cat might .

some form a strong attachment to their keeper .

some have been reported to come on command ; they can also be house-broken .

like many other reptiles , argentine tegus go into brumation ( a form of hibernation ) in autumn when the temperature drops .

they exhibit a high level of activity during their wakeful period of the year .

tegus fill ecological niches similar to those of monitor lizards , and are an example of convergent evolution .

argentine black and white tegu

argentine black & white tegu setup and unboxing . . . again [ repidemic ]
black & white argentine cream giant tegu lizard . . big tame female exploring our house ! !
black & white argentine cream giant tegu lizard . . big tame female exploring our house ! ! - youtube
this argentine black and white tegu is in one of the author’s 1 , 000 - square - foot outdoor enclosures .
appearance and care : argentine black and white tegus measure 3 - 5 feet from nose to tail tip when full grown and weigh around 10 - 15 pounds , with females being smaller and lighter than males . argentine black and white tegus have white bodies with black markings and stripes .
eddmaps sightings of black - and - white tegu lizards in florida - 25 aug 2010 .
the black - and white or giant argentine tegu is established in west - central and south florida at localized sites . other tegu species that have been spotted in florida are the red tegu and gold tegu .
the argentine black and white tegu is a large , nonnative lizard that has been introduced to florida . tegus are black and white in color with banding along the tail . they can reach up to four feet in length .
these baby argentine black and white tegus ( tupinambis merianae ) are eating ground chicken . the author grinds bones into the meat .
the argentine black and white tegu ( salvator merianae ) is a large lizard that grows up to 4 feet long . it is black and white with banding along its tail . hatchlings have green on their heads which fades after a few months .
in native countries , the argentine black and white tegu is harvested for skins , the pet trade , and as a food species ( embert et al . 2010 ) .
argentine black and white tegus enjoy daily bathing and require fresh bath water each day ; unclean bath water can lead to water - borne parasites .
argentine black and white tegus are sometimes simply called black and white tegus although this can lead to confusion as there is also a colombian tegu ( which is similar but smaller and less docile ) . sometimes argentine tegus are also called giant tegus or big - headed tegus . as its common name implies , these lizards hail from argentina and other parts of south america .
history : the argentine black and white tegu is large reptile that can be found around the eastern and central parts of south america , but are most commonly seen in argentina . the argentine black and white tegu is not one of the most popular pet reptiles ; however , it is one of the best pet reptiles for the novice reptile owner . it is also one of the largest pet reptiles that is appropriate for novice reptile owners . they are also called the argentine giant tegu .
temperament : with daily socialization and gentle handling , argentine black and white tegus are one of the friendliest of pet reptiles . however , tegus vary in personality and some are far more outgoing than others ; some argentine black and white tegus will seek out attention , while others will remain slightly reserved . without socialization , argentine black and white tegus can be shy and timid , and even aggressive . they are usually not given to biting , but will if they are extremely frightened . argentine black and white tegus are intelligent and are one of the most trainable of pet reptiles ; they can be trained to come when called and do simple tricks like a dog or cat . argentine black and white tegus are happiest when kept in small groups ; they are best kept in groups of 2 - 3 , with one male per group . male tegus may fight with other males .
the researchers studied argentinian black and white tegu lizards , which can grow up to 3ft ( 1 metre ) in length , using thermal cameras .
diet : argentine black and white tegus are omnivores that eat a variety of food . argentine black and white tegus will eat almost anything that will fit in their mouths ; they eat crickets , grasshoppers , super worms , mice , rats , small reptiles , hamsters , small chicks , ferns , melons , pears , mangos , white fish such as tilapia , papaya , apples , bananas , and strawberries . large extremely hungry argentine black and white tegus could even eat small cats , kitten , tiny toy dogs and puppies ; but this rarely happens with domesticated tegus .
in 2012 a number of tegu species were reclassified from tupinambis to the previously used genus salvator . the newly proposed classification comes from a restructuring of the teiidae family based upon the study of 137 morphological characteristics . the new classification is as follows : salvator duseni ( yellow or duseni’s tegu ) , salvator rufescens ( argentine red tegu ) , salvator me rianae ( giant tegu , argentine tegu , blue tegu ) , tupinambis teguixin ( colombian black and white , gold tegu ) , tupinambis longilineus ( rhondonia tegu ) , tupinambis palustris ( swamp tegu ) , tupinambis quadrilineatus ( four - lined tegu ) .
in captivity , domestic rodents can provide the bulk of the black and white tegu’s diet . raw eggs , chicks , or other small animals can supplement the diet . keep your fingers clear when offering food because black and white tegus often display a voracious feeding response to anything that moves . aside from feeding time , black and white tegus often tame down well and may make docile pets .
multiple species are found in the international pet trade : salvator merianae ( argentine or giant black and white tegu , blue tegu ) , salvator rufescens ( red tegu ) , and tupinambis teguixin ( colombian black and white or gold tegu ) . tegus are becoming more common in the pet trade each year . although they make wonderful reptile pets , their large size and expensive appetite should give potential owners cause to pause and think about providing for a large lizard over its entire life span .
these powerful , terrestrial predators shelter in burrows after being active by day . the black and white tegu , or argentine tegu , emerges with the warming sun and actively prowls its territory in search of any small animals that it’s capable of catching and devouring . prey is subdued in the black and white tegu’s powerful jaws until all struggling ceases . large food items are ripped apart with the aid of sharp claws ; smaller items are swallowed whole .
male black and white argentine tegu * hercules * quite docile , been handled by lots of children from as young as 4 . but stroked by younger . been to family events and parties , very well behaved . excellent . . .
to view a current map of all black - and - white tegu lizard sightings in florida , click the map . to view sightings of other species of tegu lizards , go to urltoken and select a species .
a spacious cage or outdoor pen will allow for black and white tegus to dig with their strong claws . black and white tegus typically retire to their burrows for many months each season when temperatures dip below the low 70s fahrenheit , whether you want them to or not . black and white tegus may remain completely dormant , refusing food , and often stay hidden the whole time .
the team studied the argentinian black and white tegu ( salvator merianae ) , a 60 - 90 - centimetre - long lizard that lives across much of south america .
females deposit 12 to 30 eggs , which they guard jealously . hatchlings are finger - thick and 7 to 10 inches in length . black and white tegus often sport brilliant green coloration which gradually fades to tones of black and white as they mature over several years .
tupinambis teguixin has been given two common names , the golden tegu ( t . teguixin and t . cryptus ) and the black and white tegu . salvator merianae is also mostly black and white [ 18 ] . the two species of golden tegus , t . teguixin and t . cryptus , both have adult patterns of black , brown and gold / yellow / white , with adult male t . teguixin tending to be darker than t . cryptus males based upon our relatively small sample of live specimens .
jay vella supports the body of an argentine red tegu and directs the calm lizard ' s head away from his body .
argentine black & white tegus can make excellent
dog - tame
pets provided you have plenty of room for them and can afford to feed them what amounts to
a lot
of food .
it should be noted that there are multiple tegu species ; columbian tegus are not recommended as a good pet lizard . these black and white cousins are often aggressive and difficult to care for .
argentine black and white tegus are big and need large and secure enclosures . juvenile tegus can be kept in a large glass aquarium with a locking lid , but adults will need a larger specialty terrarium or a custom built cage .
in alcohol the head is olive green with some dark spotting on the crown scales . the lower jaw is yellow and heavily mottled with black pigment . the dorsum of the neck and body is mostly uniform dark brown to black with about 12 rows of indistinct spots . the ventral surface is mostly yellow with dark pigment intruding from the side along the seams of the ventrals , and some patches of dark pigment scattered . this same coloration occurs on the underside of the legs . proximally , the tail is a solid dark brown - black above with very narrow yellow rings . juvenile coloration ( based on uwimz 2012 . 27 . 42 ) is black with markings . light spot on frontal , and supraoculars outlined in white , stripe on seam of frontoparietals ; face mostly gray , with black postocular stripe extending over ear , anterior upper labials gray , posterior upper labials outlined in black ; lower labials white with black seams ; chin white ; dorsum black with 11 irregular , interrupted white cross bands ; venter white with scattered black checks ; forelimbs banded with alternating black and white bands ; hind limbs have irregular elongated yellow markings on dorsal surfaces with only a trace of black stripes on ventral surface ; tail with alternating black and white bands , and a white / yellow tail tip . coloration of juveniles and adults in life can be seen in
the tegu is the best pet lizard ; here my old tegu is sniffing for dinner .
despite their large size compared to other tegus , argentine black and whites enjoy a reputation for being more docile than their smaller counterparts . this is especially true of argentine tegus that are handled regularly from a young age .
the most serious ailment that affects argentine black and white tegus is metabolic bone disease . this is the result of a lack of uvb lighting . it & apos ; s painful for the animal and can lead to weakened bones .
female tegus are slightly smaller than their male counterparts , but both sexes have a fairly distinctive pattern of white and black dots and stripes all over their bodies .
adult argentine black and white tegus also can have a variety of fruits and vegetables added to their diets . canned dog food and eggs can be offered as a very occasional supplement , but be advised that too much protein will cause kidney failure . be sure to feed your argentine tegu their mice with a bowl or tongs to prevent accidentally getting bitten by your hungry lizard .
argentine black and white tegus enjoy soaking when they aren & apos ; t burrowing so be sure to provide a large shallow water dish that will fit your pet & apos ; s entire body . provide fresh water frequently , especially if your tegu defecates in its water .
wood , jared p . , todd s . campbell and robert b . page . 2015 . characterization of 14 novel microsatellite loci in the argentine black and white tegu ( salvator merianae ) via 454 pyrosequencing . amphibia - reptilia 36 ( 4 ) : 444 - 449 - get paper here
the argentine black and white tegu , tupinambis merianae , is the largest lizard on our best pet list . it is important to note that adult tegus require more space than the average owner is willing to provide , but if that isn ' t an issue for you then a tegu might be a great choice as a pet lizard .
muscat , edelcio ; fabio olmos & elsie rotenberg 2016 . salvator merianae ( black and white tegu ) scavaging around the nests of fregata magnificens ( frigatebird ) . herpetological bulletin ( 135 ) - get paper here
adult male red tegu 5 years + nice and tame and a good eater .
rêgo , b . d . p . , kolodiuk , m . f . , meira - ribeiro , m . & freire , e . m . x . 2017 . salvator merianae ( argentine black - and - white tegu ) diet . herpetological review 48 ( 3 ) : 660 .
monitors / tegus cb18 baby argentine black & white tegus ( salvator merianae ) £399 . 99each cf17 asian water monitors ( varaus salvator - sumatra ) £185 . 00 each ( 1 left ) cf17 baby roughneck monitor lizard , . . .
one of the two largest terrestrial lizards in the new world , the argentine black and white tegu , tupinambis merianae , is one of the seven currently recognized species of tegu lizards ( genus tupinambis , all south american ) . its sister species , the red tegu ( tupinambis rufescens ) rivals its size ; both can reach a total length of 145 cm ( 57 inches ) , with large heads and jaws . the argentine black and white tegu is an abundant species , found in a wide breadth of habitat types from ocean beaches to savannahs and disturbed areas such as forest edges , clearings , and roadsides up to elevations of 1250 m ( 4100 ft ) . it is a terrestrial animal but also a good swimmer ( embert et al . 2010 ; enge 2006 ) .
we have captive born and bred argentine black and white tegus for sale at unbeatably low prices . this species is known for becoming quite tame in captivity , and attaining a size of nearly four feet . they are omnivorous , meaning they will eat plant and animal material . when you buy a tegu from us , you automatically receive our 100 % live arrival guarantee .
some of the author’s tegu enclosures include pampas grass , a plant native to south america . it’s the grass clump with the white tufts .
habitat : full grown argentine black and white tegus are fairly large and require a large habitat to live in . argentine black and white tegus require at least a 60 square foot home to live in ; the focus of the enclosure should be more on length and width than on height . when setting up an enclosure for an argentine black and white tegu , owners should try to imitate their natural humid and tropical habitat as much as possible . the bottom of the aquarium or enclosure should be lined with about three - inches of astro - turf , bark chips , or peat soil . the aquarium or enclosure should include some large flat rocks and branches for the lizard to bask , climb and sleep on . the enclosure should also include a reptile hide for the lizard to sleep in and a large pan of water for them to bathe in . the enclosure can also include some real plants ; however , as the tegu will eat them , owners need to be sure they are non - toxic . the temperature in the enclosure should be around 80 fahrenheit in the daytime , and about 75 fahrenheit at night time , and the basking area should be around 100 - 110 fahrenheit ; the basking light should be used only during the daytime . owners will need to mist the aquarium once to twice a day , since the argentine black and white tegu needs to have around 70 percent humidity .
teixeira , adonias aphoena martins , diégo alves teles , josé guilherme goncalves de sousa , érica gomes da silva and waltécio de oliveira almeida . 2016 . salvator merianae ( black and white tegu ) diet . herpetological review 47 ( 1 ) : 139 - 140
hi , ive recently adopted a rescued argentian black and white tegu . his feet have grown weird due to a calcium deficiency and he obviously hasnt been handled much . im giving him calcium powder daily and calcium / d3 supplement 2x weekly . would you have any advice on nursing him back to health ?
i just got my new argentine tegu from you guys today and he is gorgeous . i am happy with my purchase from backwater reptiles and would without question use them again ! thanks so much guys ! !
the black and white , gold and blue tegus are all smaller members of the genus , growing to a size of roughly 3 feet and weighing 7 pounds . they have similar diets and behaviour , and inhabit similar climates . these three species can be found as far north as
argentine black and white tegus are breeding in parts of miami - dade and hillsborough counties . the large south florida population is centered in florida city and is spreading to new areas . there is also a small breeding population of gold tegus in miami - dade county . red tegus have been seen in florida but are not known to be breeding .
color in alcohol . crown has uniform to slightly mottled plates which are mostly dark brown ; face is brown - black with mottling on upper labials , loreal and first subocular ; chin is olive green ; throat is mostly olive green with some yellow and black mottling ; trunk is darkly pigmented with six to eight rows of indistinct spots laterally ; dorsal surface of legs uniform dark brown with some traces of round white spots ; ventral surface is yellow - red with some black intruding laterally , and black often along the seams of the ventral plates ; tail is uniform dark brown above and laterally and ventrally ; distally banded with indistinct wide black yellow bands .
argentine black and white tegus are diurnal ( active during the day ) , so they need exposure to full spectrum uva , and uvb lighting like the sun provides . they also need a source of heat . while it is true that tegus can tolerate cooler temperatures , for proper health and digestion , daytime temperatures should be between 80 and 85 degrees , with a basking spot between 100 and 110 degrees .
two other tegu species have been found in south florida and have the potential to become invasive . the gold tegu ( tupinambis teguixin ) grows to 2–3 feet long and has black and gold stripes down its body . red tegus ( salvator rufescens ) can reach up to 4 . 5 feet and the males have large jowls .
hello just held a tegu for the first time and it was an amazing experience what would you recommend size wise would suite a tegu for an inclosure / home and what humidity level what you have for a tegu . like your artical very much . thank you
this is queen again , walking around our house after her bath . . she is all fresh and clean smelling good and not like chicken livers lol she is an adult black & white argentine cream tegu and is about 3 . 5 feet long , she is 3 years old . . a big girl with a huge appetite and a huge heart . . she loves getting all the affection she can ! ! she is such a good girl , we love her ! !
i ' d recommend against it , if either animal suddenly spazzed and bit or injured the other it could end really badly , especially an adult argentine tegu . i ' ve set my tegu down with my dogs around before quickly and they only sniffed him but i doubt i ' d do prolonged contact . an adult tegu roughly has the same jaw strength as an adult german shepherd so even a cat could be fatally injured should the tegu freak out
the giant black and white tegus of south america are among the most intelligent and highly adapted of all living lizards . they typically inhabit forest - edge savannahs and adjacent rain forests of argentina and parts of brazil and uruguay . they are largely terrestrial , and spend copious amounts of time in deep burrows which afford protection from dehydration and extreme temperatures .
this page is only meant to be a jumping off point . there are many great care sheets ( see links below ) out there already . here are some of the major points regarding black & white tegus :
but is a tegu the best lizard to share a house with ? definitely .
i commend the author for actually recognizing that cat food is legitimate tegu food .
the argentine black and white tegu ( salvator merianae ) lives across much of south america and grows to between 60 and 90 centimetres long . it was thought to be like most other cold - blooded reptiles and stay the same temperature as its surroundings . indeed , a team led by glenn tattersall of brock university in canada and cleo leite at the federal university of são carlos in brazil has found that , for much of the year , tegus cool down when the sun sets , reaching a low similar to that of their burrows in the early morning .
my tegu is thriving on cat food . i do go out of my way to buy the kind made for silly human
pet parents
who want their carnivorous cat to have peas , carrots , greens , potatoes , and rice . foolish to give a cat , but my omnivorous argentine red tegu loves it .
this is the best tegu care information i’ve found yet ! thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom .
when you buy an argentine black and white tegu from us , you receive our 100 % ironclad live arrival guarantee . please read the details of our guarantee before ordering . because we responsibly offer reptiles for sale online ( as well as amphibians , tarantulas , and scorpions ) , we reserve the right to delay your order upon the fairly rare occurrence of unacceptable weather conditions . this is strictly for the safety of the animal ( s ) , and you will be notified by e - mail if this does occur .
that diet is okay for a monitor lizard , but not really needed for a tegu .
srbek - araujo , a . c . , sousa , j . a . c . , campinhos , e . c . , nóbrega , y . c . & clemente - carvalho , r . b . g . 2017 . salvator merianae ( teiú , black - and - white tegu ) poaching . herpetological review 48 ( 3 ) : 660 - 661 .
color in alcohol . crown has mottled plates which are mostly dark with light areas ; face is brown - black with light spots on each scale ; chin is olive green ; throat is mostly olive green with some yellow ; neck red brown with gray vermiculated pattern ; trunk is a mosaic of light and dark indistinct bands ; dorsal surface of legs vermiculated with red brown and yellow - gray ; ventral surface is yellow with some black intruding laterally , and black along the seams of the ventral plates ; tail is uniform red brown above and laterally , yellow ventrally , distally striped with wide black and slightly narrower yellow bands .
the researchers behind the new discovery say tegu lizards appear to share the qualities of both cold and warm blooded animals .
i ' ve been doing research on them on and off for years . argentina black and white has always been a dream reptile but always for
one day
. well that day is drawing nearer . i ' m starting to dig deeper and finding some other questions / concerns . my main one being my other pets .
kaiser , bernard w . , kimberly j . osorio , kevin m . enge and richard m . engeman . 2013 . tupinambis merianae ( argentine giant tegu ) ; pantherophis guttatus ( red cornsnake ) non - predatory killing . herpetological review 44 ( 2 ) : 329
argentine giant tegu lizards–like the black - and - white tegus used in the study–live throughout south america ; the individuals in this study live in a large , leafy enclosure in brazil . they’re not endangered at all , and are pretty chill behavior - wise . people , being people , take tegus as pets , and apparently , sometimes it actually works out . tegus are very smart , and if they grow up around people , they’re pretty okay with being pets . here’s a video of a guy talking about his pet red tegu macgyver . apparently , macgyver responds to his own name ( or at least knows to turn toward his person when they call in a the “hey , buddy ! c’mere” voice . )
•is a tegu able to adjust to a different environment tenporarily ( holidays , for example ) .
a lot of sites will recommend that the tegu diet be composed of canned cat food , ground turkey , eggs , and calcium and vitamin supplements .
justification : the black and white tegu is listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , tolerance of a broad range of habitats , large population , and because it is unlikely to be undergoing significant population declines to qualify for listing in a more threatened category . since this species is hunted for its skins and for local consumption , it is recommended that research is undertaken to ensure that any population declines are noted , and trade and harvest management plans are put in place where needed .
avoid wood chips , ground corn cobs , or stone gravel due to the risk of ingestion . you should also avoid indoor / outdoor carpeting since it is likely to get shredded in your argentine tegu & apos ; s digging attempts and the stray threads can pose a risk of entangling its nails and toes .
surprisingly , argentine black & white tegus come from argentina where it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter . tegus in captivity need a basking spot of about 100 - 110 degrees during the spring and summer . the rest of the cage should be in the 80s during the day and at night the temperatures can drop safely into the low 70s . a winter cooldown period is recommended as these guys hibernate in their native country . most tegus will choose to hibernate starting in september regardless of temperatures .
hatchling black and white tegus are rarely over 8 inches in length and can be comfortably kept in a 30 gallon terrarium for the first months of their lives . as they grow , they will need continually larger enclosures allowing for proper exercise , burrowing activities , and thermoregulation . young animals can be housed communally , but monitor them closely for food - related aggression and for size discrepancies .
just in case you were not aware , there are good and responsible people out there who have never owned a tegu before .
tattersall believes that the tegu may represent such a transition state from cold - to warm - bloodedness .
argentine black and white tegus make excellent pets . they are very intelligent and extremely friendly . they are interested in people , including new people , and like to know what is going on . they can learn their name and be trained to come when called . when adult sized , they will sleep in your bed with you if you wish . t . merianae is omnivorous and very easy to feed - - while their diet should be balanced and moderately rodential , you can feed them nearly any table scraps . they like fruit such as strawberries , oranges , and cantaloupe . they are especially cute when eating left - over chinese takeout .
. everyone was saying how cool and tame argentine black & whites are . man , were they right . jasper is certainly one of the most interesting and laid back of all my lizards . dog tame ? why yes , yes he is ! i was completely unprepared for the rapid growth rate , however . we found ourselves throwing away a couch to make room for a giant tegu cage . cool , yes . but i cannot stress the
they get really big really fast part
either . be prepared ! check out the video that makes everyone want a tegu at
specimens from nearly every size range overlap into each category . some of the animals that make excellent household pets are leopard geckos ( eublepharis macularius ) , bearded dragons ( pogona vitticeps ) , argentine black - and - white ( tupinambis merianae ) or red tegus ( tupinambis rufescens ) , corn snakes ( elaphe guttata ) , ball pythons ( python regius ) , and rosy boas ( lichanura trivirgata ) . some larger animals that make great pets are red - tailed boas ( boa constrictor ) , burmese pythons ( python molurus bivittatus ) and reticulated pythons .
although native to southeastern brazil , eastern paraguay , uraguay , and argentina south to rosario ( 33 o s latitude ) , argentine black and white tegus have become an invasive pest in florida . established breeding populations currently in miami - dade , polk and hillsborough counties are thought to have been founded by escaped individuals from breeders and released / escaped pets . one invasion in hillsborough county was traced back to paraguayan origin , possibly descendants from breeder release of less healthy individuals imported under cites between 2000 - 2002 when the paraguay government allowed an annual export of about 1500 individuals ( enge 2006 ) .
juvenile argentine tegus can be fed a diet largely composed of gut - loaded crickets dusted with a calcium / vitamin supplement , along with some other feeder insects for variety , such as readily available mealworms and waxworms .
tegu is the common name for a species complex of large lizards . the name comes from the nahuatl ( aztec )
3 year old adult blue tegu female not very tame , has a few scars from breeding . eats very well .
once your tegu is accustomed to your presence and tolerates being held , he / she can then be exposed to new situations that lead to socialization .
if your tegu has been spoiled by a meat diet , and is relucant to eat veggies , you can make a small plate each feeding and cover it with a raw egg .
i have a young argentine black and white tegu and i plan on treating him the same as my iguana . my cat goes into the bedroom for most of the roaming time but is closely supervised when they are together . my iguana has been trained to not be territorial and knows he shares his space . my iguana would also be a great threat as his nails are very sharp and pain whips are very painful . but as long as they ' re monitored they seem to be fine . my cat mostly just follows behind him as he roams . when my tegu is old enough he will be in a very similar situation . i make sure there is no living prey so there is nothing he needs to hunt . right now he eats as much as he wants and is never left hungry . his enclosure right now is around other enclosures he can easily see into and is used to constant movement and interaction . we ' ll see how he gets on !
nine months out of the year , argentine giant tegu lizards split their time between basking in the sun to recharge their cold - blooded bodies , digging the underground burrows where they sleep at night , and hunting insects . however , when their mating season begins , these cold - blooded creatures warm up . and stay warm , even while sequestered in their sunless burrows .
your house or apartment is probably heated , so the cold will not be that bad if the tegu is kept in an enclosure inside the house . so yes , you can definitely keep a tegu even if the temperature outside is cold .
tl ; dr , i see you are very experienced and educated person that cares about her pets . i think your tegu will be awesome and will not present any danger to cats .
if you are considering purchasing a tegu , there a number of well - known breeders in the us and europe . although many countries are closing their borders to export in an effort to protect their natural fauna , wild - caught specimens from south america can still be found each year . wild - caught tegus from southern florida are also showing up in the pet trade . buyers should be cautioned to ask about the origins of the tegu for sale if they are wanting a captive born and bred animal . familiarity with the different species is suggested as less valuable tegus such as t . teguixin are often sold as “black and white tegus” to unknowing customers looking to purchase s . merianae .
i have researched several reptiles , but the tegu is the one that has caught my attention the most . i am just wondering : is the tegu an ideal starter pet ? i am very inquisitive , so be prepared for a lot of questions :
color in alcohol . crown dark brown with darker spots on some of the scales ; face uniform dark brown ; chin is uniform gray black ; no spots on antegulars and gulars ; throat is gray with some yellow ; neck dark brown with dark 3–4 darker bands ; trunk mostly uniform with 11 or 12 light spots in a dorsolateral row on each side ; dorsal surface of legs uniform brown and gray ; posterior thigh with some mottling ; ventral surface is yellow with some black intruding laterally , and scattered black spots on the ventral plates ; tail is mostly uniform anteriorly , banded distally , but last half missing .
the argentine black and white tegu ( salvator merianae ) use burrows as a way to retain heat overnight , avoiding dropping to the surface temperatures of the south american night . they then go further than this from september to december , somehow raising their body temperature by as much as 10° celsius . they didn’t seem to be shivering , which is a trick employed by female pythons to warm their eggs , and were thought to maybe be using a hormone to increase the metabolic rate of their liver or heart . whatever the trigger , it somehow stood up to isolation from both sunlight and food stimuli . researchers were actually so surprised by this endothermic ( internally heated ) activity that they actually extended the study to three years of observations to ensure they hadn’t somehow mismeasured what was happening .
as your tegu gets older , it can be fed pinkie mice and eventually adult mice , pre - killed or frozen thawed . but use caution if the mice you are feeding have fur as it may cause intestinal impaction ( meaning the tegu can & apos ; t digest the fur ) .
meet george the white throat monitor very tame and friendly feeding locusts crickets chicken breast cut up tong fed she’s just under a year old so still got a lot of growing to do . comes in 4x4x2 . . .
it really depends on the tegu . i prefer to have a cage so that he can climb in and i can close it when my door is open , and the other animals are in the house . if your cage is open and your door is open your tegu is more likely to escape . ( think of him more like a housecat , not a dog . )
tegus eat fruits , vegetables , eggs , insects , dog or cat food , and small animals like lizards and rodents . in florida , tegus have dug into alligator and turtle nests and eaten the eggs . a growing and spreading tegu population is a threat to native wildlife such as crocodiles , sea turtles , ground - nesting birds , and small mammals .
chris hemsworth kicks off filming for the star - studded men in black spin - off as he cuts a sharp figure in london . . . 21 years after the first film hit screens
almeida , rony peterson santos , jefferson oliveira lima and eduardo josé dos reis dias . 2015 . salvator merianae ( tegu ) diet . herpetological review 46 ( 3 ) : 436
the tegu’s diet includes fruits , eggs , insects , and small animals such as lizards and rodents . if available , tegus have been known to be attracted to and eat cat or dog food . it is recommended that pet food not be left outside to avoid attracting tegus and other animals .
one of the common complaints about keeping exotic pets is how difficult it is to feed them . dogs and cats can be fed just by going out and buying food from the pet store . what about a tegu ?
spix was based upon five syntypes and all are extant . hoogmoed and gruber [
hanslowe , e . b . , calafiore , c . v . , sykes , k . n . , van ee , n . , falk , b . g . , adams , a . a . y . & reed , r . n . 2017 . salvator merianae ( argentine tegu ) attempted predation . herpetological review 48 ( 3 ) : 659 - 660 .
during the mating season tegu lizards were found to be able to maintain body temperatures up to 10°c above their surrounding borrows , even during cold mornings when temperatures fell to their lowest . thermal imaging ( pictured ) showed mating tegu in their burrows at around 6am in the morning were far hotter than normal
having this large water dish will also help you achieve the ideal 60 to 80 percent relative humidity in your tegu & apos ; s environment ( a hygrometer will help you monitor the humidity level ) . misting the enclosure with water will also aid in keeping the environment the way your tegu likes it .
this is useful for identification since some taxa tend to have two ciliaries in contact with the last supraocular , while others tend to have three . the white markers denote the ciliaries in contact with the last supraocular .
no one knows how the tegu generates its heat . it may secrete a hormone that causes tissue to go into overdrive , producing heat in the process .
the red tegu , on the other hand , is larger than its congenerics ( up to 4 . 5 feet and 25 pounds ) , and has a differnt diet . its native range is restricted to northern argentina . they prey upon small
here are some suggestions for what you can feed your tegu . do not worry if you get things a little wrong . tegus are forgiving , and not likely to develop nutritional diseases like iguanas and some other lizards . if you feed your tegu correctly , he may grow a little slower than those on a potent , high - protein , monitor - type diet . he might also live longer .
etymology . this lizard is named after the venezuela state it occurs in , zulia . we suggest the english common name maracaibo basin tegu lizard for this species .
the first known warm - blooded lizard , the tegu , can heat itself to as much as 10 °c above its surroundings – making it unique among reptiles .
for adult argentine tegus , plan on at least a 6 - foot by 3 - foot by 2 - foot enclosure . unlike other lizards , taller cages are not necessary for tegus as they do not stand on their hind legs or climb trees .
it is believed that tegu populations in florida were founded by escaped or released pets . the fwc is currently working with other agencies and organizations to assess the threat of this species and develop management strategies , including targeted trapping and removal . the goal of these partnerships is to minimize the impact of tegus on native wildlife and natural areas .
my own tegu has roam of the house whenever he wants it . he clambers out of his tank about once a day and goes wandering around , maybe comes and stares at me until i feed him , and / or then either goes off to wander around and end up sleeping somewhere , or else comes back and stares at me until i put him back in his tank .
one of the major draws to owning tegus is their typically calm demeanor and ease of handling . babies should be handled regularly from an early age to ensure proper adjustment to human presence . argentine tegus rarely bite , but more often will squirm about in your hands . tegus are very smart , and even this behavior will go away with time as they begin to trust you . avoid hand feeding , as the last thing you want is a hungry tegu that associates any part of your body with food !
heather , potentially all reptile pets can carry salmonella , but it is not really an issue unless you are immunocomprimised , like to give your tegu open mouth kisses , or are used to sharing a feeding dish with your tegu . seriously , it is not something to worry about . use common sense by washing your hands after handling your herps and you will be fine .
the discovery may provide a clue to how warm - bloodedness evolved , says tattersall , because tegu might represent a transition state from cold - to warm - bloodedness .
but biologists have discovered tegu lizards , also called salvator merianae , raise their body temperature 18°f ( 10°c ) above the ambient temperature at night during the mating season .
in 1970 , argentine tegus were introduced as a means to control rats on the island of fernando de noronha ( a unesco world heritage site ) located 200 miles ( 354 km ) off the coast of northeastern brazil . this non - native population remains established , and while controlled , threatens seabird and turtle populations ( embert et al . 2010 ) .
and while there are other reptiles that can stay warmer than the environment , such as female pythons that shiver to heat their eggs , the tegu is unique in the size of the temperature rise , and in the fact that the phenomenon exists in both sexes .
a sick tegu may have dry patchy skin , swelling around its nasal passages , and unusual bumps in its limbs . if its eyes are cloudy or it seems lethargic , these may be signs of a sick lizard .
tegu & cat owner here - and the tegu is free roam . here ' s what we did : we got our boy as a hatchling , and put his cage on the fireplace in the living room - where he saw the cats all day , and they saw him . we handled him every day , and all throughout him growing up , we ' d make sure we sat with him with the cats , put him on the cats , let the cats sniff him . . . etc etc . always under strict supervision .
tegus are not like a dog or cat in that they cannot be trusted with small animals . if you have a hamster , gerbil , or other small animal it must always be caged when your tegu is strolling around the house . my parrot can handle himself in a fight but he always treads carefully when the tegu is running around the house .
kasperoviczus , karina n . ; adolf carl krüger , otavio a . v . marques 2015 . an elongated meal : the tegu lizard salvator merianae eats snakes and amphisbaenians herpetology notes 8 : 21 - 23 - get paper here
keep your tegu separated from your other animals , it ' s not a reptilian puppy , it ' s a very large and very intelligent macropredator more than capable of breaking a cat ' s neck with a single snap .
i preferred to work with our ball python , emperor scorpion , or red phase screech owl because they elicited a greater response from the public . the tegu , unfortunately , seemed to underwhelm people . voted up and interesting .
my son has a black and white tegu he got at a trade show over a year ago that was almost full grown . he keeps it in his room in a 6 by 3 foot cage . the smell is overwhelming when i open the door . i am constantly on him about cleaning the cage . it must be unhealthy to live with that smell in the room . to make matters worse he tells me he has a hard time handling it because it is so aggressive . i ' m almost at the point of forcing him to give it up . is there anything that can be done at this point to calm the tegu down so he can handle and enjoy having it and not be afraid of it every time he opens the door to feed it ? the smell is the biggest concern for me and if there is a health hazard for my son in sharing a room with it . is it a bad idea to keep it in his room ? even with the smell and not being able to handle it my son is adamant about keeping the lizard .
cons : omnivorous , requiring both insects and vegetation in their diet and fresh greens every day .
so , i ' ve been wanting an argentina b & w tegu for a couple years now , i have smaller reptile experience ( columbian boa , ball python , chameleons , cresties , leachie , garg , beardie , red footed tortoises , uromastyx , and i breed morphed leopards , along with a few rescues here and there ) . i ' ve been blessed to never have any health issues with any of my reptiles ( other than the rescues but meds go a long way ) . but no monitor experience other than playing with my friends black throats and tegus .
if you do not handle your tegu they can become aggressive . they have teeth that will slice through flesh and wild tegus are responsible for a lot of the dogs in our area walking around with hunks missing from their noses .
heat lamps often make tegu enclosures too warm , so watch the temperatures . the basking spot should be between 90 and 100 degrees fahrenheit . the rest of the enclosure should be in the 80s . always arrange heat lamps and uv light bulbs so tegus cannot touch them . strong wire mesh between the lamps and tegus is best .
this is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center . ( privacy policy )
a log or box for hiding should be provided and should be kept slightly damp with wet sphagnum moss , to aid with shedding and as a source of humidity for the animal & apos ; s environment . chances are your tegu will spend most of its time in this hiding spot .
tegu lizards were thought to be cold - blooded creatures much like other reptiles , but a new study has found they are capable of raising their own body temperature far above their surroundings .
specimens collected were covered by trinidad and tobago forestry division special game licenses issued to jcm and rml on june 18 , 2012 and june 5 , 2013 .
also i ' d love any sort of feed back , helpful hints , tips , thing you wish you knew with your first tegu ect . throw all the info you want at me . worst case i ' ll reread info and remember it better and best case i ' ll learn something new ! thanks and sorry for the long post !
this was an interesting read dr mark . i ' m a reptile lover my self , have a burmese python and a horned lizard . i ' ve seen a couple of animal shows on tegu ' s in miami and they are portrayed as being very aggressive and will bite off fingers . guess i should do a little more research on them .