Golden tegu (Tupinambis teguixin)

Short answers

Golden tegu: How big does the enclosure need to be?

At least 200×100×100 cm for one animal (a pair ~250×160×160 cm); deep substrate they can dig in, at least 30 cm.

Golden tegu: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 28–32 °C, basking spot 45–55 °C (basking surface 50–57 °C), at night 22–25 °C.

Golden tegu: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4).

Golden tegu: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20 (–25) years.

Golden tegu: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

28–32 °C

Night temperature

22–25 °C

Basking spot

45–55 °C (basking surface 50–57 °C)

Humidity

60–80 % (humid zone), drier under the basking spot

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4)

Enclosure

Minimum size

at least 200×100×100 cm for one animal (a pair ~250×160×160 cm); deep substrate they can dig in, at least 30 cm

Substrate

A deep soil and sand mix they can dig in (at least 30 cm), roots, cork and stones, a water basin

Feeding

Food

Insects, rodents, chicks, egg, fish, a little fruit; omnivorous

Feeding interval

adults ~2×/week, juveniles every other day to daily

Key facts

Adult size

~90–100 cm (up to ~120 cm) total length

Life expectancy

15–20 (–25) years

Origin

Northern South America (the Amazon basin, Colombia / Venezuela / Guyana) – tropical and warm

Protection status

CITES Appendix II / EU Regulation Annex B

Brumation

No real winter rest (a tropical origin, no brumation – unlike the Argentinian Salvator tegus); possibly a slight seasonal reduction

Cohabitation

Keep singly. Gold tegus are kept alone: they are predatory and defensive, and the husbandry sources describe only single-animal enclosures. Put together only for mating and separate afterwards; never keep males together.

Notes

A tropical tegu with NO need for brumation (a clear difference from the Salvator tegus). Often more nervous and wilder than the Argentine species. A powerful digger → deep substrate matters.

Do you keep this species?

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Look for Golden tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Golden tegu (Tupinambis cryptus) – Intermediate
• Four-striped tegu (Tupinambis quadrilineatus) – Intermediate
• White tegu (Tupinambis matipu) – Intermediate
• Zulia tegu (Tupinambis zuliensis) – Intermediate
• Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) – Intermediate
• Yellow tegu (Salvator dracaena) – Intermediate
• Chilean dwarf tegu (Callopistes maculatus) – Intermediate
• Caiman lizard (Dracaena guianensis) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Golden tegu (Tupinambis teguixin) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (at least 200×100×100 cm for one animal (a pair ~250×160×160 cm); deep substrate they can dig in, at least 30 cm), substrate (A deep soil and sand mix they can dig in (at least 30 cm), roots, cork and stones, a water basin), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.