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Description
Common Name: Green Monitor Tegu

Scientific Name: Salvaranus viridis

Length: 1.8 to 2 meters

Weight: 10 to 15 kilograms

Diet: Eggs, small reptiles, birds, small mammals, and carrion

Distribution: The open grassland and wooded areas in the Great Pampas in South America

Lifespan: 10-15 years

Description: The green monitor tegu is a species of lizard that has taken the role that was held by monitor lizards in the Old World. Since monitor lizards didn’t migrate to New World, other lizards took these niches such as the tegu. However, they didn’t have a similar body shape to the monitors, being bulkier and slower. With the changing environment and their prey getting faster, the tegu started to evolve adaptations closer to monitor lizards.
The green monitor tegu is olive-green in color which helps it blend into the grasses. The teeth of the tegu are used for tearing into the prey and ripping it apart. Its claws are used for digging up burrows and protection. However, it also uses its claws to climb up trees, allowing it to reach bird nests and semi-arboreal animals. The tail of the tegu can be used as a weapon, due to it being long and thick. The tegu will smack any attacker with and then run away after.
The tegus are very unique when it comes to their territory since the males will fight to get more territory. Every once in a while, these lizards will venture beyond their area to claim more territory. If two tegus met each other, the tegus will wrestle each other until one gets knocks over on their back. The winning tegu will then take some space of the other tegu’s territory of the losing tegu. This makes it so the strongest males have the most space and get a lot of mates.

Description
Common Name: Green Monitor Tegu

Scientific Name: Salvaranus viridis

Length: 1.8 to 2 meters

Weight: 10 to 15 kilograms

Diet: Eggs, small reptiles, birds, small mammals, and carrion

Distribution: The open grassland and wooded areas in the Great Pampas in South America

Lifespan: 10-15 years

Description: The green monitor tegu is a species of lizard that has taken the role that was held by monitor lizards in the Old World. Since monitor lizards didn’t migrate to New World, other lizards took these niches such as the tegu. However, they didn’t have a similar body shape to the monitors, being bulkier and slower. With the changing environment and their prey getting faster, the tegu started to evolve adaptations closer to monitor lizards.
The green monitor tegu is olive-green in color which helps it blend into the grasses. The teeth of the tegu are used for tearing into the prey and ripping it apart. Its claws are used for digging up burrows and protection. However, it also uses its claws to climb up trees, allowing it to reach bird nests and semi-arboreal animals. The tail of the tegu can be used as a weapon, due to it being long and thick. The tegu will smack any attacker with and then run away after.
The tegus are very unique when it comes to their territory since the males will fight to get more territory. Every once in a while, these lizards will venture beyond their area to claim more territory. If two tegus met each other, the tegus will wrestle each other until one gets knocks over on their back. The winning tegu will then take some space of the other tegu’s territory of the losing tegu. This makes it so the strongest males have the most space and get a lot of mates.