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Monitors and Tegus?

VARNYARD

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Are tegus monitors?

Here is the Scientific classification of tegus:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Family: Teiidae

Genus: Tupinambis


And this is the Scientific classification of the monitor:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Scleroglossa

Infraorder: Anguimorpha

Superfamily: Varanoidea

Family: Varanidae

Genus: Varanus


As you can see, they split at Squamata, what is Squamata?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Scaled reptiles
Fossil range: Jurassic-recent PreÃ?Âââ?¬Å¾Ã?Âââ?¬Å¾OSDCPTJKPgN
range of Squamata
This article is about the Squamata order of reptiles. For the Roman scale armour, see Lorica squamata.
Squamata, or the scaled reptiles, is the largest recent order of reptiles, including lizards and snakes. Members of the order are distinguished by their skins, which bear horny scales or shields. They also possess movable quadrate bones, making it possible to move the upper jaw relative to the braincase. This is particularly visible in snakes, which are able to open their mouths very wide to accommodate comparatively large prey. They are the most variably-sized order of reptiles.

As you can see, tegus are not even close to being related to monitors. They are from the family of Teiidae, and monitors are from the family of Varanidae, now both are reptiles. That is just as close as a mouse and a human, both are mammals, however they are not anywhere close in relation. Much like us, and the common house mouse.
 

Hokurai

New Member
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24
But house mice live quite close to humans, quite often in the same house. I'm not sure about monitors and tegus, but I'm pretty sure they live much farther apart. =P
 

myotis

New Member
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36
Great Post! You should add more info to the Tegu part. I think monitors and tegu's share the same suborder. Brittanica encyclopedia and itis.gov say that they share a suborder of autarchoglossa. From what I read, scleroglossa was broken up into Gekkota and autarchoglassa. So is autarchoglossa the infraorder? Clarification would be nice thx
 
G

Guest

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They are both reptiles ..

They are both lizards ..

I would say they are closely related ..
 

Thumper

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46
Guest said:
They are both reptiles ..

They are both lizards ..

I would say they are closely related ..

Monitors are from Africa, Australia, and Asia. Tegus are from South America. Another difference to note is Tegus hibernate and monitors do not. I've noticed lizards that hibernat have large fat stores whereas when I see monitors they look much more slim.
 

kellen.watkins

New Member
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668
tegus are a new world species where as monitors are an old world species, tegus tails fall off and can regenerate where as monitors lack that, my personal opinion tegus are a more evolved monitor
 

new2tegus

New Member
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277
I wouldn't say a more evolved monitor, but any animal that can adapt a good defense mechanism like dropping a tail to get a way, is more evolved. Just my opinion not an evolved monitor, just more evolved.
 

kellen.watkins

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new2tegus took the words outta my mouth, and the hibernation ability, you throw a monitor in argentina where tegus hibernate it will more than likely die, you throw a tegu in a lot of places where monitors are it will thrive, i didnt mean to call a tegu an evolved monitor i meant more evolved
 

james.w

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What about iguanas? They can drop their tail as well. Being able to hibernate is more of an adaptation than an evolution issue.
 

Thumper

New Member
Messages
46
I wouldn't say one is more evolved than the other. Monitors are pretty amazing creatures. I think tegus make better pets though especially the argentinians because they are more cold tolerant. To say one is more evolved than another is somewhat silly. Maybe that's what I like about monitors and tegus, it's like having pet dinosaurs!
 

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