# Monitors and Tegus?



## VARNYARD (May 4, 2010)

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
> Jump to: navigation, search
> Scaled reptiles
> Fossil range: Jurassic-recent PreÃ?ÂÃ¢â?¬Å¾Ã?ÂÃ¢â?¬Å¾OSDCPTJKPgN
> ...



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.


----------



## lilgonz (May 4, 2010)

Good information, thanks for sharing.


----------



## Adam87 (May 4, 2010)

every one asks me that too, are monitors related to tegus? and i say no


----------



## Hokurai (Feb 21, 2011)

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 (Feb 22, 2011)

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


----------



## Guest (Feb 22, 2011)

They are both reptiles ..

They are both lizards .. 

I would say they are closely related ..


----------



## Thumper (Sep 21, 2011)

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 (Sep 21, 2011)

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


----------



## james.w (Sep 21, 2011)

What makes tegus more evolved?


----------



## new2tegus (Sep 22, 2011)

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 (Sep 22, 2011)

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


----------



## got10 (Sep 22, 2011)

no they are not


----------



## james.w (Sep 22, 2011)

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


----------



## reptileman (Sep 22, 2011)

Nice info thanx care ....care sheets any one


----------



## Thumper (Sep 22, 2011)

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!


----------



## kellen.watkins (Sep 26, 2011)

Adaption is evolution, either way all are amazing creatures (DINOSAURS!)


----------

