# Paraguayan vs Argentine?? whats the difference?



## Jacobhreptiles (Mar 3, 2015)

okay so as i have posted I'll be getting a red tegu soon and with all my searching I've noticed Argentines(obviously and a lot more commonly) but i see paraguayans too and was just wondering if there are like real differences between the 2? size, attitude, food(if they seem to favor some foods or not eat others), colors, lifespan, etc. i know its a weird thing to ask but i am really curious because i have nnevver seen anyone specifically say they have a paraguayan.


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## Roadkill (Mar 4, 2015)

The biggest part of the problem is that people are associating a value and a meaning to names that aren't backed up, there's no evidence for it. To most hobbyists, the name "Argentine" is something of a holy grail, it is sacred and they think it refers to a specific species, when the reality is that A)unlike some regions of the world (such as North America), there is no governing body to assign a common name to the species for South America (yes, we actually have institutions in North America that say the official common name for X is >>>>), so names are commonly just made up as people wish, B) the "Argentine" epithet likely only comes from the fact that when these tegus were first imported, this is where they came from (continuing to call them this with the realization that so very few of this species actually lives in Argentina in comparison with the rest of the South American continent seems foolish, but people have gotten this lodged in their head and refuse to give up this name), and lastly C) hobbyists seem to have a obsession with having the newest, unique morph, and so any difference is marketed, promoted, without any understanding of the actual underlying relatedness. For example, ask someone to tell you the characteristics of _Salvator merianae_, and you'll probably get a lot of hmmning, ums, and hand waving. Ask them about a blue, an argentine, a Chacoan extreme, a firebelly, and they'll probably get all excited and go into great detail lengths (most of which is fabricated nonsense) - despite the fact that all these are currently recognized as _Salvator merianae._

Boiled down, you're looking for a differentiation that is not there, you're thinking an "Argentine" is X while a Paraguayan is Y: at best, because of the inaccurate and unmethodical way that hobbyists have gone about naming and breeding, "Argentine" is an inaccurate umbrella term that covers a very wide range of morphs, while a Paraguayan may be considered a subsample of that group that specifically originates from Paraguay (or, considering the willingness of people to slap a meaningless name on anything, it may just be wishful thinking). Or to put it another way, "Paraguayan" may accurately refer to a region the animal is geographically originated from, but "Argentine" does not.


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## Jacobhreptiles (Mar 4, 2015)

so no real differences, cool.


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## Rodney Irwin (May 27, 2015)

*I could not agree more*.
*A small percentage of the tegus I rescue from the organized Eradication and Euthanasia effort here in south Florida have this trait. This is something that has occurred in nature without forced breeding to create a specific look. I take no credit ( other than capture ) for these beautiful animals. I make no claims about species, morphs or giants. The name Firebelly has no meaning beyond the need to identify them as something different. Trust your eyes. Should you choose to purchase a Firebelly tegu, do so because you wish to help the Florida Tegus and like the idea of owning a reptile that falls outside the most common version. If you love tegus and would like to assist the balance of nature in a way that protects the very special ecosystem that is the Everglades, this is a purchase you can feel good about. *


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## nepoez (Mar 9, 2017)

Rodney Irwin said:


> *I could not agree more*.
> *A small percentage of the tegus I rescue from the organized Eradication and Euthanasia effort here in south Florida have this trait. This is something that has occurred in nature without forced breeding to create a specific look. I take no credit ( other than capture ) for these beautiful animals. I make no claims about species, morphs or giants. The name Firebelly has no meaning beyond the need to identify them as something different. Trust your eyes. Should you choose to purchase a Firebelly tegu, do so because you wish to help the Florida Tegus and like the idea of owning a reptile that falls outside the most common version. If you love tegus and would like to assist the balance of nature in a way that protects the very special ecosystem that is the Everglades, this is a purchase you can feel good about. *



Hey I love your brother's show!


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