How big are Tegus really?

[AJ Kelly]

Hello! So I watched this video by Clints Reptiles

and his Tegu which he says is a full grown male looks small. Is that how they really are or is it a trick of the camera? Also how much can Tegus weigh (males) I have heard anything from 15 pounds to 50 pounds. Thanks!

 

[TheTeguNovice]

Hello! So I watched this video by Clints Reptiles

and his Tegu which he says is a full grown male looks small. Is that how they really are or is it a trick of the camera? Also how much can Tegus weigh (males) I have heard anything from 15 pounds to 50 pounds. Thanks!

Well Aj the truth is Tegu’s vary in size. It’s almost contingent on their hereditary gene pool. Similar to humans, if you asked the question, how big can a human get the answers would vary. However the “average” human height is 6ft. So from what I’ve seen and experienced the “average” male tegu is “about” 4-4.5ft. Females average around 3-3.5ft. In regards to weight that can vary as well due to husbandry and diet. There are a lot of obese Tegu’s out there. But on average your looking at 15-20lbs.

 

[Roadkill]

Tegus are apparently one of the few reptiles that appear to adhere to Bergman's rule, an ecological phenomenon wherein species/closely related groups with large distributions, show a change in adult size that has a gradient with latitude. Those populations nearest the equator tend to be comprised of individuals that are smaller as adults while those populations nearest the pole tend to be comprised of individuals that are larger as adults. As TheTeguNovice indicates, this has to do with their genetic history and not so much where they are living at the time.