Argentine black and white tegu

Continuing with more pictures from the Caatinga, here we have an Argentine black and white tegu lizard, the South American equivalent of the monitor lizards. This species is the largest of all tegu lizards, reaching lengths of up to 1.4 m in the case of the largest males. Females are smaller. An interesting fact about the Argentine tegu is its seasonal reproductive endothermy: the animal has true temperature control during breeding season.