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Identifying tegu hybrids

Posted By:

iatro

In Relation To:

Rorschach

So... how do you tell if a tegu is a hybrid?

Here's the story:
My tegu, Rorschach, was sold as an Argentine B&W, she was just losing her green head (so teeny!). When I brought her back to that shop a few months later to check her sex, the owner of the shop told me she might be a Red/B&W hybrid. Errr okay.
I did notice she had a yellow belly and a brownish tinge to her face and the white spots on the "outside" of her back, but whatever, I figure she's still changing colours. Rorschach's only about 8 months old anyhow.

Then I see these posts for Red/B&W hybrids by Agama International:
http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=53&de=688867
http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=53&de=700219

Rorschach has the brownish face and spots on the outer sides of the back that you can see in the first link. And the second link shows a tegu with a yellow belly ... Rorschach's belly is that dull reddish-orangey colour most of the time (right after she sheds it is yellow with bright orange speckles). Her whole belly and throat are that orange colour, you can easily see it from the side. She has more white than I see on most Argentines B&Ws.

.... but isn't the orange belly normal for B&Ws? It's hard to find pictures of tegus' bellies. :P

What the heck is the difference between a Red/B&W hybrid and a normal B&W? Or a Blue/Red or Blue/B&W? How would I tell if mine is a hybrid?


Points:	0
Topics:	Genetics , Knowledge Base
Tags:	Hybrid, Identification, Tegu, Tupinambis
Species:	Lizards > Lizards > Tupinambis merianae
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Author Comment

10/17/2009 2:05:55 AM

iatro

Derp, I'd like to add in the link to her page there, that's a picture from a month or two after I got her. Her belly was pale yellow then but it seems like it gets brighter orange every time she sheds now!

Member Comment

1/17/2011 12:03:56 PM

abi21491

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