What is this thing!?!?!

[DJ_Persnikity]

Ok, so I work for a small pet store in Florida and I love reptiles dearly. Unfortunately until I can track down a new reptile wholesaler I am stuck with an idiot who mislables, lies, and generally is just a pain in my butt.

So, I order what he's calling a choco green tegu (expecting a baby black and white) and I have no idea what this thing is. I can't find any information in any of my books, I can't find it online and I don't even know if it's a tegu or not. It's roughly a foot long counting the tail with bright green on its lower back, 4 creme stripes running down its side, a rust colored head, and what looks to me to be a slightly more pointed head than any other tegu I've experienced as a baby or an adult.

He says it comes from Paraguay but I don't trust him and also states that these haven't been in the country for 20 years but he's so blatantly incompetent that I couldn't imagine him getting access to such rare creatures before anyone else. I'll try to post a picture later but I need to try and guess at his enclosure at the moment. Please, any guesses with pictures would be appreciated.

[laurarfl]

Well, my first guess would be a green ameiva, except for the stripes and the handleability
http://www.crittersite.com/pictures/ameiva-ameiva.jpg

http://www.fotobank.ru/img/MP02-1782.jpg?size=l

There are also A. festiva and A. quadrilineata which have lines. They are commonly known as jungle runners or whiptails because of their behavior. There was also the Chilean Dwarf Tegu, but they haven't been popular in a while either.

Baby tegu with a green head? But the rust colored part throws me
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/...50107111c4.jpg

[DJ_Persnikity]

It looks like the jungle runner in body and form, the faces are identical but the coloring is slightly off. No green on the head, just the rust color and it lacks the white spots down its sides but I am tempted to believe that the coloration differances could just be because mine is a juvenile and the retarted wholesaler brought it to me 4 hours away with no heat in 50 degree weather. He's warming up slowly now and I guessed that he was tropical because of his coloration and body shape. Thank you, thank you so much, you've just helped me tons!!!! I'll still try to post a picture later tonight just in case but I think you've solved the mystery!!! You wouldn't happen to know of a well done caresheet on a jungle runner would you? (and the picture of the baby tegu is what I thought he was going to try and bring me as a "new species." lol)

[laurarfl]

Well, I have found a few, but they often have contradictory info. My ameiva is a cutie and will eat from your hand, but does not not not want to be touched. I keep him on cypress mulch, high humidity, plenty of hiding spaces, UVB, basking spot around 95. I also have blocked off 3 of his walls with black paper because he will dash and bang his face into the glass if he sees too much activity. He eats exclusively bugs with the occasional fuzzy mouse and earthworms. I've offered fruit, but he snubs it.

http://www.reptileallsorts.com/ameiva-cs.htm

[Pikey]

this is a good one to with good prices as i have seen

http://www.hahareptiles.com/

[DJ_Persnikity]

Yeah, that jerk sold it to me for $14 and we're obligarted to mark it up to $30. I hate this guy. He's on cocofiber mixed with spagnum, heat spot around 93, logs for hiding and basking, and UVB

[laurarfl]

Sounds good. I usually see them for sale for around $15 at expos and $20-ish on-line or in stores. They can be hard sells because of the non-handling issues. However, if someone really likes herps and wants a nice display animal, they are great.

[redlizard5]

Well, my first guess would be a green ameiva, except for the stripes and the handleability
http://www.crittersite.com/pictures/ameiva-ameiva.jpg

http://www.fotobank.ru/img/MP02-1782.jpg?size=l

There are also A. festiva and A. quadrilineata which have lines. They are commonly known as jungle runners or whiptails because of their behavior. There was also the Chilean Dwarf Tegu, but they haven't been popular in a while either.

Baby tegu with a green head? But the rust colored part throws me
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/...50107111c4.jpg

The one on the bottom is a baby red tegu that is why the rust colored spots are present

[txrepgirl]

I don't know. Could it be one of those ?


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...26tbs%3Disch:1

[laurarfl]

The one on the bottom is a baby red tegu that is why the rust colored spots are present

Yes, obviously, lol. If you go back and read the thread, the op is trying to identify a lizard with a rust colored head. The rust colored head in the description threw me because it didn't match the other specie descriptions.

The photo of the baby tegu was to give the OP an idea of what should have been shipped.

Welcome to the forum by the way.