The male Argentine black and white tegus are larger than the females with males reaching 3-4.5 feet and females capping at 3 feet. With an overall weight of 5-20 pounds, these lizards are no joke.

Both sexes have the black and white banded body but less bands indicate an older lizard.

They have long, strong tails that they can use as a weapon or drop off as a distraction.

Argentine black and white tegus are labeled as partially warm-blooded as they are only able to control their temperature during the mating season.

The Argentine black and white tegu is innate to places such as Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia. They are very adaptable and can live in a savanna just as well as in a tropical rain forest.

Like other tegus, the Argentine black and white tegu is omnivorous. Juveniles eat a little bit of everything such as small insects, snails, fruits, and seeds. As they grow older, they become better predators and need more protein. Still eating fruit, adult Argentine black and white tegus will add eggs and small critters to their diet.

Similar to other reptiles, the Argentine black and white tegu goes into brumation in autumn. This is similar to hibernating except that the tegu can still wake up to eat or drink before returning to sleep. After brumation is over, the females will start to produce eggs and mate. The Argentine tegu will lay up to 30 eggs in dried vegetation or termite mounds. These eggs will hatch after two months into green hatchlings, which will fend for themselves.

Tegu lizards are any lizard in the Teiidae family native to Central and South America.

Other names include huge tegu or Argentine giant tegu.

Argentine black and white tegus have impressive defense tactics such as their tail and can run at high speeds, even on just two legs for a short time.