Atlas is our ambassador Argentine Black and White Tegu. They are extraordinary animals which can get upwards of 10 lbs and 4.5 feet. They are one of the few lizards which posses endothermic capabilities which means they are partially warm blooded. They are highly intelligent so target training and optical recognition is quite high. They can be tamed quite friendly and even potty trained to use a cat box. They are omnivores, which means they eat just about everything, however their optimum diet includes high protein foods such as hard boiled eggs, ground turkey, and certain tropical fruits. 

So why is Atlas an Ambassador? Well truth be told Tegus are probably not the best pet for most people. They require an enormous amount of space, and incredible amount of care, should be interacted with extreme caution, and they are a huge responsibility. Their bite force is on par with an alligator and their claws are quite strong and sharp. Their intelligence is so high that they can be hard to predict, often times working out complex problems, and very persistent. They learn very fast, and remember things for a long time. So a bad habit can be very hard to break, a poor interaction can take a long time to rebuild trust, and a weakness in the enclosure can be exploited for escape time and time again. Then there is Buberty, which is puberty for lizards. They can go through some severe behavioral changes during their teenage years that they may or may not grow out of. Males can become very territorial. So despite your best efforts to train and develop a friendly relationship with your tegu, it may all go wrong in buberty and down you have an untouchably intelligent velociraptor in your house that wants to fight you.