Added 11 April 2026.
Crocodilurus is a semi-aquatic species in the northern and eastern parts of South America.
Boulenger gave the characteristics of the genus as follows: Tongue moderately elongate, not retractile, widened and emarginate posteriorly. Lateral teeth compressed longitudinally, bi- or tricuspid. Head with large regular shields; nostril pierced in the suture between two nasals. Eyelids developed. Ear exposed. Limbs well developed, each with five digits, the toes with a denticulated fringe laterally, inferiorly with small-squarish scales. Dorsal scales small, equal; ventral plates large, elongate, subquadraugular, smooth, forming regular series. A collar fold. Femoral pores. Tail strongly compressed, with a double denticulated keel superiorly.
Harvey et al added the following information: Crocodilurus possesses several characters found in no other Teiidae. These include (1) an elongate fifth toe extending beyond the proximal free phalangeal articulation of Toe IV, (2) apical granules on the flanks that point upward and anteriorly from a fold of skin behind each dorsal so that each granule’s pointed apex contacts the apex of the preceding dorsal, and (3) long, styloid apical awns on the hemipenis, each separated from an exceptionally pronounced catchment fold by a deep groove.
These are largeish lizards that are a CITES II species. Therefore they are not freely available, and in addition their semi-aquatic way of life mandates the provision of a body of water in any enclosure, similarly to water dragons. For these reasons they are probably most suitable for specialists with the resources to provide for them.
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
Crocodilurus |
||||
C. amazonicus |
Crocodile Tegu |
Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Peru, Brazil, poss. Suriname |
TL 51 cm, SVL 15 cm up to approx 22 cm |
Scalation details: habit of a Varanus. Upper head-shields: a fronto-nasal, a pair of prefrontals, a frontal, a pair of frontoparietals, a large interparietal, a pair of parietals and a pair of occipitals; one or two small shields between the interparietals and ocoipitals; four large, and a small posterior, supraoculars; two large supratemporals on each side; a loreal, a prseorbital, six or seven infraorbitals; eight upper and seven or eight lower labials; chin-shields, one anterior and six pairs, the posterior separated from the labials by another row of large shields; gular scales small between the chin-shields, large and subhexagonal on the throat; the scales in front of the collar-fold larger. Dorsal scales small, elongate, oval, slightly keeled or teotiform. Abdominal plates with the posterior border rounded, in twenty-four longitudinal and thirty-seven transverse series. Preanal plates in three transverse series, the median posteiior pair largest. Femoral pores very small, rather indistinct, six to ten. Caudal scales elongate, keeled, straight, in regular cross rows, the upper with pointed posterior edge, the laterals and inferior rounded posteriorly. Coloration: brown above, dotted with black; digits with black annuli; lower surfaces yellow, with scattered blackish spots.. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |