Krokodilteju
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Krokodilteju ( Dracaena guianensis ) |
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| Dracaena guianensis | ||||||||||||
| Daudin , 1802 |
The Krokodilteju ( Dracaena guianensis ), also known as Panzerteju , is a lizard from north-eastern South America that lives in swampy areas rich in vegetation . Besides Dracaena paraguayensis, the Krokodilteju is the only species from the genus Dracaena . According to the latest information, there are no subspecies of Dracaena guianensis .
Physique and appearance
Adult crocodile jus can reach a total length of up to 120 cm. With this stately length it is one of the largest lizards in South America. Your shed dress is olive green to dark brown in color. The body of the Krokodiltejus is very strong and compact. Due to its massive body, the Krokodilteju weighs up to 2700 g. Its strong, muscular tail is flattened on the sides. On their backs they have large keeled scales surrounded by smaller, granular scales. The tail resembles a crocodile's tail with two rows of plate-like scales. Because of this striking feature, Dracaena guianensis was also given the common German name Krokodilteju.
distribution
They live in the tropical regions in northern South America , from Peru to Ecuador and Colombia , to Guyana , Suriname and French Guiana . They also live in the Brazilian states of Amazonas , Maranhao , Amapa and Acre . The second species of the genus, Dracaena paraguayensis, lives further south in the regions around Paraguay . According to the locals, their distribution areas do not overlap. Experts have different views on the spread in the Brazilian state of Amapa , as no detectable sightings have taken place there for decades. The alleged populations in French Guiana have also not yet been proven by scientific studies.
Habitat and way of life
Crocodile Tejus mainly live on the ground. In order to find a comfortable place to sleep for the night, they also climb on bank bushes and low trees. The most frequently inhabited habitats are wetlands and tropical rainforests . They are very attached to the water, which can also be seen in their territorial claims . The crocodile tey spends most of the day in or around the water. His body has also adapted to the aquatic way of life in that his long tail has been flattened laterally during evolution . The tail serves as a steering and propulsion system when swimming, similar to that of crocodiles . During the day they hunt freshwater snails. They feed almost exclusively on apple snails , the shells of which they can easily break open with their powerful jaws. Adult males eat around 20-30 apple snails per day. The females often lay their average 6 eggs in the nests of tree termites or in simple holes on the embankment . The young animals are immediately independent of the mother after hatching. Their natural enemies are jaguars , anacondas , caimans and crocodiles. The young animals, however, have far more predators . Humans also pose a great threat to animals because they cut down the rainforest and drain the swamps for farming. But the crocodile tey is generally considered a non-threatened species. The life expectancy of the crocodile tey is 10–30 years.
literature
- Beat Akeret: Paludariums and Aquaterrariums - a brief introduction to the subject. In: Draco. Vol. 12, Issue 2 = No. 46, 2011, ISSN 1439-8168 , pp. 4-21.
- Teresa CS Avila-Pires: Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia. (Reptilia: Squamata) (= Zoological Negotiations. No. 299). Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden 1995, ISBN 90-73239-40-0 .
- George Albert Boulenger : Catalog of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume 2: Iguanidæ, Xenosauridæ, Zonuridæ, Anguidæ, Anniellidæ, Helodermatidæ, Varanidæ, Xantusiidæ, Teiidæ, Amphisbænidæ. 2nd edition. Printed by Order of the Trustees, London 1885, pp. 338–339 .
- Ana Lúcia Costa Prudente, Fernanda Magalhães, Alessandro Menks, João Fabrício de Melo Sarmento: Checklist of Lizards of the Juruti, state of Pará, Brazil. In: Check List. Vol. 9, No. 1, 2013, ISSN 1809-127X , pp. 42-50, online (PDF; 1.7 MB) .
- Manfred Rogner : Lizards. Volume: 2: Monitor lizards, skinks and other lizards as well as bridge lizards and crocodiles. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-8001-7253-4 .
