Eyesight...?

Tegusrule · New Member Joined: Aug 29, 2005 Posts: 5

Hello to all and here goes my 1st question to those that are more familiar with tegus...My Tegus I'm gonna call frick and frack for now as I trully don't know there gender

To look at them at there early ages(approx. 6mos.) 1 does seem to have more of a prominant jowl line than the other don't know if temperament has anything to do with gender of a tegu but the 1 with the more prominant jowl line seems to be a little more hissy at first when I uncover them for a little bonding time...

.Anyway to my original question/subject I know their forked tongues are for filling things out as far as food, water and smell in general

But what is their eyesight like

Surely has to be good if they are so easily trained to be passive pet lizards...that's all for now.

Johelian · Retired Mod Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 848

Heya

Your tegus may be a bit too young for this to be set in stone, but generally bigger jowls denote a male animal. An tegu whos jowls are near enough to the same width as the animals neck is more likely to be a female - but again, these are things that become evident as the tegu becomes sexually mature I think so it can be a bit hit and miss on younger lizards

On the sight issue...I really have no idea! I would assume that their sight is relatively sharp to allow them to locate prey items, but as theyre opportunistic feeders this might not actually be true. Ill wager that tupinambis knows the answer though

Diegar · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:54 am Post subject:

I am only speaking from personal experience, and not scientifically at all, but i think that tegus have pretty good eyesight. I base this on watching my tegu chase after a cricket. Sometimes, when he catches it and lets go to get a better grip, it jumps away and while already running after it, his eyes follow the cricket from the time it jumped, to where it lands.. The crickets i feed him are the light tan colored ones and blend in rather well with the substrate. Just from this, i base my conclusion, though i may be wrong.. who knows..
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The Jay

drfish · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:55 am Post subject:

I was always under the impression that a Tegu's sight is in fact not one of it's better qualities, and I can definately say mine is a bit short sighted. Within a range of 6 feet or so, no problems, but anything greater than that, he doesn't seem to have a clue.

I often tease him with his food, ie. wave it in his face, then throw it to make him run after it. More often than not, I throw it, and you can see that he's actually struggling to find it, until he gets within a certain range, then he pounces on it.

I think the smell is the biggest sense, and they home in on this until they get a clear image, usually a few feet away.

I too may well be wrong, and my Tegu may need glasses.

Diegar · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:23 pm Post subject:

Well... there is another way to look at it. 6 feet to him, might be 25 feet for you, in comparison. Also, when you throw something, you have a towering view in which to see it. The tegu, on the other hand, is right down at the ground and his view from there is limited. Any bowing in the surface between him and the object, as well as any obsticles, will not make it easy for him to find..
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The Jay

drfish · Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:52 am Post subject:

Yeah but surely to throw a piece of white rat, on a dark background, with no obsticles, should be fairly obvious to even the poorest sighted animals. It's the whole contrast thing. I could understand if I did this on a rough terrain, and with a variety of colours for the object to camouflage against, but this isn't the case. I understand the perspective side of it, but even at ground level, the prey is quite obvious to the eye.

I think i'll take him to the opticians, just to be safe, lol.