The Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae), the largest of the "tegu lizards, inhabits the tropical rain forests, savannas, and semi-deserts of eastern and central South America. The specific name, merianae, is in honour of German-born naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian – one of the early European naturalists to observe insects directly. This tegu is also commonly called the Argentine giant tegu – it is the world's largest tegu and grows to over one metre long – the black and white tegu, the huge tegu, and lagarto overo in Spanish.
