THE DIET OF ADULT TUPINAMBIS-TEGUIXIN (SAURIA, TEIIDAE) IN THE EASTERN CHACO OF ARGENTINA

Analysis of the number, weight and volume of food items in the digesti ve tracts of 70 teiid lizards, Tupinambis teguixin, were obtained duri ng spring-summer from areas neighbouring El Bagual Ecological Reserve in northeastern Argentina. The food items revealed the species to be a widely-ranging opportunistic omnivorous forager. Tupinambis consumed a large proportion of fruits, invertebrate and vertebrates. The specie s forages in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, but no evidence wa s obtained for arboreal feeding habits. A sample of 27 to 49 digestive tracts is sufficient to reveal 80-90% of the prey types in the diet.