Welcome to Under the Canopy at the Connecticut Science Center, presented by ProHealth Physicians, a part of OptumCare with support from Liberty Bank. The exhibition features over a dozen live animals that call the rainforest home, and today we are meeting Cheeks, the Red Tegu. ed tegus are typically found in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina in South America. These large adaptable lizards use their long snake-like forked tongues much like we use our noses, picking up scent particles in the air or on the ground, to locate food, identify potential threats, and generally explore their environment. Red tegus are considered a species of least concern. They face many threats in their habitat and are hunted in large numbers for their skin which is used in luxury leather products. By making choices to protect the rainforest ecosystem, we also save the Red tegu’s future and all the other species they share their home with.
Learn more about Cheeks and the steps you can take to protect our rainforests in our full meet the animals interview below.
Come check out Cheeks and all of their rainforest friends at the Connecticut Science Center. Under the Canopy is now open for a limited time and is included with a paid General Admission or Membership. Tickets and more information can be found on our website CTScienceCenter.org/Canopy/
Kaila Ringgard is a Public Programs Educator at the Connecticut Science Center. She holds a degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst in Geology and Liberal Sciences. In her role at the Science Center, she creates and performs demonstrations for visitors that highlight many different fields in science and STEM careers. She is also responsible for taking care of the many reptiles and insects we have onsite, including our butterflies. You can usually find her in our galleries wearing a tie-dye lab coat with fun experiments and often an interesting animal you can meet.
