There are several threads on this already, but to sum up:Pardon me for being a noob but i've been wondering this for a long time. What's the difference between a tegu and a monitor lizard? They are always being compared for which species is better.
Tegus are all New World species, while monitors are all Old World. Tegus are calmer and heavier bodied, whereas monitors are not as thick and can be more high strung. Monitors are the more interesting for me, but as far as pets go, Tegus usually do better in captivity.