Tegu's anyone?

snakemann87 · 02-23-03, 04:15 PM

do any of you own tegus? do you think they're good pets personally, i'm really into the red tegu

snakemann87 · 02-24-03, 03:35 PM

anyone? Im thinking of getting one and just wanted some opinions, maybe how big your cage or how big a cage should be.

Steeve B · 02-24-03, 11:09 PM

That’s an excellent choice, they are very nice and fun to keep, mine started breeding last month don’t ask me why?
Cheers
Ps. 6 by 2 by2 feet

Katatonic · 02-24-03, 11:22 PM

FANTASTIC FEED RESPONSE. LOL. They're magnificent animals to work with. I found mine to be a little on the skiddish side, being a very nervous baby. She calmed down rather nicely, however, with age. A nice big male red tegu rivals most other large lizards in terms of attraction *my opinion*.
This species is worth the time, effort and cash flow. It's been a while since I had my tegu, refer to the REPTILES issue from November 2002 with the two young reds gracing the cover of the issue, or try and find the Langerwerf Facility's page.

snakemann87 · 02-25-03, 03:37 PM

ok, i can build a 6x2x2, ill probably just buy a cage of that size or bigger, how much did your tegus cost, where were they purchased? U.S. or Canada? I am currently reading that issue, and have an issue from 98 that has tegus in it. It seems like black and whites are more plentiful, are they just as good a choice?

snakemann87 · 02-25-03, 07:27 PM

ok, there is a red tegu for 250 U.Sl, is that good? can someone please give me some general care of them.

Katatonic · 02-26-03, 11:31 PM

Follow the general care pertaining to tegus in those reptile articles, they were written by some of the most reputable breeders around. These animals are amazingly hardy, so I believe they can take a fluctuation here and there in your husbandry.
In my circumstance, I purchased a Paraguayan Red Tegu for $200.00 Canadian, here, in Canada, as a C.B. baby.
They can be rather shy critters in the beginning, spending the vast majority of their day tucked away under substrate, which should be fairly deep *at least a depth at which the animal can conceal itself for security reasons*. They eat practically anything, with insects being the preference for mine. Depending on what guide you follow, some recommend strict diets of chicken eggs for the first year, others recommend insects yadda yadda, I had success feeding my girl a wide variety of insects, pinkies a couple times per week, cooked corn, boiled egg and the ZuPreem canned monitor food. Since she was small, I kept her in a 36x12" enclosure w/ a 24 hour heat pad, a basking light that raised her hot spot to around 92 F, and the cool end was approx 82 F. I misted twice a day to facilitate shedding which could get difficult if I neglected to spray her down. They enjoy baths, but can be a little nervous the first time. I found that after a few months of regular handling, my tegu calmed down nicely and became tame enough that she could be let go to roam on her own, without fear of her "running away".
This is just was has worked for me, and I am in no way trying to say that this is the most correct way to do things. Consult some of the key articles published in REPTILES, particularly that more recent one.
The early issue you picked up says that Black and whites are the most prevalent in the pet trade. I think you will find that this is quite the opposite now, as that issue was published a number of years ago. I find that Paraguayan Reds are most widely available now, having replaced the Argentine and Columbian black and whites. I've had experience with a number of tegu species, and I find the most docile to be the Argentine species... Draw back; their overall adult length of close to four feet *occassionaly more*.
I hope some of this is helpful to you.
Good luck if you decide to pick up a tegu.
LATER.

snakemann87 · 02-28-03, 04:47 PM

ok, thank you for the information katatonic, I read it, and there are a few baby reds for 250 I'm gonna take a look at, but I would rather get one from a herp show, but I haven't noticed any there yet.

Linds · 02-28-03, 06:56 PM

In my experience, black and white tegus are extremely agressive animals, even with regular handling as babies, I have never encountered such agressive lizards before. I don't have a great deal of experience with reds, but from what I understand they are much easier going, and can be calmed down easily with patience and time. Hope this helped a lil

snakemann87 · 02-28-03, 07:01 PM

yes, it did, but i was going for a red anyways, cause tegus are fat, and B and W's can get up to 5ft, and combine fat with that, thats a lot of lizard, but i have only encountered a red tegu adult and it was really nice

Katatonic · 03-02-03, 06:25 PM

If you pick up a Colombian Black and White Tegu, they are on the smaller end of the tegu spectrum, measuring in at about 36" from snout to tail tip. My experience: they CAN BE (albeit not often) fairly calm animals IF YOU WORK WITH THEM. If you don't... Holy **** watch out. lol holy feed response batman.

Argentine B&W's can be fantastic animals. As you pointed out, Snakeman, these are BiggySized lizards... So... Yea... Go for a Paraguayan Red.

Reds, again, can be aggressive. Just as much as their B&W counterparts. I've noticed no difference in aggression working with black and whites comparing them with reds.
Word of caution; Stay away from those peppy little cheap black and golds: there's a headache if I've ever seen one. LOL.

Chances are you won't see any reds at shows for a little while yet. Perhaps in the summer time you may, but they usually go for around $200 when and if available.

snakemann87 · 03-02-03, 07:02 PM

Ok, but i saw some Argentine B&W's at the show today. A baby for 85, and a sub adult for 125

Feed'em All · 03-02-03, 07:54 PM

Hey, I guess I can give you a hand with those.
I owned black and white tegus (tupinambis teguixin o merianae I guess). And most Important of all, I live in Argentina so is like I can tell exactly where those lovely critters are found.
The black and white tegus is a grassland dweller, you know, they look for high grass where they can't be seen while they are hunting, and even the bigger ones are really hard to see in the wild, maybe because they love digging and they spend most of the time in their holes, I remember once I tried to catch a 4 foot one in my school (which was a military base) I failed, but it was fun. Hatchlings are greenish, getting darker with age.
They are extremely inteligent reptiles, mine used to get on the palm of my hand by itself because he know I was about to take him of his cage, they are dog tame.
About t.rufescens, they dwell in rocky areas near the mountains of Andes , never kept those, but they look like an amelanistic black and white, really beautiful.
Well, it's just my opinion, any doubt you have about those beauties, please let me know, or email me if you want.
Cheers, Martin.

Feed'em All · 03-02-03, 07:57 PM

Oh, katatonic, sorry to tell you that, but you were ripped of, there are no such thing as a paraguayan red tegu, as I said b4, reds dwell in rocky areas (the red is used in camouflage with rocky enviroment) and paraguay is all swamps and rainforests.
Martin

snakemann87 · 03-03-03, 09:49 AM

thanks, i will most likely be getting a red, but what was your setup for the B&W's? Oh and im pretty sure the Argentine Tegus are merianae, the Colombians are teguixin, at least if i remember right, please correct me if im wrong.