tegus?

[ehopkins12]

anyone know anything about Tegus? I went into a local reptile shop and saw a beautiful Argentine Tegu! I'm considering getting either a Argentine or Columbian. Any suggestions on good breeds? And good setup suggestions/ pictures?

 

[Cameron]

anyone know anything about Tegus? I went into a local reptile shop and saw a beautiful Argentine Tegu! I'm considering getting either a Argentine or Columbian. Any suggestions on good breeds? And good setup suggestions/ pictures?

Tegus are awesome! I would definitely reccomend one. It's a good choice to go with an Argentine. The Colombians tend to be more feisty and less likely to "tame down".

Argentines need space, I keep mine in an 8' X 3' enclosure, which is a good size for an adult Argentine. They will need a basking spot around 105-110 degrees, and DEFINITELY a good UVB source. I keep him on cyprus mulch.

They are carnivores and eat rodents and other meats. I feed mine a staple of ground turkey, beef liver and cod oil all ground together. I feed a rodent about once a week. I also put calcium without D3 on the turkey mix every couple feedings.

Pic of his enclosure....

Bocephus....

LOTS of great info here.... www.tegutalk.com

 

[Tom]

Columbians are usually vicious monsters. I avoid having anything to do with them. Either reds or black and whites from Argentina are nice, usually. They grow fast and you have to hibernate them every year, including their first, if you ever want to breed them. They do great living outdoors in milder climates, but don't let them drop below around 50F, even during hibernation.

They get around 4-5' long, they are very active and they like to dig, so you'll need a big enclosure. I kept three adults in an outdoor 20x17' planted enclosure and they did very well out there. Just don't leave them outside to hibernate "naturally". They also eat a lot. A big one can easily put away 2 POUNDS of food everyday, if you let them. Have you seen the price of meat lately? As they get bigger, they become more omnivorous, but mine have alway preferred anything meaty. To get them to eat other stuff, I had to mix it in with the meaty stuff.

I could go on and on, but there is quite a lot of good info out there, if you do a google search. I love them. They are big, beautiful, hardy, easy to feed and care for, intelligent, personable... Not for everyone because of their size and housing requirements, but if you've got the space and resources, I think they are a great animal.

 

[ehopkins12]

well thats explains why the Columbians run cheaper...sounds cool though! it'll probably be after college until I can get one, but it's something to think about! thanks