Calling all Tegu keepers

[mscongeniality]

I remember the first time I saw a tegu in a pet shop and I thought WOW want one of those! I don't have the space right now, but when we move somewhere bigger I will be very tempted.
I was asking the guy in the shop about them, temperament etc. He said that the one I was looking at was very friendly and had a lovely temperament but they can be quite hostile and aggressive. I was just actually wanting some info from people that do keep them about what they are like. Are they prone to being a bit grumpy? Do they cost a lot to feed? How big a set up do you need? Do they tolerate other animals around the house? (I have a dog). Just anything I might need to know really, especially if it's not always mentioned in care sheets.

[casperclone]

Im not a tegu keeper but with ur question about the price of food. Think how big they are gonna get, So they are gonna eat like pigs lol. I fink a viv like 8ft(Length)X3ft(wide)X4ft(Height) for an adult

[casperclone]

http://www.bluetegu.com/tegu.html

Check out this site, good for caresheets

[DRACSAT]

is it a red or black n white argentine or a columbian black n white or golden that ure looking at? as theirs a difference in temperment etc

[B&WTegu&Beardies]

Argentine black and white tegus are generally very docile but if not tamed from young they can be hostile and will not tolerate other species like dogs. Minimum enclosure size in my opinion is 8x4x4 because an adult will need 2 foot of substrate to be comfortable but the bigger the enclosure the better. They eat a variety of meats, livefood and fruit (And veg but they don't favour it) They will grow to about 3.5 foot to 4.5 foot but 4 foot is most common. Females are often smaller.

Argentine red tegus are very like Arg B&W's with behaviour and enclosure size. Reds mostly eat fruit and vegetables but they also eat meats and livefood. Depending on housing conditions, nutrition and age the Argentine Red Tegu may reach the ultimate length of upto 4.5 feet for adult males, less for females.

Columbians and golden columbian tegus are usually aggressive but they can be tamed with a lot of patience. I think columbians grow to 3 foot - 3.5 foot as do the goldens and occassionally the rare one will grow bigger. They generally will only eat meat and they don't really need fruit in there diet. Their enclosures at minimum IMO should not be any smaller than 6x4x4 but others think smaller.

I wrote this because I don't know which one you are talking about... Plus it's just the basics.

Curty.

[mscongeniality]

I'm not sure which kind either. the one I was looking at was a reddish brown colour and about 3ft long as I recall. I don't know if it was fully grown.
I'd probably be best finding out which kind would be best suited to our household.

[B&WTegu&Beardies]

Sounds a bit like a sub-adult red tegu possibly but I would have to see it for a true identification. Sorry.

Curty.

[9Red]

All baby tegus are skitty and will probably bite given the chance - they are one of those species you need to dedicate a reasonable amount of time to handling when young in order to tame them down.

Having said that, these are big powerful lizards and even a well-behaved animal shouldn't be taken for granted. One of my worst reptile-related injuries was from a fully grown female - we'd been out doing a charity fun day, she'd been good as gold, and sinking her teeth into my breast and shoulder was simply her way of saying 'I'm tired, I've had enough'. I needed 18 stitches, and she wasn't even trying to be nasty.

[B&WTegu&Beardies]

Originally Posted by 9Red

All baby tegus are skitty and will probably bite given the chance - they are one of those species you need to dedicate a reasonable amount of time to handling when young in order to tame them down.

Having said that, these are big powerful lizards and even a well-behaved animal shouldn't be taken for granted. One of my worst reptile-related injuries was from a fully grown female - we'd been out doing a charity fun day, she'd been good as gold, and sinking her teeth into my breast and shoulder was simply her way of saying 'I'm tired, I've had enough'. I needed 18 stitches, and she wasn't even trying to be nasty.

Wow, I've never heard of a tegu actually hurting a person before other than death roles and tail whips..

Curty.

[turkish_666]

Originally Posted by B&WTegu&Beardies

Wow, I've never heard of a tegu actually hurting a person before other than death roles and tail whips..

Curty.

no they bite and its seriously messy too virtually guaranteed to get a nasty infection as well and their like a mega pair of mole grips ya get a split second before they bite really hard my females had me a few times when she was small and its not fun! other than the occasional bad day their great they tend to be food aggressive but thats an easy fix.
food wise they'll eat everything ya offer and more given the chance their not the cheapest to feed, i spend as more on two tegus than i do on all my snakes skinks and inverts put together!