argentinian tegu?

bloodshed · Apr 19, 2010

ive always been a big fan of reptiles. ive recently been interested in getting a larger lizard. the ones i was considering were a nile monitor, crocodile monitor, savannah monitor or an iguana. ive heard the niles can be nasty at times, and i dont want to worry about them swimming and defecating in my pool. the crocodile monitor is a beautiful creature IMO, but the teeth on that thing scare me, and some having been recorded growing over 12 feet long seems unrealistic. the iguana i hear is lazy and clumsy, and can throw "temper tantrums", which kind of turns me off. now the savannah monitor ive heard great things about. But, i recently went into a local reptile shop and absolutely fell in love the the tegu. after watching all the videos of them on youtube ive decided this is the one i will probably get when the babies hatch in july. Now im wondering, does anyone here have any experiences with a tegu, or possibly some other recommendations? do they react well with dogs? and my biggest concern is that i live in 2 different places, one monday through thursday and the other friday through sunday about 2-3 hours apart. i will be able to have a cage in each of these homes for it, but will this cause too much stress for it, or is it manageable?

bloodshed · Apr 19, 2010

here are some videos of the tegu that really made me fall in love with them.

YouTube - Juancho Eating Cherries from Mouth

YouTube - curious tegu

YouTube - Tegu Affection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STsk3JdlDW8&feature=related

BIGGMIKE295 · Apr 20, 2010

Yes, they can make great pets bro, just make sure you get the Argentine and NOT the Colombian Tegu as there is a huge difference in temperament.
Also you will want a male as I am sure what you fell in love with was a male Argentine as they are the ones with the larger heads and big jowls! The females do not get near as big and do not have the large predominant head.
I had a pair of them for years and the only time my male seemed aggressive was when he was paired with the female. He was great before introducing the female, but became very defensive of his girl. Also, getting one as a baby and raising it up will ensure you can make him puppy dog tame. They eat just about anything and really are neat pets. As far as caging goes, once he is larger you will have him out and about most of time, so a 4'x2'x2' cage will work fine. I had my adult pair housed in a 4'x4'x8' pen in the garage back then. With traveling and stress, he will be fine as all you need is a small dog or cat carrier to transport him comfortably.
All in all, if you raise one up from a hatchling and spend quality time with it, he will be like a lap dog and actually recognize you when you come into a room.

bloodshed · Apr 21, 2010

BIGGMIKE295 said:
Yes, they can make great pets bro, just make sure you get the Argentine and NOT the Colombian Tegu as there is a huge difference in temperament.
Also you will want a male as I am sure what you fell in love with was a male Argentine as they are the ones with the larger heads and big jowls! The females do not get near as big and do not have the large predominant head.
I had a pair of them for years and the only time my male seemed aggressive was when he was paired with the female. He was great before introducing the female, but became very defensive of his girl. Also, getting one as a baby and raising it up will ensure you can make him puppy dog tame. They eat just about anything and really are neat pets. As far as caging goes, once he is larger you will have him out and about most of time, so a 4'x2'x2' cage will work fine. I had my adult pair housed in a 4'x4'x8' pen in the garage back then. With traveling and stress, he will be fine as all you need is a small dog or cat carrier to transport him comfortably.
All in all, if you raise one up from a hatchling and spend quality time with it, he will be like a lap dog and actually recognize you when you come into a room.

im fairly indifferent between males and females, both seem to be great pets. Like you said i would prefer a male, but i won't be disappointed either way. all the babies are expected to hatch around july of this year at my local reptile store, so i'm planning on getting one then. right now im leaning towards a red tegu opposed to the black and white, but if he happens to hatch a couple of hybrids i might get one of those. i plan on allowing it to wander free as much as possible. the only times i would cage it are times when im not at home or sleeping. i would assume it would have anywhere from 4-10 hours a day outside the cage, depending on the day. another question, with some reptiles like Savannah monitors, it is recommended to leave them alone for the first month or so. is the same true with the tegu, or can the be handled as hatchlings?

BIGGMIKE295 · Apr 21, 2010

Well Reds are also great pets, but more of a vegetarian where as the Black & Whites will eat anything. The Reds will not get as large as the B&W's either.
You can handle them as much as you want when they are young, that is what will make them dog tame. You would want to avoid handling them right after feeding so you do not stress them to the point they regurge on you. Most of the time after a feeding they want to lay on or near the heat source for digestion.
I don't know if you have spent anytime at the forum below, if not start hanging out there as you will learn a ton on the site.

Kingsnake.com - Herpforum > Lizard Forums > Tegus

bloodshed · Apr 21, 2010

i havnt yet, the extent of my knowledge comes from articles, care sheets, youtube videos and the breeder i was talking to. some of the articles were written in the early 2000's though, and are saying the lizards can be aggressive and territorial and bite often which is the opposite of everything else i hear. ill check that site out, thanks.

Dens228 · May 1, 2010

I have a Savannah that is a little over 4 feet and as tame as any dog.
Niles and crocodile monitors are not a good choice for your first.

I haven't owned any Tegu but they are a good looking lizard.

bloodshed · May 1, 2010

Dens228 said:
I have a Savannah that is a little over 4 feet and as tame as any dog.
Niles and crocodile monitors are not a good choice for your first.

I haven't owned any Tegu but they are a good looking lizard.

yeah, ive heard that niles and crocodiles can't really be tame, just tolerant. im really leaning towards the tegu. the babies hatch in july, so im waiting for that to get one.