Anyone here also have a tegu?

[Trogdor80]

No, I don't, but I think one may be my next reptile at some point in the future when the economy isn't so shakey looking.

I have a good idea of how big they get, and how big enclosure needs to be. But what UV do they need and what is ideal diet for them? I'm sure I could find that info out from the folks who sell them, but I trust you folks more.

 

[diggerdrake]

http://thetegu.com/
looks like promising info there

 

[ashesc212]

I picked up a blue tegu from DaveDragon about 4 weeks ago. A lot of their care is the same as a beardies. They need either a Mercury Vapor Bulb or a Reptisun 10.0 and a heat lamp. The basking spot should be about 105, and there should be a cool end and a hot end. The only thing is they need humidity of 40 percent or higher. Additionally, most are omnivores but need a high level of meat in their diet. They'll eat fruit, veggies, ground turkey, crickets, stuff like that. Blue tegus are more carnivorous though and they don't eat greens. It's difficult to get them to eat fruit. Also, tegus need calcium and multivitamin supplements just the same.

If you are looking at a Black & White tegu, you are talking about ENORMOUS. They need a huge enclosure because they are going to push 4-5 ft it seems. The blue tegu appears to be the smallest in the tegu group, and they will get to about 3.5 ft, to the best of my knowledge. ...and they grow quickly. My tegu has been averaging an inch and a half every week since we got him.

I go on http://www.tegutalk.com ; it's very informative. There are also care sheets and really useful info. on the homepage there.

 

[firember]

Hi! First on, great to see you doing research first. I agree with diggerdrake; check that site out. Tegutalk.com is also a good site to look at. It is run by a well known and respected Tegu breeder. http://agamainternational.com/ formerly owned and operated by the late Bert Langerwerf is another good info source. One thing I have seen first hand is that young tegus are prone to MBD due to how fast they grow. Good UVB is a must or they may start to get tremors.

My experience started with a neglected Colombian tegu who was estimated at five years old. Before I got him he spent at least three years in a 55 gallon fish tank being fed cat food and not being handled. He ended up very food aggressive, very cage possessive and had physical deformities from not having a proper enclosure. It has taken heavy duty leather gloves, time and work and he'll likely never be a cuddle lizard but he can be taken out and allowed to wander the reptile room with us.

My second tegu was a baby Argentinian black and white that was handed to me at a reptile show while talking to someone about rescued snakes. He came with the words, "You sound like you know what you are doing, want another one? It was dropped and it's hind legs don't work. I don't know if that will heal." With the help of a great herp vet, meds, a hearty appetite and time, he has now regained most use of his hind legs. He is fed outside of his house, climbs my arm to come out, enjoys exploring, snuggles in my sweatshirt (foot long tail hangs out), self potty trained (sort of), figured out how to escape his house twice, goes to sleep in the clean laundry, gets well fed and will try to eat pretty much anything if he's hungry. Including rocks. And dirty socks. He had a teen period where he would give me a passing nip to see if I was food before climbing out of his house. I got him over that by wrapping my hand in a towel before picking him up. He's smart, snuggles on his own terms, needs lots of room, enjoys bathtime and can make pretty stinky poo. He is a total omnivore and loves strawberries. I could go on but I feel like I'm making a dating profile. ::laughs::

Good luck to you in the future. Tegus are another great lizard with a huge personality to match.

 

[Trogdor80]

thanks for the info, so what is the general meat/fruit % ?

If I end up buying locally, I can get red or Black and white, but I don't know about gold or blue.

 

[firember]

Red tegus are omnivores but adults require much more fruit in their diet than any of the other tegu types to avoid shedding issues. Argentinian B&Ws eat a pretty good mix of protein (meat, fish, insects, eggs) and fruit/veggies. Like dragons, younger animals require a higher protein amount in their diet to fuel growth. Blue tegus are more rare and I am not as familiar with them.

One thing to note: Colombian tegus (T. Teguixinare) are often sold labeled "black and white tegu" or "gold tegu". These are not the same as the Argentinian tegus (T. Merianae) in physical appearance or personality. Colombians tend to maintain more of a "wild" personality in comparison to Args. One of the best ways to ensure you are getting the one you want is the number of scales between the nostril and the eye. A Colombian will only have one large scale between their eye and nostril rings where as a Argentinian will have two in the space between. Another way to tell is price. A Colombian tegu will sell for between $25-$75. An Arg will likely sell for between $125 and $175 or higher.