thinking of a tegu

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Posted by reptilian9 on May 18, 2003 at 23:56:56:

In Reply to: thinking of a tegu posted by baggins on May 18, 2003 at 21:31:26:

If you can, watch the videos I've posted (below). The whole purpose of my videos is to show the tegu's behavior. If you get a captive bred tegu, you probably won't have to tame it. I've just about given up trying to tame animals, and I personally belive that some (individual) animals can never be tamed. I had a savanna monitor for about a year - I could hold him and stuff, but he would whip and hiss every time I came by. I handled him a lot, and did all of the recommend procedures for taming, and I ran out of patience. I figured if he's not better after a year, it's not worth my time and frustration. The reptile pet shop that I got my tegu from bought my monitor, and I'm so glad I made that decision! I'm not saying anything bad about savannas - in fact, I almost bought another savanna that was already tame, but I decided on the tegu (which is tame), since they aren't as common, he's beautiful, and I pretty much fell in love with him at the shop! The tegu forums aren't as crowded as the monitor forums and there are nice people here, so that's good too. I still would like a nice savanna, but I'm glad I got the tegu. I think about him all the time. His behavior is a little different from monitors - the way they eat, and the way they flick their tongues, and other subtle things. They are a lot like savanna monitors as far as environment needs are concerned. Make sure you have a hide and provide at least a few inches of digable substrate. My tegu is very tame, but he is shy. I've posted recently about how shy he is, but he's still adjusting to his new home, and I've seen him out basking a few times (they spend 80% of the day burrowed - that's one drawback I didn't know about). Even my not-so-tame monitor would sit still in my lap, but my tegu is always preoccupied with finding somewhere to hide. He won't sit still, but he doesn't run off fast. I'm confident that he'll get better when he gets bigger. I guess the dangers of owning one would have to do with the size they can get. Anything that big with teeth CAN bite - even if on accident, but people with dogs take that same risk. It may only get dangerous when handling a big tegu - my juvie's claws already hurt! I wish people would post videos of full grown tegus - I've never seen a big one walk around and I'm curious about their disposition when being handled and their speed. Some advice that you should take seriously is to make an effort to find a captive bred animal (or at least one that's tame). Even if you have to make a road trip (I don't know about the ones ordered online) it is worth it - I got mine in Tennesse and I live in Louisiana (altough I was going there anyway). Their behavior doesn't even compare to ones found in typical pet shops. Also, I've read that argentine red tegus are typically docile and easy to tame if not already. Others on this forum say blues are good - I only have experience with a red, and if you're interested in a tegu, I think you should get one!

:Hi,all,
:I am hoping some one can tell me more about tegu temperment and behaviour. I have found lots of food and care, and that they are tamable, but not much on thier behavior,
:What are they like , what do they like for an enviroment, in the sense, are they shy, do they like is mellow and quiet ...and what are the dangers of owning one, Yes I know they make good pets but they are not domestic right.. :0)

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