Prospective Owner

[413X]

hello everyone,

Just signed up to get some tegu education before taking any plunge into ownership.

What I would really like is advice on good, reliable sources regarding tegu ecology, behaviour and captive management (not been looking long and already seeing substantial contradictions from site to site, and not many books about)

I look forward to digitally meeting you all.

Alex

 

[Walter1]

hello everyone,

Just signed up to get some tegu education before taking any plunge into ownership.

What I would really like is advice on good, reliable sources regarding tegu ecology, behaviour and captive management (not been looking long and already seeing substantial contradictions from site to site, and not many books about)

I look forward to digitally meeting you all.

Alex

Nice to meet you. Welcome. I wish more than anything in tegu care that there were a book to go right about natural history and captive care. I do not believe that one exists. On this site, however, plenty of knowlefgable keepers. The threads cover practically every concern.

In advance of your purchase, be very careful in choosing a vendor.

Also, tegus should grow relatively fast and will soon require an enclosure of at least 8X4'.

They sleep a lot, and during winter sleep more.

Tame well but range from aloof to affectionate and some days just want to be left alone.

Feeding had better cost you because they require whole vertebrate prey among other foods.

Appr. 115F bask, 80F ambient, mid-70s hide box.

If you've successfully kept herps in the past, caring for an Argie should come easier to you.

 

[413X]

Hi Walter,

Thanks for the reply.

I have been keeping snakes for over 20 years but not got a great deal of experience with lizards. I am taken by bigger species and the ones that really "do it" for me are Tegus and Gilas (Why it has to be the high price, high maintenance species I don't know!)

I have a building in my garden with a 12' x 8' floor plan that could definitely accommodate a viv of that size with a little bit of reorganising. The snakes I keep are certainly not affectionate so I have no... unrealistic expectations but a more personable reptile would be a nice addition to my hobby.

I look forward to learning more (and saving up the funds to build a monster viv!)

Thanks again!

 

[Walter1]

Hi Walter,

Thanks for the reply.

I have been keeping snakes for over 20 years but not got a great deal of experience with lizards. I am taken by bigger species and the ones that really "do it" for me are Tegus and Gilas (Why it has to be the high price, high maintenance species I don't know!)

I have a building in my garden with a 12' x 8' floor plan that could definitely accommodate a viv of that size with a little bit of reorganising. The snakes I keep are certainly not affectionate so I have no... unrealistic expectations but a more personable reptile would be a nice addition to my hobby.

I look forward to learning more (and saving up the funds to build a monster viv!)

Thanks again!

You're welcome. Depending on your location, your tegu/s can live outdoors yearround.