Colombian Tegus?

[Rhysandfish]

I've been looking at tegus for years now, and the colombians have always been the odd one out. The Sore Thumb, Are they really that bad? Or have a few bad experiences tainted their reputation and made them look bad?

 

[Walter1]

I've been looking at tegus for years now, and the colombians have always been the odd one out. The Sore Thumb, Are they really that bad? Or have a few bad experiences tainted their reputation and made them look bad?

I read of success stories, but they’re few and far between. My inpression is that by nature they’re a tough nut to crack for handling. As a beautiful display animal, they’re a fine choice.

 

[Rhysandfish]

I read of success stories, but they’re few and far between. My inpression is that by nature they’re a tough nut to crack for handling. As a beautiful display animal, they’re a fine choice.

that's a lot of what I've read. Do you know anyone who has one?

 

[dpjm]

I have one, not personally but at work. Have not had her long, just a couple months. I am not doing any handling at the moment, I'd rather get her comfortable in her enclosure. I have to be extra cautious about stressing her out because she needs to remain visible to the public, so going into her enclosure to pick her up at this time is not what I want to do. If I did too much of that she would spend to much time in one of her caves and that is not a great display. But by late spring I plan to have her comfortable with being handled so I can use her for our reptile presentation. I am optimistic that it should go well when I actually begin, the few times that I have handled her she has been super once she was caught (she didn't want to get caught though). We rescued her and were told she was just over a year old. She is small for that age.

The only other Colombian that I have any experience with, an adult female, was also easy to handle.

 

[Walter1]

that's a lot of what I've read. Do you know anyone who has one?

No. Just the talky of lots of second-hand information.

Seen many forcsale over the years and mostly don’t seem as tolerant of people as readily as Argentines.

But as dpjm relates, it can happen.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

I read much the same on the lead up to me rescueing my colombian..... UNTIL I READ AN ARTICLE THAT TRULY OPENED MY MIND....This article was talking about how cheap, also how inteligent and docile Colombians are compared to their Argentine cousins...

The conclusion it came to was that....
1) Colombians are more intelegent making them more cautious of people.
2) Colombians are less docile making them cautious of people.
3) Columbians are super cheap and this causes people to buy without researching

These 3 points lead to the unfortanate trouble of people not giving the time or energy these animals deserve and the bad reputation of the animal.

I've got a Colombian and although I have no other tegu experience I believe we are progressing just fine as a team..

 

[Walter1]

I read much the same on the lead up to me rescueing my colombian..... UNTIL I READ AN ARTICLE THAT TRULY OPENED MY MIND....This article was talking about how cheap, also how inteligent and docile Colombians are compared to their Argentine cousins...

The conclusion it came to was that....
1) Colombians are more intelegent making them more cautious of people.
2) Colombians are less docile making them cautious of people.
3) Columbians are super cheap and this causes people to buy without researching

These 3 points lead to the unfortanate trouble of people not giving the time or energy these animals deserve and the bad reputation of the animal.

I've got a Colombian and although I have no other tegu experience I believe we are progressing just fine as a team..

Please keep posting on your Colombian.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Thanks Walter ... I'll do my best to keep everyone up to speed and also offer anyone any advise I can.