Dwarf Chilean Tegu

[Machs70]

I once had a Dwarf Chilean Tegu, I know they are not true tegus, but he was a still a great pet. I don't see them anywhere anymore, does anyone have them in the u.S. either wild or cb?

 

[Greenmanbacchus]

I once had a Dwarf Chilean Tegu, I know they are not true tegus, but he was a still a great pet. I don't see them anywhere anymore, does anyone have them in the u.S. either wild or cb?

Hey Machs70 Welcome to the board. A quick search on the Internet says that Maximum Reptiles has 'em for $50.00. I've never bought from them (or heard of them) so I can't speak for how they are...do your homework
Good Luck!
GMB[attachment=0]

 

[TeguKid80]

Oh man those are amazing anyone wanna guess as to how big of a cage one or two would need?

 

[kaa]

I would guess about a 4x2, And probably the same husbandry as any other tegu. But I am just guessing. No clue how big they get.

 

[chelvis]

If i remember rightly (i haven't seen them in the pet market for about 6 years now, wow has it really been that long, crazy) They are alot smaller than a tegu, only getting about 2 feet total including tail. They are more like a whiptail then a tegu personality wise but still a really cool looking lizard. If i remember all the ones that use to come in where imports no one was breeding them and they do have a bit of a special diet (they are lizard eatters, again its been awhile).

I'm guessing no one is importing them anymore it seems like everyone has started with the columbian tegu now.

 

[TeguKid80]

Yeah I haven't seen them in a while they still seem interesting though...

 

[Machs70]

Yeah, they love eating smaller lizards, mine ate superworms and crickets also, but not always. He was a picky eater, I would buy anoles,which he always loved, he would go after them violently and hunt them down and you would hear them crunch as he was eating them. It got a little costly for me back in the late 80's, mine was a male with a salmon colored belly about 2 ft long head to tail, very similar in size to a Jeweled Lacerta. He was very tame but very fast as well. I already tried to get a hold of Maximum Reptiles, which is the only place I found that says they have them but the phone # does not work, and they are not returning my e-mails.

 

[Machs70]

Here are some pics of "Lester" they are scanned old pics.

 

[AB^]

Chile is closed to export now so the only ones you'd be able to find (if you were actually able to find some) would be illegally smuggled animals.