Hi everyone! I'm still in the research phase...

[geckers]

But I thought I'd join up and say hello while I browse the website. I'm pretty sure a tegu is what I'm after, and there's a reptile show a few hours away from where I live coming up next weekend.

I've been interested in big lizards my whole life, and up to this point I've owned a variety of small geckos and skinks, a bearded dragon, and a blue tongued skink. I think I'm ready to handle something a bit larger, but I'm hoping for an animal that isn't too skittish and typically tames well. I much prefer hands-on reptiles. That said, I have a few questions that I would love some opinions on.

Are Colombian tegus really as upset by human interaction as people say they are? They're visually my favorite but I want something that won't get super stressed with me.

What are the odds of finding a captive bred baby these days, of any tegu species? Am I still going to be looking at wild caught juveniles?

If I decide to go for a tegu, will a 40 gallon breeder aquarium be enough space for a few months while I build an upgrade? Humidity and heat are no problem here, I'm just worried about the tank size.

Do tegus go through "puberty" like some other large reptiles do? If so, when does it hit them and how bad is it in your opinion?

Thanks so much!

 

[Zyn]

40g would work for a few months, a lot of columbians are imports, where most Argentines are captive breed unless you buy from Tegus only which rescues them from from the wilds of Florida since they are an invasive species.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Alpha my 14 month ish colombian is settling down nicely and I have no aggression worries at all towards anyone... he is still a bit skittish when i first lift him but this settles within seconds and this is only for the first lift of each day...I've never had an Argentine though so can't give you a comparison only my veiw that I am more than happy with my Colombian...

40g may last you a few months but will defs need up grading.

 

[geckers]

Awesome, thanks guys!