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Deadpool
12-27-2004, 04:19 PM
Hey everyone i've been looking into getting a tegu for a couple months now and after much debate of either getting a tegu or monitor, i've chosen the tegu path. i've been looking at local pet stores and reptiles shows in my area but tegus are rather hard to find.. and when i did find some it was gold ones... MEAN gold ones. so after some research i felt the black and white tegu was the best way to go. i ordered a small one from lllreptile.com today and it will be arriving tomorrow. i have a 55 gallon already setup for him/her.

should i try feeding him the first day or give him a day or two? also, is it best not to handle him the first day? i realise he'll be a nervous and stressed out when he arrives so i wanna make sure he gets proper care.

any helpful information would be appreciated. thanks!

Rick
12-27-2004, 05:20 PM
First and foremost, welcome to theTegu.com and congratulations on ordering a tegu. :)

You didn't say what you setup tank was so I figured I would touch on some basics. Make sure you do not use cedar, pine, etc. If you are not sure what to use and you have cedar, pine, etc in there just use newspaper for now and then check back with us. The most used mulch by theTegu members appears to be cypress mulch or reptibark(tm). I would make sure the mulch was at least a few inches for a young tegu so it can burrow down in as they love to do. You can make it deeper as he grows. Make sure he has a 'hide' (half log, open ended box, plastic house,etc) to hide in. Many tegus find this a lot less stressful. Make sure there is a large water bowl and a food bowl is a good idea for mealworms and other small foods. You can also put in wood logs, plastic plants (real plants generally will not live long with a tegu), etc. If you have other decorations it will also help to keep the tegu less stressed as the tegu doesn't feel like a tiny tegu in a large empty cage. Make sure you put a basking light on one end of the tank to create the hot end on the temperate zone and none at the other end. This way the tegu can thermoregulate (move back and forth when it's hot or cold), many of us also use a UVB bulb, but some feel it's not needed. The ones of us who use it do so that we may err on the side of safety. I recommend on a 55 gallon tank to pick up a head pad (not a heat rock) and attach it under 1/3 of the tank, under the heat light. This helps keep the tegu warm when it's under the substrate and also at night when the light is off. A cheap timer can be bought to hook up to the basking light to create a daytime/nighttime photoperiod.

When you first get the tegu I would put him in the enclosure for the day/evening and let him distress. The day after you can stick your hand in and see how it reacts. if it seems calm then carefully pick it up. Move slow and sit with it for awhile. (I would not do this shortly after feeding it)

I would leave it in its enclosure for the day/night after you get it. The next day offer food, if the tegu takes it quickly the tegu isn't really stressed and has already fit in well. You can now start to touch/hold your tegu.

I hope this post helps.

Rick
theTegu.com

John
12-27-2004, 06:38 PM
And Welcome to Thetegu.com. Rick is a great host and has put together the #1 best source for Tegu information Anywhere! I've actually done the same as you although I've kept a few species of monitors. When I finally decided I was sick of a skittish animal that always wanted to take off I began to look into Tegus. I was in search of a medium sized lizard that was calm and would lounge around rather then take off at any given chance. Anyways Congrats on the new Tegu!

Deadpool
12-28-2004, 02:37 PM
I have pretty much everything Rick reccomended. I am using reptibark and i do have the hiding half log spot. a heating pad for the basking side, my bulb is 100 watt, i also have a dish big enough for him/her to soak in.. even though i heard its rare for them to do it. there is a nice looking thick branch i bought in there too. this tegu will be small (10 to 15 inches the site said) so i'm hoping the 55 gallon will last him quite awhile.

The tegu won't be coming until wednesday now. i guess lllreptile doesn't ship on mondays.

but yeah this is the best tegu site i've come across and i'll definitely be sticking around.

as for the monitor skittish theory, that is usually true, but my friend has a year old savannah thats incredibly nice. it chills on his shoulder and never hisses/bites/runs. of course this wasnt always the case.. it did take quite a bit of handling to get there.

Blue tongued skinks are also very good larger lizards. Sometimes there skiddish at first but upon a couple weeks of taming they are total sweethearts.

I'm looking forward to this tegu though :)

Rick
12-28-2004, 03:20 PM
I am honored that you like the site. I can't wait to see pictures of your tegu when you get it. Be sure to create an album in the Tegu Photos gallery once you have it. If you need help making an album there are directions HERE (http://www.thetegu.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1) and if you have problems just contact me with the 'Contact Admin' link in the Main Menu on the top left of each page.

Your setup should be ok, let me add that ReptiBark(tm) works fine, but doesn't hold the humidity as well as Cypress Mulch (but it is easier to clean up waste) so get something to cover most of the top of the aquarium (leaving room for the basking light). I have used Plexiglass or Lexan (its basically a shatter-proof plexiglass). tc5000 also had a good idea in a recent post found HERE (http://www.thetegu.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=546&highlight=#546).

Rick
theTegu.com

John
12-28-2004, 03:24 PM
they aren't too skittish and usually calm down. Down side is I don't like the look of an african monitor. I like the sleak indo ones! Doesn't matter anymore, you CAN'T Beat a Tegu!

Rick
12-28-2004, 03:29 PM
Doesn't matter anymore, you CAN'T Beat a Tegu!

Well you can, but as they get large you will need a bigger stick. :P lol

Rick
theTegu.com

John
12-28-2004, 03:40 PM
LMAO....

Deadpool
12-28-2004, 04:44 PM
Tegus and monitors aren't related at all, correct? i have a friend who is arguing with me that their in the same family.. but as far as i know they are two completely different species. I know their body types are similar and their temperments can be compared but other than that.. i don't think they are in the same family

John
12-28-2004, 05:58 PM
They are Totally unrelated! Infact they are related to these little lizards I can't remember the name of! Big differences between monitors and Tegus, totally different families!

Deadpool
12-28-2004, 06:19 PM
interesting enough, a guy i worked with about a year ago had a monitor and tegu living together in the same complex. i never saw how big their cage was, but he brought them into work together in a reptile travel bag type thing and the two seemed like best friends. i believe it was a black throat monitor and a gold tegu. both were about the same size at the time. i wasnt all into reptiles at the time so i didnt pay much attention. i only vividly remember it but it was pretty cool how they got along.

Rick
12-28-2004, 10:57 PM
Well, depends on the technical definition of 'related'. They are related, but are not the same species (or genus, or even family). All reptiles are of the class Reptilia. So they are at least related to that point. They are also both off the same order, Squamata. That's where it ends though, from there the Family, Genus & Species part. So they are related, but not any more so then my Golden Geckos are to my Tegu. :)

Just so you have a little ammo in your arguement with your friend here are the common taxonomy of the three lizards I mentioned...

Tegu Taxonomy
-------------

Kingdom: Animalia,
Phylum: Chordata,
Class: Reptilia,
Order: Squamata,
Family: Teiidae,
Genus: Tupinambis

Monitor Taxonomy
----------------

Kingdom: Animalia,
Phylum: Chordata,
Class: Reptilia,
Order: Squamata,
Family: Varanidae,
Genus: Varanus

Gecko Taxonomy
----------------

Kingdom: Animalia,
Phylum: Chordata,
Class: Reptilia,
Order: Squamata,
Family: Gekkonidae,
Genus: Gekko

Have fun.. :)

Rick


Tegus and monitors aren't related at all, correct? i have a friend who is arguing with me that their in the same family.. but as far as i know they are two completely different species. I know their body types are similar and their temperments can be compared but other than that.. i don't think they are in the same family

Deadpool
12-29-2004, 02:26 PM
Well i got the tegu finally... he's a little bit bigger than i expected, which wouldn't be a problem if he was nice. i got bit immediately upon opening the box/bag up. then he tried his hardest escape but i was able to grab him and put him in the 55 gallon. he got my hand pretty good and it bled. i was expecting a sweethart in the box but i got the exact opposite... now i have no clue how i am gonna tame him when its so difficult to hold him... i was expecting some squirming... but biting i wasnt planning on :(

John
12-29-2004, 02:37 PM
Now you need to build trust with your new tegu. If you don't now you could end up with a huge beast no one will want to mess with. Give him 2 weeks to settle in! Then start to bring him out. When he is out always keep your hands near him. Don't put him down. Put him on your shirt or something to that effect and keep petting him gently. This has worked for me for other animals. I have no experience actually taming tegus, then again it can't be to much different. I do hear they tend to calm down pretty quick. Good luck!

Deadpool
12-29-2004, 02:44 PM
i hope so. i think the problem is he was just in some cage with his brothers and sisters and thrown some food once in awhile. had he been handled at a younger age.. i bet it would be different.

but OUCH he got me good. don't let anyone ever tell you tegu's bites don't hurt!

John
12-29-2004, 03:11 PM
how big is he? My male blue is just over 2ft (I'll measure him tonight!). I lucked out I guess. Ken (Exotic Pets) said he was very squirmy but not nippy. I recieved him and he was very calm. I'm always careful at first. LOL if I don't get bit within the first 10 min I become very trusting. I found he was a sweetheart! Everytime he tongue flicks I see those teeth (which btw get larger and larger by the day LOL). I would hate to take a bite! Give him plenty of time to settle in, then you need to start working with him.

Deadpool
12-29-2004, 03:19 PM
i am hoping its a girl because i just named her jessica. if it does turn out to be a boy then i guess a name change will be in order. including her tail i'd say she's about 16 to 18 inches. i'm no tegu expert but i'm gonna guess she about half a year old maybe? on a happier note she seems to be very healthy. her skin, toes and claws are all in perfect condition. she's basking right now, giving me an evil eye when i come in to watch her. i just started a photo album for her on the site

John
12-29-2004, 04:10 PM
a great place for you to get some Taming info. Rick put together a page on Taming which you can find here: http://www.thetegu.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=17

I read it over and it's pretty good! My male was purchased as female (I had it probed). He's absolutly awesome! I was told he was 6 months old and he was approx 2ft. It's really hard to guess how old reptiles are because it depends on so many factors as to the relation of their size! Food, temperature, enclosures....all come into play. My guess is yours is approx 4-5 months old. I'm in no way an expert either (hope to become one!). Tegus have become my #1 love in reptiles! Now that I have my blue pair (Female is comming Friday) I can look to pick up an albino het snow pair! If it turns out to be male, just name him Jess or Jessie. If you have a local reptile shop that has experience sexing Tegus you could find out for sure. If the prob goes in over an inch it's almost for sure a male. Females barely go in at all. Anyways good luck with your new little monster!