# Chewie, the argentine that thinks he's a giant.



## mikecrowder23 (Sep 5, 2009)

This is Chewie (previously "tiny") I have had him for just under a week. He is a varnyardigan from Jam and whitey. He was born on june 29th which is roughly 9 weeks ago and is already 23" and that's being conservative. He is of great temperment. Still a lively baby but doesn't mind being handled and just hanging out but when he wants to move he wants to move. Has anyone else had such a young fell grow so fast or is this normal and I dont know it. The last pic is of his cage, about how long do i have until i have to build him his full size one. Oh he eats a small mouse (frozen) twice a week, as well as the turkey mixture, and eggs. All with his vitamin dust. Any questions or comments are appreciated.


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## Beasty (Sep 5, 2009)

THAT is some serious growth! I would suggest you upgrade his cage immediately. That looks to be about the size of my feeding bin, which is actually smaller than what I should have by now.
If you can't go the full deal right now I would go get a 4x8 sheet of plywood and cut it into 4 2x4 parts and then cut one of those into 2 @ 2x2 giving you 5 of 6 sides for a 2x2x4 enclosure for around $10! (and have it cut for free before even leaving the store!!) Get some mis-mixed paint(like $5 per gallon) and 2x2s to get the thing held together and then see about making your door- front loader is better. Get your door made, cut a hole in the top for the light and holes across the back for venting and call it a temporary cage for around $50!!! If he hibernates that will be sufficient until he wakes next year for sure. If he doesn't hibernate you are in trouble and may as well go all out now.
The up side to getting this cage built would be it'll give you some experience building a cage and if you do it well you can sell it later, likely at a profit to someone else not construction savvy and use that cash to recoup some costs of building the larger cage. That's what I would do anyway.
Good luck!


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 5, 2009)

Thanks for the advice I've got all the tools to do it, it's just a matter of getting time to do it. I found a nice hardwood plywood at lowest that just blew everything else out of the water so i think that's what i'll go with. and i was gonna do 7x3x2 cage deffinetely with a front opening.


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## Richard21 (Sep 5, 2009)

He is one very nice looking tegu!


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## Jefroka (Sep 5, 2009)

This is the cage I made for Beauregard, its a little more than 4.5' long and 2' wide by 2' tall <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2xQt3b16bAWNVBqFgbgyIw?authkey=Gv1sRgCJK9nIWx3evmuwE&feat=directlink" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2x ... directlink</a><!-- m -->

He is now longer than his basking rock. He was hatched out June 10, 2009 and I picked him up from the post office June 30, 2009. He is closing in on thw two foot mark fast! Last measurement, he was 23"

Here are a few pics from today: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RPeHL6O37q2COiG8G_17Ng?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmDksSFxNiRnwE&feat=directlink" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RP ... directlink</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dQKGs4GKs7DoOUwLFjbugw?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmDksSFxNiRnwE&feat=directlink" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dQ ... directlink</a><!-- m -->


...Jefroka


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 6, 2009)

thanks richard, he has a great temperment which is the most important thing to me since i have him out for 2-3 hours a day.


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## whoru (Sep 6, 2009)

nice looking gu


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## Jefroka (Sep 6, 2009)

The picture with him on the keyboard, was he about to shed?


...Jefroka


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 6, 2009)

He still had some shed on his tail but his body had already finished.


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## Jefroka (Sep 6, 2009)

mikecrowder23 said:


> He still had some shed on his tail but his body had already finished.



Yep, that's what I thought. 


...Jefroka


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## VenomVipe (Sep 6, 2009)

I can see why he thinks he is a giant... he sure looks like one.


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 6, 2009)

Yeah he at a golf ball sized turkey mixture and then a handfull of my steak earlier. Eats like a mack truck. What's with the black nose, is that normal. I love it but i'm not sure if i've ever seen one on a regular before.


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## reptastic (Sep 6, 2009)

hey i think our tegus may be brothets lol i git mine on aug 11 and he was about 5 wks old im not sure who his parents were gotta get with bobby on that but he got that same black nose great temperment too i measured him today and he is 21 " long and still growing cant wait to get some pics up i got alot lol


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 7, 2009)

That'd be interesting to know. Go to tinypic.com that's the easiest way i've found to put pics up.


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## throneofjade (Sep 7, 2009)

Great looking tegu. Mine is also from Jam and Whitey.


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 7, 2009)

does yours have that black nose, boy or girl and how big?


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## simon021 (Sep 7, 2009)

Thats insane growth. Here I thought mine was growing fast! 16 inches toward the end of august, and has already grown 3 more to 19 inches as of today. It's insane!


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 7, 2009)

Just bought him a harness and leash, when i get back from the pool in a bit i'll let ya'll know how he fares. kinda skeptical, but he's not going outside without one.


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## AWD247 (Sep 7, 2009)

Kool keep us posted, thats one of the next things on my list with my extreme, since hes getting big I want him out more, but im not risking him bolting somewhere and me not being able to get him..lol.

Let me know how it goes


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 7, 2009)

All went well except it took my wife and i to get him in the harness. He was just in a mood where he didn't want to be confined. but once in the harness he did great, never tried to run just ambled around a bit, getting some real sun.


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 7, 2009)

good idea awd, i actually got one from bobby a couple months ago he was about 16 inches long and i was walking my dog and he jumped off my shoulder and into the woods. i was diving and scrambling after him but that was the last i saw, i dug around for hours and not a thing, so this little fella wont be getting out under any other circumstances than a leash.


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## AWD247 (Sep 7, 2009)

Thats kool its working for you, I think thats my next thing to introduce, that way I can have him get out more often, its getting to the point that I take him out more often and been noticing that he wants out more often too.


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## simon021 (Sep 8, 2009)

exactly which harness is that? I was out on the deck today letting him soak up some rays when a little girl came running by and freaked him out. He took off like a lightning bolt. Luckily he ran right under the deck and I was able to get him pretty quick. No more trips outside until I can get a leash on him. I wasnt exactly sure which size I would need at this point, as I'm sure it wont last long. Long enough to keep him around while outside in the sun. I tell ya, that natural sunshine brings out the wild in these Tegus!


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 8, 2009)

it's the t-rex reptile comfort leash, i got the medium which looks like it'll work for a month maybe 6 weeks more but it was only around 10 bucks at petsmart. he's fine once it's on but getting it on bymyself was a task, i guess it takes a womans touch 'cause when my wife helped out he was a perfect gentleman. and yes i know how that sun brings the wild out in them, i lost one to it and i'm not about to make that mistake again......ever!


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## reptastic (Sep 8, 2009)

yeah that would be cool if they were brothers here is a recent pic of him his name is nero


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