# Is this a colombian tegu?



## AlexK (Mar 24, 2011)

I work at a pet shop, I know virtually nothing about tegus, i'm mostly into snakes. This guy came in on our order as a captive born aregentine black and white, but from the price we paid for him im inclined to think he is a WC colombian. Just kind of wanting someone to clarify this for me.


















Sorry for the picture quality, only had my cellphone on me.


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## AdrianPaul (Mar 24, 2011)

Need a better shot of the side of the face to tell for sure, but looks more like a Colombian to me


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## Toby_H (Mar 24, 2011)

It's Columbian....


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## chelvis (Mar 24, 2011)

100% Columbian.... skinny one at that


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## AlexK (Mar 24, 2011)

Alright thanks guys, looks like im making some angry phone calls tomorrow.


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## Bubblz Calhoun (Mar 24, 2011)

chelvis said:


> 100% Columbian.... skinny one at that



_Wow,.. what they said_


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## Strange_Evil (Mar 24, 2011)

Colombian,Like everyone else said. 

I would get him checked for parasites.


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## AlexK (Mar 24, 2011)

Yeah, he's going to get a fecal done within the next couple of days. Like I said I have pretty much no experience with these guys, but I knew he was sinfully thin from the second we opened the shipment. I put him in a feeding container and he annihilated a load of crickets, i'm going to offer some fruit and pre-killed pinks tomorrow. Also going to try to get a refund from the supplier.


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## chelvis (Mar 24, 2011)

If they sold it as an arg than i would deff get on the phone and get a refund. I wouldnt write the little guy off, resently alot of columbians have been taming down.


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## Rhetoric (Mar 24, 2011)

Poor thing it looks really thin. Definitely colombian. So are you gonna try to have it sent back to the supplier then or do you think you'll keep it around


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## AlexK (Mar 24, 2011)

Most likely we'll end up keeping it and getting credit from the supplier. That's what usually happens when this type of thing goes down. He's actually surprisingly calm, a little squirrely but he hasn't offered to bite yet. He tolerated being held better than I thought he would that's for sure. He also seemed to be severely dehydrated when he came in, I sat him next to a water dish and he drank for a good 30 seconds straight.


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## hanniebann (Mar 24, 2011)

that's a bummer. good luck in taming him down! it is possible!! Keep us updated :]


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## Rhetoric (Mar 24, 2011)

Good, I'm excited to hear that. I'm also happy that you're taking the time to care for it.


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## AlexK (Mar 24, 2011)

Hopefully I can get him fattened up and one of our customers that's real into herps will take him home. I'm going to talk to all the other guys working at the shop to make sure he doesn't get sold to somebody without some type of lizard experience. I've got one particular customer in mind, guy loves herps and has a 6 foot Nile that's as tame as a puppy.


I'll keep thread updated on how it goes.


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## TheTeguGurl (Mar 24, 2011)

I hope you get it figured out with the person you got him from


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## laurarfl (Mar 25, 2011)

Colombians really aren't that bad, especially since there aren't as many WC imports as there used to be, and people are learning more about them.


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## AlexK (Mar 27, 2011)

Well, we're getting our money back, but we're also sending the little guy back. I talked to the supplier on the phone and he gets all his "Argentine Black and Whites" imported from Colombia. I tried to explain the difference to him but i got the whole "i've been in business for 20 years I know all there is to know about lizards" speech. 

The actual animal has been eating like a pig, only crickets though. He has been refusing everything else i've offered including both live and prekilled mouse pinks, live hamster pinks, banana, grapes, beheaded superworms, boiled egg, smashed apple, and plum. (all cut into appropriate sizes of coarse.)


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## Little Wise Owl (Mar 28, 2011)

From what I understand, Columbians do not eat as much, if any fruits and veggies like Argentines do.


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## laurarfl (Mar 28, 2011)

Au contraire, lol, my Colombians will happily eat papaya, mango, berries, mango...

I think that info is up there with Colombians are mean and aggressive. Info just gets passed around. Young Colombians don't eat much fruit and people assume they are carnivorous. They are much like Args in that they need more protein as they grow but will take fruits as they grow up. Colombians also seem to get attached to certain foods, like eggs, and get really picky.

Gotta love those people who know everything. I've kept reptiles for 20 years and learn so much every day. That's why I like to stay on the forums...there so much new information coming out. No one is ever going to know everything about anything. I can't imagine his customers are very happy. We have a local store like that, though. Since they have the store, all their employees are "the experts".

Au contraire, lol, my Colombians will happily eat papaya, mango, berries, mango...

I think that info is up there with Colombians are mean and aggressive. Info just gets passed around. Young Colombians don't eat much fruit and people assume they are carnivorous. They are much like Args in that they need more protein as they grow but will take fruits as they grow up. Colombians also seem to get attached to certain foods, like eggs, and get really picky.

Gotta love those people who know everything. I've kept reptiles for 20 years and learn so much every day. That's why I like to stay on the forums...there so much new information coming out. No one is ever going to know everything about anything. I can't imagine his customers are very happy. We have a local store like that, though. Since they have the store, all their employees are "the experts".


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## Little Wise Owl (Mar 28, 2011)

Thanks for adding, Laura. People need to update their care information. haha

I've been learning more and more recently that Columbians aren't what people make them out to be.


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## AlexK (Mar 29, 2011)

I've also been debating trying some finch eggs on the little guy. We typically just throw them away. Couldn't hurt him, could it?

Also, i've been keeping reptiles and amphibians since before I can remember, and i'm 22 years old now. I've had just about everything from reticulated pythons to spotted salamanders. I learn something new about herps almost every day. I can't fathom running a business with the thought in my head that I already know everything. I mean hell, there are 14 year olds that come into the shop where I work that put me to shame on knowledge of certain species.


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## laurarfl (Mar 29, 2011)

Apparently I liked my post enough to write it twice. 

I like anatomy and physiology and behavior, but have never bred much. So I don't know much about morphs, genetics, and breeding. No one can know everything...I tend to avoid the people who think they do. 

Oh and I think finch eggs would be fine. The shells are thin enough to crunch, so just feed them whole.


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