# Where to buy healthy captive breed tegus



## Anthonyc (Apr 1, 2012)

Im looking to buy a argentine tegu near june, i really dont know what im doing, and i need help. 

I also would like to keep it sort of cheap


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## glk832 (Apr 1, 2012)

Try faunaclassifieds there are always tegu on there also hit up underground reptiles varnyard or tegu terra


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## Anthonyc (Apr 1, 2012)

Thanks, i Also would like to know what you did for caging


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## chelvis (Apr 1, 2012)

Warning the set-up and feeding of a growing tegu are not cheep. Some people have been able to keep the cost down but in the end they are not a leo that can live on a few mealworms. Caging seems to be the biggest intial expense. 

I would dig around on the forum and check out some of the treads about feeding, caging, set-up and general care.


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## m3s4 (Apr 1, 2012)

LLLReptiles.com as well. 

Bought 2 colombian tegus from them that were in excellent health, came in excellent packaging and were priced right. 

*Since you said you don't know what you're doing, on top of the tegu...*

You'll need a nice large cage, UVB lighting, a way to keep humidity around 65%+, and good supplements - those being a multi-vitamin and calcium. 

You'll want to learn about _feeding them_,_ leashing/harnessing them_,_ taming them_,_ potty-training them_ etc...All that info is readily available on the site. 

I would only encourage you to do as much research as possible before pulling the trigger on a tegu. Once you get the hang of them they're quite easy to manage, but the upfront costs can be high and they require a lot of attention, a good habitat and plenty of food.


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## glk832 (Apr 1, 2012)

Yeah bro do that research... Cheap is not in the vocab when doing a start up pet project it ran me 5bills for everything tegu included. idk your financial status but pls think about everything before u purchas... Current bills jobs status because your light bills will increase and your grocery bill will also..


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Apr 2, 2012)

chelvis said:


> Warning the set-up and feeding of a growing tegu are not cheep. Some people have been able to keep the cost down but in the end they are not a leo that can live on a few mealworms. Caging seems to be the biggest intial expense.
> 
> I would dig around on the forum and check out some of the treads about feeding, caging, set-up and general care.



yeah they eat a ton as babies and adults food bill will skyrocket it did for mine


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## laurarfl (Apr 2, 2012)

Wil is a member here and will have babies this year. His ad is up top. As for knowing what to do...read, read, read on these forums.


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## chelvis (Apr 2, 2012)

Sorry about the short answer and I didn't mean to be rude, encase it came off like that. When i first got Bosco I thought that people were just being snobby when they said I should wait to get one, that they are expensive to keep. My thought was I was going to get a blue and it would stay small so I wouldn't need the big cage, the huge food bill and the lighting was a joke I had kept plenty of reptiles with no UV. Well a blue came on the net for really cheep and I bought him. Four months later my 40 gallon was way too small and he was twitching. I had a mega ray overnighted to my place (big bucks!) and had to run down to homedepot and get a cage together in a weekend. It would have been so much cheaper and less stressful had I just sat down and figured everything out. Now I have so many extras (cages, lighting and food) that adding a new one every now and then isn't so hard, but that first one should never be a jump into the deep end. 

I wish I had the time to write everything I have learned from tegu ownership to help hopeful new owners out, but why re-write what has already been done. This site has tons of first hand experience that when I am stuck on something (yes it happens even after 6 years of tegu ownership) this is the first place I turn to.

The original post I made was not to turn you off owning one, just to do some research before bringing one home.


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## BillieJeAn (Apr 2, 2012)

underground reptiles is decently cheap on their tegus 
i got my red for $150 (plus $45 shipping) 
however, She was a bit under sized.

making a sort of savings account for your tegu is a good idea if you have limited budget. (thats what i did) 
that way, you can save the money for caging, food, supplies and the Gu to start you off. then, you should keep depositing small amounts of money as kind of a back up plan if you need to take your gu to the vet or something like that. 

Also, listen to what everyone else is saying!! they're right. read read read read read read read! this forum is perfect for that


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## laurarfl (Apr 2, 2012)

You're right, Chelvis, they are a bit expensive to keep.


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