# tegu misconception



## monstruo-the-tegu (Feb 29, 2012)

so i take my tegu and monitor to places every now and then so they can get some sun and every time there is at least one person who says is that an iguana and then i tell them its a a tegu or a monitor and they say no your wrong animal planet told me its an iguana  some people are so stupid beyond belief


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## AP27 (Mar 1, 2012)

Wow. People can be really dumb sometimes. I think you'd know what species your own pet is. :dodgy:


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## turtlepunk (Mar 1, 2012)

wow lol I get that all the time when I take my dragons out places!!! I really want to tell them "just because an iguana is the only lizard you know of, that doesn't make every species of lizard you see an IGUANA! but of course I don't. Someone even asked if my beardie was a gecko!!! (face palm)


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 1, 2012)

Kodo gets mistaken for a snake a lot. The forked tongue must confuse people I guess, because he has very visible legs and doesn't have a snaky body shape. I was under the impression everyone knew snakes had no legs . . . People also seem to think Kodo can sting with his tongue; that's when I tell them they've been watching too many bad SyFy original movies.


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## got10 (Mar 1, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> so i take my tegu and monitor to places every now and then so they can get some sun and every time there is at least one person who says is that an iguana and then i tell them its a a tegu or a monitor and they say no your wrong animal planet told me its an iguana  some people are so stupid beyond belief



Those are the same people the think that fox-5, glenn beck and the tea party can save the world ' LOL . Sorry if i offended anyone . but if you can't take a joke then shame on you


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## Compnerd7 (Mar 1, 2012)

turtlepunk said:


> wow lol I get that all the time when I take my dragons out places!!! I really want to tell them "just because an iguana is the only lizard you know of, that doesn't make every species of lizard you see an IGUANA! but of course I don't. Someone even asked if my beardie was a gecko!!! (face palm)



I take my Dragons with me every place I can, and I get that comment A LOT. More people get it right then wrong though. I mean seriously, It's a bearded dragon, it looks nothing like an Iguana.

That would make me go nearly insane is some corrected me on the 4 foot lizard I have on my shoulder. *" Oh Yeah! Your totally right! I have no idea what I own and have raised for years. Thank you so much for watching TV and correcting me " *:dodgy:. But, you have to be nice, patient, and informative with ignorant people or else well never counter the fear / bans / misunderstanding. 

That doesn't mean you don't feel like choking people sometimes  




[/quote]

Those are the same people the think that fox-5, glenn beck and the tea party can save the world ' LOL . Sorry if i offended anyone . but if you can't take a joke then shame on you 

[/quote]

Also, LOL!!!


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## turtlepunk (Mar 1, 2012)

dragonmetalhead said:


> Kodo gets mistaken for a snake a lot. The forked tongue must confuse people I guess, because he has very visible legs and doesn't have a snaky body shape. I was under the impression everyone knew snakes had no legs . . . People also seem to think Kodo can sting with his tongue; that's when I tell them they've been watching too many bad SyFy original movies.



WOW people mistake your tegu for a SNAKE?!!? thats just a whole new level of ridiculous! sting with their tongues? REALLY?? 
this is just really scary to me how stupid people are!!!


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## reptastic (Mar 1, 2012)

I get iguana all the time, I have to ask them have they ever seen an iguana, I mean tegus resemble iguana in no way


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 1, 2012)

turtlepunk said:


> dragonmetalhead said:
> 
> 
> > Kodo gets mistaken for a snake a lot. The forked tongue must confuse people I guess, because he has very visible legs and doesn't have a snaky body shape. I was under the impression everyone knew snakes had no legs . . . People also seem to think Kodo can sting with his tongue; that's when I tell them they've been watching too many bad SyFy original movies.
> ...



You think that's bad? I got asked once if Kodo was going to turn into a snake. I was so stunned by the randomness and stupidity of the question I didn't know how to answer. The gentleman—yes, it was a grown man asking me this—was under the impressing lizards metamorphose into snakes like caterpillars into butterflies. Wtf, right? I had to explain to him this was not the case, all without berating him for being the Lord of Morons. I was tempted to tell him Kodo wasn't a Pokemon and wouldn't evolve into something totally different if I gave him a Moon Stone, but decided that response was a bit rude. However, the next time someone asks me if he's an iguana I'm going to say yes and tell them he's a "zebra iguana."


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## reptastic (Mar 1, 2012)

Lol @ zebra iguana hats a good one I might have to use that


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## laurarfl (Mar 1, 2012)

I think it's the tongue that makes people of snakes. I know it's not logical, but I've thought about it and it is the only thing I can think of. People always seem to think lizards are automatically iguanas. Except for my BTS...no one has ever called her an iguana...and people always seem to recognize geckos. If I'm working with kids I'll ask them what color iguanas are. They answer, "Green!" Then I'll ask, "Is this lizard green?" When they say no, I go into the other differences as well. I guess it must be a knee-jerk reaction.


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## Timothy (Mar 1, 2012)

I took my tegu out to a park one day and a couple walked by and said "hey look they have a aligator" me and my wife looked at each other, shook our heads and giggled.


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## Compnerd7 (Mar 2, 2012)

_*<<You think that's bad? I got asked once if Kodo was going to turn into a snake. I was so stunned by the randomness and stupidity of the question I didn't know how to answer. The gentleman—yes, it was a grown man asking me this—was under the impressing lizards metamorphose into snakes like caterpillars into butterflies. Wtf, right? I had to explain to him this was not the case, all without berating him for being the Lord of Morons. I was tempted to tell him Kodo wasn't a Pokemon and wouldn't evolve into something totally different if I gave him a Moon Stone, but decided that response was a bit rude. However, the next time someone asks me if he's an iguana I'm going to say yes and tell them he's a "zebra iguana." >>*_


Are you serious??? I thought my Tegu was going to evolve into a Charmealon then a Charizard! All that training for nothing...

I must say that is a very outlandish thing to think... Everyone went to school right, and took some sort of science class that taught you about these things? I remember Biology being my favorite class, I did all the extra credit in that class just because I wanted to! People... they are so focused on the material world they don't have the time to learn about the physical. That is pretty sad. Put the Ipad down, and pick up a snake ( although I do use my Ipad for research and study when I herp haha ).


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## james.w (Mar 2, 2012)

I find it a bit disturbing how everyone is calling people that don't know about reptiles stupid. Reptiles are not something you learn much, if anything about in public school. What makes someone stupid or ignorant for asking a question?


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## Grendel (Mar 2, 2012)

I second James, you have to remember these are all exotic animals, that most people don't even know even exist.


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## Compnerd7 (Mar 2, 2012)

james.w said:


> I find it a bit disturbing how everyone is calling people that don't know about reptiles stupid. Reptiles are not something you learn much, if anything about in public school. What makes someone stupid or ignorant for asking a question?



I'm going to have to agree with you on this one. I've re evaluated my outlook on certain people lately, they are not stupid, just uneducated about what we like, hence I use the saying " very outlandish thing to think "...

I was talking to my brother last night, because he invited me to come up to his place for the weekend. He is a huge nature fan, loves hiking / hunting ect. He is a doctor, graduated at the top of his class from Stanford University. He is most defiantly the smartest person I know. But he doesn't know a whole lot about reptiles / amphibians. If I were to meet him on the street and he asked me a random question that was weird or outlandish, and I were to just dismiss his as an idiot... I would in fact be the moron hahah. He doesn't think that people who don't know as much about medicine as him " stupid " ( well, atleast not most the time lol ).

But I can understand why us as a community we get so mad about people who are not educated in our expertise. 

I remember learning a lot about reptiles in high school, but I think that was because I was keen attention in class when the section came up


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## roastedspleen (Mar 2, 2012)

james.w said:


> I find it a bit disturbing how everyone is calling people that don't know about reptiles stupid. Reptiles are not something you learn much, if anything about in public school. What makes someone stupid or ignorant for asking a question?



im with you on that. its not that they're stupid. they are just people who think of the idea of owning a lizard or snake just like owning a shark or a tiger. they just don't think of it. ignorance and stupidity are different.


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## MadameButterfly (Mar 3, 2012)

lol some of these are funny, I'm willing to bet that those of you who have tegu big enough to bring for walks could actually convince people that you work in an experimental genetic facility like the one in Jurassic Park and they are actually experimental Dinosaurs and just because you mention Jurassic Park they would start to believe you, some people are naive like that where if they don't know the answer they will accept the next most logical explaination they are given no matter how absurbed it is, sure if you told them that you are just waiting for your Dinosaur to grow it's wings and then it will be moved to a private island in the south Pacific they'd believe that too. Sure after reading some of these posts when Kiff gets big enough to bring for walks I might start saying to people not to get to close because she breaths fire when she's nervous


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 3, 2012)

MadameButterfly said:


> lol some of these are funny, I'm willing to bet that those of you who have tegu big enough to bring for walks could actually convince people that you work in an experimental genetic facility like the one in Jurassic Park and they are actually experimental Dinosaurs and just because you mention Jurassic Park they would start to believe you, some people are naive like that where if they don't know the answer they will accept the next most logical explaination they are given no matter how absurbed it is, sure if you told them that you are just waiting for your Dinosaur to grow it's wings and then it will be moved to a private island in the south Pacific they'd believe that too. Sure after reading some of these posts when Kiff gets big enough to bring for walks I might start saying to people not to get to close because she breaths fire when she's nervous


i need to try that lol


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## MadameButterfly (Mar 3, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> i need to try that lol



I bet it would work and people would believe you, sure 90% of people think Dinosaurs were Dragons and Dragons existed and could all fly and breath fire, hell you could glue an ice-cream cone on a horses head and I swear you would find some morons willing to believe it's a unicorn. 

Sure P.T. Barnum made a fortune out if it, he convinced people he had a real mermaid and all it was was the head of a monkey attached to the tail of a fish, as I said most people will always believe the next most logical explaination no matter how absurd because they are afraid of looking stupid so if they say your tegu is an iguana and you say "No it's a genetically engineered Dragon, we are just waiting for it's wings to grow" I bet most will say "Oh yeah actually thats definitely a Dragon, I seen this on the Discovery Channel where scientist are bringing Dragons back to life" because people are thick at times


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## SterlingAce (Mar 29, 2012)

Just to add something quick,a few weeks ago I was out with my red tegu at a pet shop and I overheard this guy telling his girlfriend that his bearded dragon is why bigger than my bearded dragon.
:huh:


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## chelvis (Mar 29, 2012)

I was going to agree with James, however this is really not limited to reptiles. I have worked in zoo facilities for a while now and man the things you hear. I can understand the reptiles, after all most people have phobias of them so if they in the reptile house that is a big step for them. I can understand the strange island animals things like the Fossa, Aye Aye and Kodkod, those animals tend to be animals only keepers and biologist are really known for. But having to tell someone that a Lion and a Tiger are different speices is hard. I honestly had a man that argued with me for 10 mins on it. He was saying that all the ones with strips where females, while standing in front of a ver obvious male tiger, and the tawny colored ones were males, the ones with manes are the alphas. It only ended when the wife came up and said the the ones with manes are the stupid ones, look that one can't find its food and the no maned on found it first, so the maned one is the male and the no maned on is the female. Although not scientific it seemed to work for him. 

Sometimes you just got to smile and nod, I get so many questions in my inbox at work that are myth and legend all I can do is try and educate.


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## Dana C (Mar 29, 2012)

I have found that many people are too lazy to read or do the science. Sadly that goes to many topics beyond Tegus. I was asked to post some reference material sources on V. ionidesi. Every response after posting what I read and researched indicated that none of the respondents read the entire post much less used the sources I listed. Too many people are getting really bad information from The Discovery Chanel, Animal Planet, and even Nat. Geo. The statistics used in Florida's constrictor and Iguana population are most often not factual yet because it is on TV, it has to be true, right? Far too many people are much to fond of just repeating what someone else has said or done rather than finding out whatever, for themselves. It is the typical "A guy I know told me that............" syndrome. I know that very few people have as an inquiring mind as some of us do. Finding research material, papers, studies etc. is time consuming and very often hard. In my mind, the pursuit is fascinating. For others, it cuts into their various reality tv shows. I try hard to make my life very real and now that I am aging, it is much too real.

When it gets warm enough here in Idaho to take my adult Tegu Gordo out and/or my Black Throat monitor out for walks or to the park and will anxiously look forward to ignorant statements. My line is going to point out my lizards obvious simularities to a Carnosaurus, (made up), and that they are experimental animals, which like those in Jurassic Park will grow to be fearsome beasts. After I have my laugh, I will tell them the truth about my animals and the crap they see on television.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 29, 2012)

o geez but yesterday i was in off the ark exotic pets and some lady with her dog walked in she started scaring the iguanas my tegu snakes the beardies and the argus monitor while she was scaring them she started saying i want a gecko then vinny said what kind she said the geico gecko then she said nevermind then she said i want a turtle and so on with other animals eventually it got to the point were her dog pooped on the floor at that point i got so mad at her i said "you really need to know the actual animals before you say you want a fictional character or just a turtle" she left and then i bought crickets and mice


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## james.w (Mar 29, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> o geez but yesterday i was in off the ark exotic pets and some lady with her dog walked in she started scaring the iguanas my tegu snakes the beardies and the argus monitor while she was scaring them she started saying i want a gecko then vinny said what kind she said the geico gecko then she said nevermind then she said i want a turtle and so on with other animals eventually it got to the point were her dog pooped on the floor at that point i got so mad at her i said "you really need to know the actual animals before you say you want a fictional character or just a turtle" she left and then i bought crickets and mice



Way to speak out of turn. If that was my store you would have been told, not asked to leave.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 29, 2012)

yeah after she left everybody laughed


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 29, 2012)

chelvis said:


> I was going to agree with James, however this is really not limited to reptiles. I have worked in zoo facilities for a while now and man the things you hear. I can understand the reptiles, after all most people have phobias of them so if they in the reptile house that is a big step for them. I can understand the strange island animals things like the Fossa, Aye Aye and Kodkod, those animals tend to be animals only keepers and biologist are really known for. But having to tell someone that a Lion and a Tiger are different speices is hard. I honestly had a man that argued with me for 10 mins on it. He was saying that all the ones with strips where females, while standing in front of a ver obvious male tiger, and the tawny colored ones were males, the ones with manes are the alphas. It only ended when the wife came up and said the the ones with manes are the stupid ones, look that one can't find its food and the no maned on found it first, so the maned one is the male and the no maned on is the female. Although not scientific it seemed to work for him.
> 
> Sometimes you just got to smile and nod, I get so many questions in my inbox at work that are myth and legend all I can do is try and educate.



You had someone who didn't know lions and tigers are different species?! My cousin's two-year-old son knows they're two different animals. Damn, that's pretty bad. It's like when people ask if Kodo is a snake, even though he has very obvious and well-muscled legs. I hate to sound like a snob/*******, but some people really are just morons. There is just no excuse for that when it is so easy to access information via the internet.


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## james.w (Mar 29, 2012)

Why do the majority of people here expect everyone to know about reptiles?? Reptiles are a hobby that not everyone is interested in, why should they research them? That is like saying because you can't tune an engine you are a moron, or because you can't play the piano you are ignorant. Not everyone has the same interests in the world, and some of you are making them out to be morons, stupid, ignorant, etc because of that. This thread is full of ignorant people, some of you should look in the mirror and you will see just what a moron looks like.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 29, 2012)

james.w said:


> Why do the majority of people here expect everyone to know about reptiles?? Reptiles are a hobby that not everyone is interested in, why should they research them? That is like saying because you can't tune an engine you are a moron, or because you can't play the piano you are ignorant. Not everyone has the same interests in the world, and some of you are making them out to be morons, stupid, ignorant, etc because of that. This thread is full of ignorant people, some of you should look in the mirror and you will see just what a moron looks like.



yes but mainly its people acting like they know more than a keeper of that animal ive had people say that my tegu was an iguana and i said no its a tegu and they said he saw that it was an iguana on animal planet and he said the person i bought him from was an idiot and i was an idiot


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## grimz (Mar 29, 2012)

Well let me tell it to you this way humans and animals have lived on earth together forever so i think more people should know about animals then what does.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Mar 29, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> james.w said:
> 
> 
> > Why do the majority of people here expect everyone to know about reptiles?? Reptiles are a hobby that not everyone is interested in, why should they research them? That is like saying because you can't tune an engine you are a moron, or because you can't play the piano you are ignorant. Not everyone has the same interests in the world, and some of you are making them out to be morons, stupid, ignorant, etc because of that. This thread is full of ignorant people, some of you should look in the mirror and you will see just what a moron looks like.
> ...


You do realize that when you insult people in public in a business location it's considered extremely disrespectful right? You insult someone for not knowing the difference between reptile species, which many don't, yet you think it's alright to not exercise basic manners in public? By insulting a woman who simply didn't know what she was talking about because of a lack of education, you simply proved that you, not she, was the stupid one in the scenario. If you had calmly held your tongue and let the store employees explain to her what she was looking at, you would've come off as a much more mature person. Maybe in the future you should consider how your actions make you look before you act...


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## james.w (Mar 30, 2012)

grimz said:


> Well let me tell it to you this way humans and animals have lived on earth together forever so i think more people should know about animals then what does.



How many members of this forum know specific information about the planets, stars, other species of animals, the world's waterways, etc?? These things have been around forever as well, but I'm sure there area many members here including me that know very little information about these things. Does that make us ignorant or stupid??


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## chelvis (Mar 30, 2012)

I know a lot about the natural world, but asking about the entertainment world or politics and I am clueless. There are things I should remember from highschool government but lets face it that was a long time ago and I have gained more info in other areas.


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## james.w (Mar 30, 2012)

chelvis said:


> I know a lot about the natural world, but asking about the entertainment world or politics and I am clueless. There are things I should remember from highschool government but lets face it that was a long time ago and I have gained more info in other areas.



Exactly my point, we research and retain knowledge from things that interest us.


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## reptastic (Mar 30, 2012)

james.w said:


> Why do the majority of people here expect everyone to know about reptiles?? Reptiles are a hobby that not everyone is interested in, why should they research them? That is like saying because you can't tune an engine you are a moron, or because you can't play the piano you are ignorant. Not everyone has the same interests in the world, and some of you are making them out to be morons, stupid, ignorant, etc because of that. This thread is full of ignorant people, some of you should look in the mirror and you will see just what a moron looks like.



That's a rude statement and highly uncalled for, no one here expects everyone to be able to identify reptiles, we just find it funny sometimes what they (tegus)get confused at being, they are infact ignorant which simply means they just don't know!


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## frost (Mar 30, 2012)

i have to agree with reptastic.


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## HeatherN (Mar 30, 2012)

I have to agree with monstruo, it's not that they don't know about reptiles, it's that they haven't a clue but insist they know what they're talking about to the person who owns the animal. I have no problem with people asking about my pets, I actually enjoy it. What bugs me is when people will come up intending to show off info about your animal and school you about it, when if they had actual read or heard anything about it, they would have more accurate things to say. It's like going into a mechanics shop and insisting you tune up the engine for them, even though you have no idea how it works. What makes people arrogant and moronic, in my mind, is the insistence that they know everything about anything, including the animals you care for.

And I research everything I can get my grubby little hands on, I know how to care for most exotics, I know how stars are formed and why our planets are the way they are, I spend hours debating economics and political issues, enjoy playing with gins and electronics (am a pretty good shot if I do say so myself  ), I often read articles and studies from anything to botany to psychology, blah blah blah / toot my own horn... Forgive me if I don't understand how someone can not be fascinated by they world we live in!


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## grimz (Mar 30, 2012)

I am not talking about stars and other planets i am talking about things here on this earth things we have been around forever things we have walked right beside of everyday. Actually i know a lot of people that know about the stars and planets but as for me i dont worry about things out of this world that is out of my control.


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 30, 2012)

It's one thing when somebody comes up to you and asks you, "Is that an iguana?" and then you can politely correct and educate them a bit. But when people come up to you insisting what type of animal it is and refuse to listen to you, it's a totally separate ballgame. I always take the time to talk to anyone who asks about Kodo and tegus in general, and I typically end my schpiel with "Would you like to pet him?" That being said, walking into a Petsmart with an exotic reptile most people haven't heard of perched on your shoulder people tend to assume you're some sort of reptile expert (or at least that's what I've experienced).


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 30, 2012)

ive had people scream because people thought i was a terrorist with a pet dragon


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 30, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> ive had people scream because people thought i was a terrorist with a pet dragon



Lol, that's a bit of an extreme reaction.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 30, 2012)

yeah i live in the south of virginia not many people like reptiles at all it doesnt matter what kind most people will kill a snake in woods on sight


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## TegusRawsome80 (Mar 30, 2012)

People are so judgemental of those who simply don't have knowledge.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 30, 2012)

yeah i am not popular at school kind of a nerd and some people say that reptiles are stupid reptiles suck why do you like those scaley little monsters it makes me sad how people hate reptiles so much

but i do have like 2 friends who have a few reptiles and there are people at my school who want a reptile i give them examples of good reptiles for beginners so far i have helped 9 people most started out wanting iguanas (i know really) but ended up getting corn snakes ball pythons cresteds beardies and other reptiles


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 30, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> yeah i am not popular at school kind of a nerd and some people say that reptiles are stupid reptiles suck why do you like those scaley little monsters it makes me sad how people hate reptiles so much
> 
> but i do have like 2 friends who have a few reptiles and there are people at my school who want a reptile i give them examples of good reptiles for beginners so far i have helped 9 people most started out wanting iguanas (i know really) but ended up getting corn snakes ball pythons cresteds beardies and other reptiles





Nothing wrong with being a nerd who likes reptiles. Join the club. Don't let all the bad vibes get to you, man. You got a support system right here on this forum.


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## james.w (Mar 30, 2012)

reptastic said:


> james.w said:
> 
> 
> > Why do the majority of people here expect everyone to know about reptiles?? Reptiles are a hobby that not everyone is interested in, why should they research them? That is like saying because you can't tune an engine you are a moron, or because you can't play the piano you are ignorant. Not everyone has the same interests in the world, and some of you are making them out to be morons, stupid, ignorant, etc because of that. This thread is full of ignorant people, some of you should look in the mirror and you will see just what a moron looks like.
> ...



I agree it can be funny when people mistake tegus for other things, but if you read through this thread a bit you will see plenty of posts saying those people are stupid, morons, ignorant, etc. I understand the definition of ignorant, but I believe it is being used in a negative in the posts in this thread. There are plenty of words that have simple meanings, but can also be very offensive when used a certain way.



grimz said:


> I am not talking about stars and other planets i am talking about things here on this earth things we have been around forever things we have walked right beside of everyday. Actually i know a lot of people that know about the stars and planets but as for me i dont worry about things out of this world that is out of my control.



How many people on this forum have walked beside a tegu in the the wild?? I guarantee less than 5% of the members have had the pleasure. There are millions of things examples that could be given as far as things some people know a lot about and others know very little. Like I have said when you take an interest in something you learn about it, if you aren't interested, you don't.

How many posts have there been about members of this forum asking whether a tegu was an Argentine or Columbian? How many members have bought Columbian tegus when they thought they were buying Argentines? These people are interested in reptiles ( tegus specifically) and still could not properly identify them. What does that tell you about this entire subject??


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## Dana C (Mar 30, 2012)

I for one haven't walked side by side with a wild Tegu and likely never will. It is ok however because I have captive Tegus which have adapted to human interaction, a different diet, housing etc. I understand the difference but others do not. Yes, I have a little fun with people when they make silly remarks about them but I always do what I feel I am obligated to do and that is inform them or teach them in a very limited way about my critters.
They may take something away from it or maybe not. At least I have done what I really feel we all should do if we are to protect reptile ownership in this country and that is to inform, teach, and counter myths and the bad science that is often portrayed as fact on TV.
James and others are correct in that we all tend to look for information about that which strikes our fancy and interests us. Some of us are lifetime learners and research everything because we are intensely curious and MUST know everything there is to know about an animal, a war, a movie, a person, space, geology, physics and so on. 
I sometimes make the mistake of assuming everyone wants to know as much as I want to know and I start lecturing or expositating on a given topic. That sadly has cost me a few would be friendships. However, I really do feel obligated to share what I know and offer well thought out alternatives to questions, methods, etc. 
Nature changes constantly. Species evolve constantly even in minute ways. Species adapt or they don't. 
Ok, I will shut my mouth.


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## HeatherN (Mar 31, 2012)

i can relate dana, as an 18 year old, ive lost many friends to the passionate "lecture" and alienated many more of my peers. nowadays i try to keep things short and sweet while still educating. maybe people feel threatened by the well-informed and get defensive about it, such as insisting it's an iguana and not a tegu? just a theory, i can understand and empathize, but doesn't make it less obnoxious in my opinion.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Mar 31, 2012)

Haha I'm 18 too, but I really haven't had that many bad experiences with keeping herps. Most of my friends think it's pretty cool or are at least indifferent to it, and besides the obvious bit of teasing you get when you have an unusual hobby, no one seems to care that much.


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## reptastic (Mar 31, 2012)

I'll say this whenever someone mistakes your tegu or any other reptile for something else remember to be polite as possible, remember the reptile industry is under attack and these same people who don't know need to be educated, we need them on our side, be gracious in all your words


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 31, 2012)

reptastic said:


> I'll say this whenever someone mistakes your tegu or any other reptile for something else remember to be polite as possible, remember the reptile industry is under attack and these same people who don't know need to be educated, we need them on our side, be gracious in all your words



And make sure to show them how sweet your tegu is! Let them pet him/her or take photos if they wish and make sure to emphasize how nondangerous tegus and just why they make wonderful pets. Planting a nice, big smooch on top of your tegu's head in front of people who would otherwise think to see your lips ripped off and eaten is an excellent way to change people's perceptions.


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## HeatherN (Mar 31, 2012)

TegusRawsome80 said:


> Haha I'm 18 too, but I really haven't had that many bad experiences with keeping herps. Most of my friends think it's pretty cool or are at least indifferent to it, and besides the obvious bit of teasing you get when you have an unusual hobby, no one seems to care that much.



well I'm assuming you're a guy, unfortunately, as i female, people think I'm crazy because i keep herps. seems to be a red flag for a lot of people lol, more guys than you'd think run away from that! :s


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## Grendel (Mar 31, 2012)

I also agree that we as owners of exotic lizards and other reptiles ( that may or may not be dangerous to some degree) need to be good ambassadors of the reptile world. I own my own business and have a green tree python in my personal office. Initially some of my employees though that "python" meant it was going to grow to 20 feet and would eat someone sooner or later. Gentle education without shoveing it down anyones throat is the key. If someone does not want to get close or touch it, let them keep their distance. If they are genuinely interested answer their questions. Most important is not to belittle them for " stupid" questions. Having said all that, I'm pretty sure many people I work with think I'm a freak in disguise when ever FedEx brings a box marked "Live Reptile".


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Mar 31, 2012)

when is this thread going to die lol sorry but i thouht 3 pages was to long but 4 pages


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## Dana C (Apr 1, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> TegusRawsome80 said:
> 
> 
> > Haha I'm 18 too, but I really haven't had that many bad experiences with keeping herps. Most of my friends think it's pretty cool or are at least indifferent to it, and besides the obvious bit of teasing you get when you have an unusual hobby, no one seems to care that much.
> ...



You would be surprised Heather at how many females keep reptiles and tarantuas. If you look at who contributes here, on The Tegu Community and the snake forums you find a lot of avid female posters. I think it is great that you have a passion.


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## kamikaze (Apr 3, 2012)

So many times when i just open up my store and i put mojo (my tegu name) out site the store to give him sun bathing, of course i put him in the cage so he wont escape and wont get bother by people passing by,..any way some people will ask me what he is..i would tell them its a tegu lizard from argentine, u know what..some of them would tell me that they have it a lot as well in their village..duh, there are none in indonesia!!!..so freakin' stupid..lol


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## Quartzyellowjacket (Apr 3, 2012)

I agree with James, to a point. My dad is an auto mechanic (Don't worry, this becomes relevant) now if I walked up to him and asked " Hey dad is that a Buick or a Pontiac?" and he said "Its a Chevy". Lacking this knowledge doesn't make me stupid, just ignorant on the matter on which was discussed. But at the point on which I differ from James is that people could use more context clues and think about it first with common sense. If I see an unknown lizard with a person it would be better to say "Hey, what kind of lizard is that?" and not say "Wait a gosh darn second, that must be a snake because its flicking its tongue, why on earth do you got that iguana snake in this public park?". I mean come one, we all know what snakes are and what they look like.


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## Jbrew_Tegu (Apr 3, 2012)

frost said:


> i have to agree with reptastic.



I agree. I think james.w is rude and makes un-called for statements in a lot of threads. Instead of providing information or resources he seems to look down on them. Also as a forum moderator I would think that you would have the correct traits to effectively execute this role.

General def. of a Forum Moderator:

Moderators
The moderators (short singular form: "mod") are users (or employees) of the forum who are granted access to the posts and threads of all members for the purpose of moderating discussion (similar to arbitration) and also keeping the forum clean (neutralizing spam and spambots etc.).[12] Because they have access to all posts and threads in their area of responsibility, it is common for a friend of the site owner to be promoted to moderator for such a task. Moderators also answer users' concerns about the forum, general questions, as well as respond to specific complaints. They also can do anything to lend a helping hand to a user in need.[13] Moderators themselves may have ranks: some may be given mod privileges over only a particular topic or section (called "local"), while others (called "global" or "super") may be allowed access anywhere. Common privileges of moderators include: deleting, merging, moving, and splitting of posts and threads, locking, renaming, stickying of threads, banning, suspending, unsuspending, unbanning, warning the members, or adding, editing, removing the polls of threads.[14] "Junior Modding", "Backseat Modding", or "Forum copping" can refer negatively to the behavior of ordinary users who take a moderator-like tone in criticizing other members.

Essentially, it is the duty of the moderator to manage the day-to-day affairs of a forum or board as it applies to the stream of user contributions and interactions. The relative effectiveness of this user management directly impacts the quality of a forum in general, its appeal, and its usefulness as a community of interrelated users.

Moderators also have categories e.g. "Global Moderators" and just "Moderators". Global moderators have the rights to moderate the complete forum while moderators can be assigned only to the sub-forum.[15]

James.w if you happen to read this I am not trying to correct or scowl you or team up on you. I am just expressing my general concerns about my experience with you and replies to other threads I have seen you respond to in the small amount of time I have been part of this community. 

If you do not have anything nice to say, do not say it at all is what I was taught when I was growing up.


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## james.w (Apr 3, 2012)

Please provide where I have made rude/uncalled for statements and not provided useful information. 

You are welcome to express your opinions/concerns, does not bother me one bit. Just be willing to accept when I express mine.


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## Jbrew_Tegu (Apr 3, 2012)

There honestly is no use in communicating with you in my mind... I am going to do my best to stay out of threads you are involved in. :s


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## james.w (Apr 3, 2012)

Jbrew_Tegu said:


> There honestly is no use in communicating with you in my mind... I am going to do my best to stay out of threads you are involved in. :s



So the issue seems to be you. All I did was ask you to provide posts that I have made that are rude and have no useful information in them. What is wrong with that? 

Everyonce in a while there is a new member that can't handle being confronted on the information they post. 

As far as my statement that was made in this post that was so rude, if it doesn't apply to you, you shouldn't take offense. If it does apply, I could see how you may find it rude.


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## Jbrew_Tegu (Apr 3, 2012)

james.w said:


> Jbrew_Tegu said:
> 
> 
> > There honestly is no use in communicating with you in my mind... I am going to do my best to stay out of threads you are involved in. :s
> ...



No the issue is you! I am not going to waste my time doing that. I have better stuff to do(obviously you do not). Seriously Quit. Stop comparing me to other new members and stop doing what you are doing. I know what your immature self is doing and I will not feed into it. You here me. I am NOT the only one who thinks you are what you are. Maybe we should start a post/thread about that???


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Apr 3, 2012)

james.w said:


> Why do the majority of people here expect everyone to know about reptiles?? Reptiles are a hobby that not everyone is interested in, why should they research them? That is like saying because you can't tune an engine you are a moron, or because you can't play the piano you are ignorant. Not everyone has the same interests in the world, and some of you are making them out to be morons, stupid, ignorant, etc because of that. This thread is full of ignorant people, some of you should look in the mirror and you will see just what a moron looks like.



the end is what seems like to be the mean part is what i thought jb thought was rude


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## james.w (Apr 3, 2012)

Monstruo. Like I said if the statement doesn't apply to you, how could it be rude. 

Jbrew. I could care less about you, if you would like me to not question your information, dont post it. You are giving wrong information to people who have never kept a tegu (like yourself) and I feel they should have the correct information. 


Jbrew_Tegu said:


> james.w said:
> 
> 
> > Jbrew_Tegu said:
> ...



Look here, I know there are people that think I am rude or whatever, do I care, ummmmm, nope. There are a whole lot more who appreciate my information and the way that I give it. If you don't appreciate it don't listen/read it. 

The fact that you gave me a negative reputation only shows who the immature one really is.


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## monstruo-the-tegu (Apr 3, 2012)

i personally didnt think it was rude its rude to think someone was being rude when they werent


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## james.w (Apr 3, 2012)

monstruo-the-tegu said:


> i personally didnt think it was rude its rude to think someone was being rude when they werent



Look there Jbrew, someone who didn't think I was rude.


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## Quartzyellowjacket (Apr 3, 2012)

james.w said:


> monstruo-the-tegu said:
> 
> 
> > i personally didnt think it was rude its rude to think someone was being rude when they werent
> ...



James wasn't being rude, i'm guessing he is just a straight forward person, no sugar coating when he gives advice, which in most cases allows a person to learn a lot more.


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## james.w (Apr 3, 2012)

Quartzyellowjacket said:


> james.w said:
> 
> 
> > monstruo-the-tegu said:
> ...



Thanks again.


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## larissalurid (Apr 16, 2012)

OH MAN don't even get me started lol. Everyone does this to almost all my animals.

I've had my Macaws been called PARAKEETS! I've had my Kinkajou been called a cat and a ferret by EVERYONE. I've had my Tibetan Mastiff been called all sorts of other breeds. Even my Blue Tongue Skink has been called an Iguana and a Snake. T_T Fail. 

I've never had people tell me I'm wrong with knowing what type of pet I have though, that's just plain ignorance. Yea I'm sure you, mr random person who watched animal planet one time TOTALLY knows what type of lizard that I own and care for. *sigh* That's when you whip out a picture of an iguana and be like BAM, completely different species.


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