# Buying a B&W Tegu



## fox020708 (Apr 7, 2012)

So. I'm very new to this forum, but I am a fairly experienced bearded dragon keeper. I have been looking into black and white tegus though and they just look like awesome reptiles. I have sorted through everything; research, cost, space, etc. And decided to look into buying one . There is a reptile expo at White Plains, NY at which I bought nearly all of my bearded dragons from. The next expo is on April 22, 2012 and I was going to go to buy all of the supplies for the tegu. The only hard thing is considering where to buy one. So I have come with a few questions such as:

1. At this time of year, would most vendors be selling cb's or imports? or what questions i should ask vendors to ensure captive bred tegus.

2. If they will most likely be imports, is that bad? I would rather do the extra looking for a cb to prevent the needed vet trip for an import that will just cost extra money.

3. If I had no luck at the expo I was going to order one online, I was looking at LLLreptile.com and they had b&w's for sale and they were CB. I was also looking at the reputable varnyard stock of tegus. But Bobby has not answered my emails so i have lost hope in that when I could get my b&w elsewhere. Has anyone got a b&w from LLLreptile.com?

Thanks in advanced for the help for whoever replies  

And wish me luck on my dive into the larger side of this hobby


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## tommyboy (Apr 7, 2012)

This time of year I am pretty sure that everything you will see online and at shows will be imports. I was at a show recently in NH and there were plenty of newborn B/W and red tegus. When I questioned all the vendors, they all gave a similar response "these are cb from one of our reputable breeders". After looking at several different tables and examining all the babies it became very clear that they were all from the same place, wherever that might be (imported from somewhere). Every one was exactly the same length, had the exact same markings and the exact same coloration. 
That being said, they all did look nice and healthy. Many members on the forum will tell you the success stories of imports or farm raised animals. I think it's just a matter of what YOU want. Some people could care less as long as it's healthy. 
It's quite a big jump going from beardies to tegus. I really hope you do your research. I have 6 beardies and 4 tegus. One tegu is more work than all my beardies combined! The work is extremely rewarding though in my opinion. 
Best of luck in making your choices. I will also be in White Plains checking things out......and can't wait!


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## got10 (Apr 8, 2012)

fox020708 said:


> So. I'm very new to this forum, but I am a fairly experienced bearded dragon keeper. I have been looking into black and white tegus though and they just look like awesome reptiles. I have sorted through everything; research, cost, space, etc. And decided to look into buying one . There is a reptile expo at White Plains, NY at which I bought nearly all of my bearded dragons from. The next expo is on April 22, 2012 and I was going to go to buy all of the supplies for the tegu. The only hard thing is considering where to buy one. So I have come with a few questions such as:
> 
> 1. At this time of year, would most vendors be selling cb's or imports? or what questions i should ask vendors to ensure captive bred tegus.
> 
> ...



ANY baby Gu's you get this time of year will be imported , So be careful. If you want domestically bred Gu's you will have to wait til the late summer early fall . So if a vender tells you the babies are captive BORN that is just saying they are ranched and he is trying to avoid the fact they are imports.There isnt a damn thing wrong with imports as long as they are healthy and the people dont try to rip you off. i wouldnt pay more that 100 for a bw this time of year or 150 for a red, But that is due to the fact it is far more expensive to breed them here that to just put them out in a pen and hatch the be belts and stuff and sell off the ones you decide not to kill .wow that was a long rant
Just stay away from the vending table that is against the far left wall. Almost every animal that comes from there is either sick and or dieing. 
you actually would do better to get your cages off of craigslist and watch your local adds . 
If you are going to the WP show check out the craigslist listings . There seems to be many people the get rid of them when they realize that these animals need a great amount of space ,time, food , special lighting and a good reptile vet. None of which is inexpensive . I have ten gu's plus various other animals in my home. My gu's rule the den area and when i say a cant wait for them to go to sleep in the winter I mean I cant WAIT . Don't get me wrong I love my babies but they tend to be never ending eating machines... That gives me a break on feeding them while the sleep . saves me about 60 bucks a month because I buy stuff in bulk and do feed plenty of veggies, while some will just feed rodent diets which is even MORE espensive. Im not sure where you are located but i would suggest you hit up craigslist reptile rescues even the pound an ask if there is one that needs to be rehomed. Either way its all up to you . I just hope i was able to help


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## fox020708 (Apr 8, 2012)

Thank you for the replies.

If an import looks healthy and active, is there a need to get a check up from a vet. I really don't want to dish out the extra money for a vet check unless it is very, very important for the imported tegus health. If it is a big factor of his health though, I will obviously be willing to.

Also regarding how much work a tegu will entail... I will be taking him out daily for at least an hour to roam, and just chill outside of his tank. I will also take a lamp and make a basking spot outside of his tank in my room and make my room safe enough for him to stay outside of his tank all day once a day every week or two. I also understand that they have a voracious appetite, and require a lot of space. Besides these factors, what else makes them very difficult compared to a beardie?


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## tommyboy (Apr 8, 2012)

I take every new tegu to my vet when I first get them, but that is just my personal preference. I have a very good reptile vet that I have been going to for many years. He also is extremely affordable. He only charges $75 for a complete work up. If I were to purchase a known import there is no question I would have it checked out. Again, that is just my opinion.
I wouldn't say they are more difficult, but they do require much more attention. Maintaining proper humidity levels and temperatures, bathing, feeding and the taming process are daily activities. Most of us do not consider it a lot of work, but rather a privilege to be involved with these animals. My children and I look forward to it every day! I think if you do your homework and are willing and able to give them the time they require, you will do just fine!


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## fox020708 (Apr 8, 2012)

Well I am leaning towards buying one either at the WP expo or from varnyard. Like I said though, I have received no email back from the owner of varnyard herps. I may call him and ask to make a deposit. Do you know the expected time of the 2012 hatchlings, and how many he produces?


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## larissalurid (Apr 8, 2012)

fox020708 said:


> Well I am leaning towards buying one either at the WP expo or from varnyard. Like I said though, I have received no email back from the owner of varnyard herps. I may call him and ask to make a deposit. Do you know the expected time of the 2012 hatchlings, and how many he produces?



I'm not sure how many he produces, but I have a '12 Male B&W reserved from him right now. He told me they will be born and then 3 weeks old ready to go around June/July.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 8, 2012)

There were issues with him last year, just a fair warning about Varnyard. I'd be careful dealing with him. The sweetest tegu I ever have had/met was an import I bought at a show. I picked out the calmest baby, held him every day and never had a single issue with him. If you pick an import, then carefully examine them and choose a healthy and calm baby.


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## fox020708 (Apr 8, 2012)

Really? Was gonna put a deposit down on a varnyard b and w gu tomorrow :/. Think I might look at the WP expo and If an import catches my eye I might get one. I just don't know which to get yet.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 8, 2012)

I'm not saying not to buy from him, just research what went on last year and then choose whichever route you like most. From what I understand, he accidentally messed up some red tegu eggs which died and had issues getting out refunds to people. I'm not saying he hasn't changed or learned from it, because I don't know if he has, but I'd research it more if I were you.


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## fox020708 (Apr 8, 2012)

I'm not sure. I'm just thinking why wait 2 months when I could buy one at the expo that is fine an healthy.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 8, 2012)

That's a valid point too. I think that you could easily go either way, but if it were me I'd go with one from the expo.


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## fox020708 (Apr 8, 2012)

Ok. Is it very important to get a vet check up for imports? If I get the tegu and it is eating and defecating well could it still have parasites?


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 8, 2012)

I don't really know, I never got mine checked and he was fine but you may want to. I only would if he showed symptoms of parasites but you should keep him quarantined and away from the rest of your herps for a while.


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## reptastic (Apr 8, 2012)

You always want to get any imported reptile checked out, you don't what it could be harboring, the issues with varnyard last season was really with the reds, i'd check out wil owner of captive creations, wc reptiles are good but a cbb is much better in the long run


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 8, 2012)

The concerning part with Bobby wasn't what happened with the eggs, it was the money part, which could be applied to any of the animals he breeds. Does Wil breed B&Ws?


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## fox020708 (Apr 8, 2012)

Dont think captive creations is breeding any b&w's this year. And are cbbs much better in the long run? If it is worth the wait for one from varnyard I'll make a deposit on a 2012 hatchling. But I'd rather get it on April 22 for personal reasons more than in June/July. But if the outcome of a cbb over wc is big I'll just wait the 2 months


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## reptastic (Apr 8, 2012)

Wil does breed b/w's, I would say in the long run yes, less vet visits and a much lower overall cost, if they are harboring parasites, I agree about the money issue however we only heard like 2-3 stories concerning it, we really don't know wht happened or if there were many others


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 8, 2012)

We didn't hear his side of the story which says a lot. He chose to not explain himself and dodge people about money. Go with Wil if he has babies this year if you go CB.


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## reptastic (Apr 8, 2012)

Yeah I agree that didn't look good, I also agree go with wil


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## fox020708 (Apr 9, 2012)

If I get the imported and bring it to the vet or parasites after that won't it be the same as a cbb?


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 9, 2012)

Some say yes, some say no. At that age I say yes, because they're almost hatchlings and CB and Farmed babies have the same instincts and haven't learned to survive in the wild and be as defensive as a WC adult would be. Others will disagree but I say yes they are close to the same.


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## fox020708 (Apr 9, 2012)

"I currently don't have a female for my adult male as I am searching for the perfect girl for him. So until then it is just him." - Wil


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## tommyboy (Apr 9, 2012)

if you get an import, it will always be an import. The differencs is that you will never know the genetics of the parents and how well (or poor) they have been kept. Buying a cbb from a reputable breeder you will usually know the stock that it is coming from is quality and that the breeder hopefully has a good reputation. Generally these breeders care more about the animals than they do about the money!!
Please understand that in no way are we saying imported animals are bad and you should stay away from them. We are just trying to help you understand the differences. In my opinion you have just as much chance finding a great new imported tegu as you do waiting and purchasing from a reputable breeder. It cant hurt to go to the Expo and check them out. Ask as many questions as possible and handle as many as they let you. You will always have better luck dealing with a larger more well known vendor ( like LLLreptile if they are there again) if any health problems arise down the road.
Best of luck in whatever choice you make. Let us know how you make out.


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## NorCalAl (Apr 9, 2012)

So I have to ask this: I went to a local, very reputable, herp store this past weekend. He had some Argentine B/W's that he says he bought from a breeder in Georgia and (I asked twice) assured me they were cbb - not just cb. Is that possible? Could 'gus somehow be tricked into breeding early or at different times? Or is it more likely whoever sold them to him "fibbed"? 

He also has, along with many herps for sale, MANY that are pets. For this guy, it's most certainly a passion first, a business second. He had two adult b/w's which I was able to hold and he fed one (sitting on the floor - not in my hands) while I was there. I'm not saying that means anything when it comes to the origin of the babies for sale, only that in addition to selling them, he has them as pets. 

So is it possible these are CBB babies?


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## reptastic (Apr 9, 2012)

Well here's the thing, it takes a female a while to build up follicles, they usually start at the end of summer right before hibernation, once that happens when she's ready they breed a few times usually takes about a week or 2 for it to actually take, then another few weeks for her to lay, then another 2 mos.+ for the eggs to hatch so in all about a good 3-4mos., so unless you are getting them to breed out of season which is highly unlike you would need them to breed in september/october to get hatchlings in january and so on


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## LizardzRock (Apr 9, 2012)

Those are all very possible scenarios. I would wait to get one from a good breeder who can provide you with evidence that it is CBB. I have put a deposit down for a reg. b/w tegu at varnyard, and have emailed Bobby several times since the deposit. He has replied to my emails within a day or two and answered my questions as well. He told me the b/w arg.'s will be ready for June. Getting an import can pose risks like everyone has mentioned. From what I gather bobby is a great breeder, and just like any business it has it's ups and downs. All in all if it were me I would wait(which I can relate it is hard to do when you have other options at earlier dates) and get one from a breeder/supplier who can assure you they bread it or who bread it, not just let you know what you want to hear to make a sale like a lot of pet shops do unknowingly because they were told it was cbb. This will be my second tegu, my first i had to give away after I had him for about a year. They are awesome creatures and I am really excited about getting mine in June. Good luck.


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## NorCalAl (Apr 9, 2012)

I've talked to Bobby a few times now. Some of the things I read about the 'red incident' last year kinda put me off. But I think I will play it safe and go with Varnyard for a B/W. Thanks for the responses.


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## NorCalAl (Apr 12, 2012)

As you can see from the sig, I changed my mind. I'm sure dealing with Bobby is FINE - and I'm sincere there. He called me a number of times and we did have a good talk. I decided to go with TeguTerra in the end. Johnny responds to emails much faster, doesn't ask for nor accept deposits (which is what led to problems with Varnyard in the past - I've never heard a complaint about his animals) and was very responsive to me. I look forward to getting my b/w this summer.


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