# are there reputable columbian tegu breeders in new england area?



## fyre_angyl (Nov 20, 2012)

Hello everyone,
I've been thinking lately about getting a tegu (I've had two rescue iguanas so I do have experience with some larger lizards) I've been researching different species and I think I've have settled on a Columbian Tegu. Can anyone recommend a reputable breeder, possibly one that would be attending the White plains NY or Manchester NH reptile expo so I can try and avoid the added stress of shipment for the hatchling?

thank you,
Angyl


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## TeguBuzz (Nov 20, 2012)

Never heard of any Colombian breeders. Only ones I've seen/heard of are imports


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## james.w (Nov 20, 2012)

Like TeguBuzz said, Colombians are going to be imports.


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## Bubblz Calhoun (Nov 20, 2012)

_The only captive bred colombians I've seen so far are in the UK_


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## got10 (Nov 20, 2012)

no Columbian breeders here in the US


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## DavidRosi (Nov 20, 2012)

Found out mine was one of the first CBB in the UK; managed to track down the breeder. But he only had two clutches before selling the breeding pair off.


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## Diablo (Nov 20, 2012)

why exactly is it so hard to breed columbians?


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## SnakeCharmr728 (Nov 20, 2012)

Colombians only lay a few eggs (3-5eggs I believe) and the incubation time is SEVERAL (7months, I think but dont quote me) months and since they don't have much of a retail value, the work of incubation for very little turn out doesnt weigh evenly.


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## Skeetzy (Nov 21, 2012)

Underground Reptiles talked about this in that video someone posted earlier. He said they can be imported for like $6 a pop. No profit to be had captive breeding them, unless someone just does it for the joy of doing it.


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## laurarfl (Nov 21, 2012)

I have a pair of breeding Colombians. She recently laid 3 eggs and only one was viable. So I incubated that one egg. The incubation period is like 150 days. I was at about the halfway point when the other two eggs needed to be removed. That caused the temps in the incubator to fluctuate. I caught the flu at the same time and couldn't monitor the last egg. So it just died on me.  I haven't even tossed it out yet. This is the second clutch I tried to incubate and lost. I find them to be really sensitive to humidity and temperature fluctuations, much more so than the Argentines.

And no profit there. But I'm sure someone has them "ranched" in captivity, perhaps even in the US?


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## fyre_angyl (Nov 21, 2012)

thanks for the responses everyone


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## Roadkill (Nov 21, 2012)

Some basic information for this topic & species:
Average/typical clutch size:4-8 (but has been reported up to 32 although this and other larger clutches are often considered to be communal nests and not from a single mother)
Temperature: 29-30 degrees Celsius
Incubation duration: 152-171
There's a pretty good reason why these are often reported as laying their eggs in termite nests.

Sources:
Hall, B.A., 1978. Int.Zoo.Yb. 18: 91-95.
Kohler, G., 1989. Lebensweise, Haltung und Nachzucht von Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus, 1758) (Sauria: Teiidae). Salamandra 25(1): 25-38.
Kohler, G., 1989. Tupinambis teguixin (Linnaeus). Amph.-Rept.-Kartei, Beilage. Sauria, Supplemental 11(1): 133-136.
Vitt, L.J., & de la Torre, S., 1996. Guia para la investigacion de las lagartijas de Cuyabeno: 165 S.
Kohler, G., & Langerwerf, B., 2000. Tejus: Lebensweise, Plege, Zucht. Herpeton.


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## KSTAR (Nov 21, 2012)

I've saw one Colombian Tegu Breeder And He Always Pops Up When It Warms Up Like Around June And He Sells The Babies He Produced When They're Already Eating And Went Through Several Sheds...I found Out About Him Because I Messaged Him Asking Why Did He Want $80 For A Colombian B&W until He Explained They're His Babies produced by him and Cb Aswell


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## laurarfl (Nov 22, 2012)

Roadkill, have you found them to be temperature and/or humidity sensitive?


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## Ska (Nov 25, 2012)

I saw this post and just had to say that I bought a columbian back in May at a reptile show in Overland park and he is a captive bred. She had the whole clutch and the parents there. I feel a little special knowing this now. I honestly didn't know most of them were imports. Also I bought him for $40. I ought to post a picture of him sometime soon.


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## james.w (Nov 25, 2012)

Ska said:


> I saw this post and just had to say that I bought a columbian back in May at a reptile show in Overland park and he is a captive bred. She had the whole clutch and the parents there. I feel a little special knowing this now. I honestly didn't know most of them were imports. Also I bought him for $40. I ought to post a picture of him sometime soon.



Did she have any pics of eggs or any other proof? It isn't hard to have a couple adults and buy a batch of fresh imports and claim they are CBB.


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## Ska (Nov 25, 2012)

james.w said:


> Ska said:
> 
> 
> > I saw this post and just had to say that I bought a columbian back in May at a reptile show in Overland park and he is a captive bred. She had the whole clutch and the parents there. I feel a little special knowing this now. I honestly didn't know most of them were imports. Also I bought him for $40. I ought to post a picture of him sometime soon.
> ...


No, I never asked. But I bought him as he was two weeks old and he was very handle able (if that makes a difference) also she was a friend of one of my crestie breeder's friends and I know it doesn't make much of a difference to any of you guys but I trust him pretty well.


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## james.w (Nov 25, 2012)

It definitely is possible, hopefully it is CBB and they will become more readily available as such.


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## Ska (Nov 25, 2012)

james.w said:


> It definitely is possible, hopefully it is CBB and they will become more readily available as such.


That'd be really nice, I never heard of much of a demand for them though and like was said earlier in the thread they are cheaper to import. I'd like to get into breeding but I don't think I'd breed tegu's. I'd really like to breed cresteds or panther chameleons.


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