Colombian tegu or mangrove monitor?

[LiberalHunter72]

Does a Colombian tegu or a mangrove monitor make a better pet, and why? I'm getting a new lizard for my 14th birthday in a few weeks, and I've narrowed my choices down to either a Colombian tegu or a mangrove monitor. It's incredibly difficult to make my decision, so I need some help.

 

[latshki]

neither

 

[preston897]

i agree...neither

 

[herper9]

I would also have to agree.

 

[kaa]

You might as well spend the extra money on an argentine. At 14, these lizards are going to be a handful though. just make sure you do your research, and know what you are getting yourself into.

 

[preston897]

i didnt even take into consideration that you are only 14. these are all good sized lizards. have you ever kept herps before?

 

[LiberalHunter72]

I've been keeping herps since I was a little kid, and I have been researching both species for several months. If I shouldn't get a mangrove, then which monitor makes the best pet? I'm looking for a lizard that attains an adult size of less than 4 feet.

 

[carcharios]

I see lots of people with black-throated monitors and they seem to like them quite a bit. However, if I'm not mistaken, they get quite large.

 

[chelvis]

Mangrove monitors don't "tame" down very well and columbians often take alot of work to become "tame" as well. As for the up keep i would say a columbian would be easy. Mangroves need a large pool area and lots of areas to climb. Other than that the two really do have the same basic requirements, well columbians needing a higher than 95 degree basking spot.

I'd have to say at 14 (im not saying age of inexperiance just the next 6 years of life are gonna be chaning like crazy) i'd go with an arg tegu. They are better with moving from place to place and they don't stress as easy as the other two. Only reason i mention this is i got an Argus monitor as my 13th b-day present and when i moved off to college he freaked out on the car ride there and never settled back down. I brought him back home for my dad to take care of and eventully my dad got tired of lookin after him. His now at a home where his got a huge backyard enclousure and i couldn't be happier but at the time i was really bummed to see him leave. I college i got my first tegu a blue tegu who i still have who has moved and seen more of the US then i think most lizards and has never seemed bothered by it.

Again i personally don't think 14 is too young if you've worked with herps from a young age, just from personal experiance, hell i was breeding some intersting gecko speices and making a profit at 15 so more power to ya. But you have to think of the long term for these larger animals.

Oh black throats are cool. just got to wait for me to stop moving two tegus are hard enough to move around now.

 

[preston897]

if you are really wanting a monitor i would look at ackies. they are awsome little monitors!

 

[fireimp141]

Yah but blackthroats get massive, the guy I got my tegu from had a 5ft one that ate rabbits and such, not only are they long but the girth is massive. Id prolly stick with a blue gu. They are beautiful and stay around 3.5 to 4ft. Fairly easy to tame and take care of.

 

[brutus13]

I agree with everyone I would not own either. Chelvis is right you are going to have a busy 4 years ahead of you. High school then hopefully college. I have had reptiles my whole life to and I am just now getting my first tegu (Im now 25). Big reptiles take a lot of time and space. What does your parents say about the size of these lizards that you want? If you are going to get one I would get either a blue gu or a b&w gu. They are going to be around 4ft and require your full attention. I do wish you luck and a happy early birthday I just hope you know what you are getting yourself into. Keep us posted on what you decided to do.

 

[AWD247]

Im going to have to agree with what was mentoned above,. none of those two choices are good ones for a 14 year old ( or even an adult unless you have alot of handling/ expeirence)youve done research which is great and always a good start,. but research and actual keeping experience are two totally different things,. Columbian tegus are very often a hit or miss on the temperment,. sometimes you might find one thats outstanding when it comes to tolerating handling.. but most likely youll get one that will take a TON of effort to control and calm. ( not that it cant be done) but the effort on your part has to be 100% dedicated.
Mangroves make great display monitors, monitors that rather be left alone and do not tolerate contact all that well,. Ive owned about 3 and they never took to handling no matter what I tried or how often,. They werent agressive persay but very very skittish and if not handled properly will claw you up really fast,. also a trait they have is explosive & watery defication, to deter you from wanting to keep a hold of them. VERY NASTY trust me..

If your interested and can dedicate time to build experience I would also recommend what was mentioned above,.
- Ackies
- B&W Tegu
- Blue Tegu

Then maybe work your way up to something more advanced, theres no short cuts, always a process to build.
Good luck and make wise choices.

 

[AB^]

I'd say an ackie. Super fun smart lizards. That will do ok in a 4 x 2x 2.
Blue tegus and argentines would be good but....
at 14 your parents are paying for everything. And tegus and monitors eat a LOT of food and can be pretty expensive to maintain. That and a cage 6 x 3 x 3 at least (though bigger is def better)
if you got an ackie you certainly would not regret it.

 

[LiberalHunter72]

At the moment, I'm leaning toward a blue tegu. I've heard they usually don't exceed 3 feet long and have the personality of an Argentine. But how much do they cost?

 

[preston897]

from what i understand blues will run you at least 300. and also they generally get a bit bigger then three. im not 100% on that though. i though they were a little more like 4 feet. once again i would reccomend ackie monitors. great monitors in a small package.

 

[reptastic]

well a blue tegu is an argentine just a different locale, some do tend to be smaller than b/w's but there are some that have reached 4'+, b/t monitors are definately not something a 14 y/o should try to handle, they can reach 7'+ and their appetites are huge and they require a huge amount of space(im reaserching them before i get one) i agree with AB do your parents realize or even know how much it is going to cost to care for a large reptile? i can tell you at 14 its not easy to care for a reptile of any size, i was your age when i got my first reptile it was an iguana, needless to say i hung onto every word of advice from my local petshop, and the iguana didnt live long, not saying you will make the same mistakes i made, you have access to forums like this i didnt, and i didnt do much research either, but its a great responsibility to take on a large lizard. as everyone mentioned before over the next few years with school, dating, and a social life will this pet get neglected? if you want a lizard badly why not start with a beardie, an ackie, a skink, or even a gecko? make sure your parents know about adequate housing, husbandry, temps, lighting, and other things that will not be cheap (and you cant bypass them either) before you decide to jump into big lizards, just some food for thought!

 

[chelvis]

Blues will run a pretty penny. My male is just over 4 feet and wieghts a pretty hefty amount. Honestly they are a B&W just with a blue hue to them.

The only problem i have with Ackie monitors are they are really small. I mean don't get me wrong they were great for the time, but my Sudan Plated Lizard was bigger than my trio of ackies. If you're looking for a large body lizard an ackie might be alittle disipointing.

 

[LiberalHunter72]

Then how much can I expect to pay for a B&W Argentine? And what cage size does an adult Argentine need?

 

[preston897]

a black and white from bobby will run you 150. and a minimum cage size will is 6'x3'x3' but bigger is better. i am building my cage for my black and white at that minimum size. the only reason for that being that he will have access to free roam my entire room. his cage will be for heat and uvb and sleeping. thats about it. if he will be spending most of his time in the enclosure you would reccomend at lease 8 feet long.