Lizardess
New Member
- Messages
- 28
- Location
- Austin, TX
Hi there!
I'm new to this forum. I have a yearling black and white Argentine female tegu, and am bringing home a red adult male on Friday. I also have three chameleons (a male veiled, a female veiled, and a male carpet - a male ambiolobe panther cham is also coming home on Friday), as well as three bearded dragons (a male normal, a young male super citrus, and am fostering and rehabilitating a female normal while paying on a blood red beardie). I'm on a wait list for an abanja panther chameleon baby as well. So that's what I have presently. I have plans to get a hypo zero morph beardie, as well as other lizards, and love my scalies more than most humans, heh. I must confess however, that my tegu(s) are my favorites. I hope to get a black dragon water monitor as well in a few years.
Both my tegus were rescues. My black and white female "Dante" came to me from Craigslist, a little boy didn't want her anymore, and I had been trying to order one through my local exotics shop with no luck. Each time they had one in, someone always beat me to them in putting down a deposit or buying them outright (I even made a special trip down there once, and still got beat to it!). So finally, I turned to Craigslist, and the very first day I looked, there was my baby. I was told she was a he, and so that's why "Dante" has a boy's name. I got her back in March, and she has grown like a weed! I knew they grew fast, but I was AMAZED at just how fast, having never been around them much in person, and having only online pics, groups and forums to go off of.
Dante quickly outgrew the 50 gallon tank that she came in, and destroyed the screen top that kept her inside it. Initially when this happened, she was allowed to free range, and got a soak daily. However, I found that she was not shedding adequately, and grew concerned about a good sized section of her tail that was not shedding properly. I put her into a custom made enclosure and increased the humidity a good bit. She was NOT pleased at first, having become used to her freedom to roam about. However, I was less concerned with her temper tantrums, and more concerned with that stuck shed. I didn't want it to eventually cut her circulation off, and lead to possible amputation! So now she stays in her enclosure for the most part, but is allowed a good bit of roam time when I'm here to keep tabs on her.
I am curious if the red tegu that I am bringing home on Friday, whom I have decided to name "Cuddles", can be safely introduced to her to socialize or snuggle, and how I should go about that? I don't want them to breed. He is an adult male, but he has no claws (at all), just toe stubs. I am thinking whomever had him before either had him declawed, or they didn't keep him in adequate humidity, and over time, stuck shed cut off his circulation and caused his poor toe tips to just fall off when he tried to dig. He's a sweetheart with people, and has obviously been worked with and handled a lot. I put a deposit down on him today at my local exotics shop, and am getting a good deal on him. I was told that he was originally at another LPS here in Austin, and that they would let anyone feed him a mouse for $5.00 without limits. Apparently, someone purchased him and then later surrendered him to the LPS that I frequent since the one he was at went out of business (they took horrible care of their animals, so good riddance!).
In any case, he'll never have to worry about abuse and neglect again. I love my scalies with all my heart, and am here to learn and to contribute as I can. I am very open to advice and constructive criticism that is presented in a mature and respectful manner, as I feel we can always learn something no matter how experienced we are.
I'm new to this forum. I have a yearling black and white Argentine female tegu, and am bringing home a red adult male on Friday. I also have three chameleons (a male veiled, a female veiled, and a male carpet - a male ambiolobe panther cham is also coming home on Friday), as well as three bearded dragons (a male normal, a young male super citrus, and am fostering and rehabilitating a female normal while paying on a blood red beardie). I'm on a wait list for an abanja panther chameleon baby as well. So that's what I have presently. I have plans to get a hypo zero morph beardie, as well as other lizards, and love my scalies more than most humans, heh. I must confess however, that my tegu(s) are my favorites. I hope to get a black dragon water monitor as well in a few years.
Both my tegus were rescues. My black and white female "Dante" came to me from Craigslist, a little boy didn't want her anymore, and I had been trying to order one through my local exotics shop with no luck. Each time they had one in, someone always beat me to them in putting down a deposit or buying them outright (I even made a special trip down there once, and still got beat to it!). So finally, I turned to Craigslist, and the very first day I looked, there was my baby. I was told she was a he, and so that's why "Dante" has a boy's name. I got her back in March, and she has grown like a weed! I knew they grew fast, but I was AMAZED at just how fast, having never been around them much in person, and having only online pics, groups and forums to go off of.
Dante quickly outgrew the 50 gallon tank that she came in, and destroyed the screen top that kept her inside it. Initially when this happened, she was allowed to free range, and got a soak daily. However, I found that she was not shedding adequately, and grew concerned about a good sized section of her tail that was not shedding properly. I put her into a custom made enclosure and increased the humidity a good bit. She was NOT pleased at first, having become used to her freedom to roam about. However, I was less concerned with her temper tantrums, and more concerned with that stuck shed. I didn't want it to eventually cut her circulation off, and lead to possible amputation! So now she stays in her enclosure for the most part, but is allowed a good bit of roam time when I'm here to keep tabs on her.
I am curious if the red tegu that I am bringing home on Friday, whom I have decided to name "Cuddles", can be safely introduced to her to socialize or snuggle, and how I should go about that? I don't want them to breed. He is an adult male, but he has no claws (at all), just toe stubs. I am thinking whomever had him before either had him declawed, or they didn't keep him in adequate humidity, and over time, stuck shed cut off his circulation and caused his poor toe tips to just fall off when he tried to dig. He's a sweetheart with people, and has obviously been worked with and handled a lot. I put a deposit down on him today at my local exotics shop, and am getting a good deal on him. I was told that he was originally at another LPS here in Austin, and that they would let anyone feed him a mouse for $5.00 without limits. Apparently, someone purchased him and then later surrendered him to the LPS that I frequent since the one he was at went out of business (they took horrible care of their animals, so good riddance!).
In any case, he'll never have to worry about abuse and neglect again. I love my scalies with all my heart, and am here to learn and to contribute as I can. I am very open to advice and constructive criticism that is presented in a mature and respectful manner, as I feel we can always learn something no matter how experienced we are.
