I have been in the hobby since I was very little. I purchased my first leopard gecko when I was seven years old, and now I am 13 in highschool with 7 leopard geckos, 2 bearded dragons, an AFT and 3 cuban false chameleons. A tegu is my dream animal and I have wanted one for years. The circumstances are finally correct and I've done lots of research on how I can care for one. I currently have a empty 60 and 40 gallon. I was thinking of buying a hatchling and keeping it in one of those until it grows out of it. I also have a 100 gallon tall front opening that is empty that i can flip on its back and use as an enclosure as well. When it grows out of any of those tanks, I will have moved and I can build it a larger tank out of wood. I would obviously coat it with some sort of water resistant so i can keep the humidity up in the enclosure. My parents do not want me to get a argentine B&W because it is too large, and although I want one, I agree. I was thinking of a Gold tegu instead. It is just slightly smaller, but a decent size. What would the best species for me? And where would i be able to purchase a good quality captive bred female?
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Hi, I'm Levi, I'm a teenager and i'm looking for a good species of tegu for my lifestyle.
- Thread starter Levi R.
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rantology
Active Member
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- 263
A tegu will need an 8foot by 4foot enclosure by the time it is ~7-8 months old. These animals reward patience above all, and from reading your post- I would encourage you to do just that... be patient. This animal was my dream lizard too, and I waited until I was 32 years old to get one when I have my own home and a spacious basement to house it. The lizard is happy, I am happy. From your post I think you will have a lot of difficulty meeting the needs of a tegu - could you do it? probably, if you are very determined. But I think you would not enjoy the experience as much (nor would the lizard) if you have to cut corners, rush things, or make compromises. They need daily care/attention, they can live for over 20 years, they have a complex diet, and they require extremely large enclosures with high maintenance needs (humidity, heat, UVB) - thats a lot of money, time, and space and a huge commitment. If you're looking for advice from this random internet stranger, it would be to be patient. Wait until you are a little older to get one. You'll be glad you did... and don't worry, despite what cheesy slogans about dreams often say, you won't lose anything by waiting to fulfill this one.
Tegusaur
New Member
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Gold tegus are generally harder to tame or so I've been told.
I have the finances to build a home for her and to pay for her food/ heating. I have over 900 dollars in savings and I imagine most of that would go to building the home. I have tons of spare uvb and heating implements so I don't have to pay for that. I would probably have to buy a mist king for the large enclosure as well. I was planning on selling most of my reptiles so I can care for her at my best ability. I would not want to cut corners or rush things; if i should have to wait months or years I will, but I feel like at this time i have the responsibility.
Not to mention I have spare wood planks and a father that is experienced in construction. I would probably build its home out of wood and surround it with a pond liner of some sort to keep humidity in. The ceiling of the tank might have to be acrylic and metal mesh but I think i could figure something better out.
AnimalNerd
Member
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- 44
Blue tegus run a little smaller and are easier to tame than golds. For perspective building an adequate enclosure and filling it with the proper substrate, bulbs, and props cost my tegus previous owner and myself somewhere between 1k-1.5k. Keep in mind too right now lumber costs an exorbitant amount. I would highly recommend waiting until you have stable housing to get a tegu: moving with them is a pain in the a** for everyone involved.
Thank you for the advice about the blue tegus, I will look into a good breeder. I will wait until I've moved for sure. I have heating and 3 spare uvb light strips, which should be more than enough. and I have more than enough substrate. I just bought a bag of cypress mulch and 5 bricks of coco coir. I will supplement the dirt with isopods from one of my hundred gallon talls. I have some wood but I will have to buy some more which I am dreading because as you said, wood is insanely expensive. I would not want to move with a tegu, I am already dreading moving with my lizards.
