Man...Extreme or AA?

[Virus]

I've been looking into Tegu's for over a year now. Been on here and TheTegu, but I'm having trouble trying to figure out which tegu is the right one for me.

So, any thoughts or experiences with your extreme or AA gu? What made you choose the kind that you did, and how have things worked since? If you were to get another tegu, what kind would you get?

Thank everyone!

 

[Rhetoric]

I don't have either but I think I lean more towards the AAs. The AA's are also half giant . I like the lighter colors with tegus. Most of the AAs I've seen on here and thetegu are lighter as they get older.

What kind of physical traits do you like? Dark tegus? Dark heads? Light heads? I don't have a varnyard but looking at all the pictures everyone posts, I don't think you can go wrong either way.

 

[Virus]

I'm not really sure. I know I really am looking for temper and size. I'd enjoy one as big as I can find, which is what left me to the AA or Extreme.

Either way, the colors are different from anything else I've had.

I currently have four bearded dragons, two ball pythons, and a snapping turtle, not to mention the other herps I've had through my youth, so I have some decent herp experience. I'm just missing having a large lizard. I used to have an iguana as a child, but that didn't end well due to a step mother.

Hrm...Now that I look at a few more pictures, I think I'm still leaning towards the AA's, I enjoy the high whites that are displayed in some of them, but I don't want them to be smaller.

 

[james.w]

What size are you looking for?

 

[Virus]

What size in particular? Large.

I know that the AA's are new. The first clutch was in 2009, correct? And so we don't know what they are like as adults yet, which is exciting.

I haven't really seen many pictures of adult giants either, so I realize they can get around 5', but don't have really any references for that.

When it comes to getting one for myself, I will build an enclosure to take care of their requirements.

But I would like for my next lizard to be at least around 5'. I mean, if anything my snapping turtle is eventually going to be over 60 lbs. I would guess that he is already at least 15 lbs, but he's a bit of a handful to weigh.

 

[reptastic]

I preferred and still do the extreme giants, I like them because they are the largest of all tegus, they have a really docile nature and I prefer lighter tegus, my experience is everything I dreamed it would be and more, I love my giant

 

[Virus]

So I see your sig says your giant is a male. Mind if I ask, how big is your giant? How bad was his 'terrible twos'? (if he ever went through that stage)

I do think the giant would be nice just because you know they'll get large, but I am interested in seeing how the AA's turn out as adults.

Haha, either way, I suppose I have to wait another year anyways, right?

 

[kellen.watkins]

i like blues and extremes personally cause i love that high white, with AA's your not garunteed to get that, there are pics of AA's that are light in color but there are AA's not so light in color, originally i put down a deposit for an AA but a couple weeks later changed my mind, i hear great things about how docile extremes are and AA's have that red tegu in them and reds are known to be a bit more skittish

 

[Virus]

That is a good point Kellen, I'll have to consider that.

Any AA owners out there experience much skittish-ness in your gu's?

Hrm, another random thought. I know Bobby is well known in the tegu world, and sells out pretty quickly. I know that the AA's are all gone by now, but I wonder if there might be an extreme tucked away, waiting for a wonderful owner to come along.

 

[kellen.watkins]

there might be, i know a member here got one last week, never hurts to ask, and skittishness i think depends on a lot of things, my extreme is really skittish... well ill call it that, we had a dramatic experience and since then she wont let me hold her but isnt afraid of me, my hybrid from underground is extemely skittish, had him for 3 weeks and im now just able to get up close to the cage without him darting into his hide, so varnyard tegus might be more tame, then again i had an import black and white who was puppy dog tame from day one who knows what determines how docile a tegu is, you look a tegu in the eye and no tegu looks the same, well to me anyways

 

[james.w]

My All American is fairly tame and I don't handle him much. I wouldn't expect a 5' lizard, I don't think anyone here besides Bobby has one that big, 4-4.5' is a more reasonable expectation.

 

[tora]

I have an AA and he is a TOTAL sweetie. I didn't raise him but in the weeks I've had him he's just been a doll. More so than my b&w that I work with on a regular basis. I don't see why people think reds are more skittish? They seem the same as any b&w to me. My baby red is actually really sweet and rarely tries to get away when it pet him or scoop him up. I can't say that about my b&w when she was a baby.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

For me AA hands down,.. it's a 3 for 1 kind of deal. Extremes are bright white when they're young but that changes to a Cream or Off White color as they get older. Both Reds and Blues get brighter and more color as they age I have yet to see a dark or deep colored Red Blue hybrid.

AA's are so far the same way,.. meaning they brighten as they get older. But their colors could flip one way or another. More red, more blue even toned or what ever,.. some even have a purplish hue but only time will tell.

As for size that's undetermined no matter what kind you get. There's no guarantee that an Extreme will be 5 feet or a Colombian will only be 3ft.

 

[Virus]

On a note of size. I realize that size is different for each individual. Every human is a different size, as are animals. I know a friend who has a 62 lbs female snapping turtle. I think that's also 18-19" carapace length. That's bigger than many males!

So I'm not going to be upset if my tegu doesn't get to be 5', I would just like to stack the odds in my favor for getting a bigger guy.

So really, my top thoughts, in order would be.

1. Temper - I'm looking for easy to get along with. I realize that some days we feel grumpy, so I can easily deal with that, but for the most part an individual that is happy enough to spend time with us out of their home.

2. Size - As mentioned, I would like a larger gu. I have enough small lizards, and miss my large dinosaur like friends. So that's merely a preference.

3. Color - This isn't that important, but I enjoy the high whites, and bright colors in some of them. Both the AA and the Extreme have interesting colors.



It is fun to consider all the options regarding tegus, the main thing after choosing a tegu is to draw up plans for the cage

 

[Rhetoric]

It is possible to get a higher white. I would definitely try for a male if you're wanting size. I haven't seen any posts of people having long term aggression issues with varnyard tegus. They all seem to be fairly even tempered but it also takes some work to keep them that way. From the sound of it you would like to spend quite a bit of time with it anyway.

I think tegus (over all) are pretty mellow, there are always exceptions and some do take more work than others. Temper can also be effected by things other than genetics. A hungry tegu will be more of a poop than a well fed tegu. A tegu crammed in an aquarium will be more grumpy than one with a proper sized enclosure. I would like to think these things are common sense but I know better.. :dodgy:


That is crazy, 62 lbs of turtle lol. Do those ever mellow out or are they pretty hands off?

 

[Virus]

We like to spend a great deal of time interacting with my herps. The dragons get to come out and enjoy time in the bed on a pillow, or an open window sill to get some unfiltered uv (there's still a screen). I'm always walking by to check on Dredge (snapper) and giving him snacks.

Also, the snapper owner is a friend on a forum. I believe his snapper would defensively fake snap the first four or five years, but now he can put his hand on her neck/head. I don't think I'm ready to try that with my Dredge. He's my little Warmonger for a reason. Also, 'Snappy' (friend's snapper) is only 9 years old, and still growing.