Need a little comforting

[DavidRosi]

I've had my Tegu for a few months; She's been awesome, really, truly. However, I've read, and heard a lot of terrible things about their temperament. No 2 dogs are the same, no 2 people... So is there really much difference between between an Argentine and a Colombian ? Especially considering, based on my experience, they're the most switched on and intelligent reptiles.

Just wanted to know the opinion of people on here; being in the UK, not as many people own them due to space issues and cost (£260+ for a Juvi)



Appreciated,


David.

 

[Aardbark]

Dont worry. There are plenty of people on this forum that will tell you that colombians are just as great as argentines. Any tegu treted with tlc will be a good friend.

 

[DavidRosi]

Dont worry. There are plenty of people on this forum that will tell you that colombians are just as great as argentines. Any tegu treted with tlc will be a good friend.

Yeah. I've seen a lot of the topics in the Colombian Tegu section that says just that. I guess it's the same as anything alive in the world today, put a person in a glass case for 2 months with only food and water and expect them to come out smiling and asking for a cuddle? Nah.

 

[laurarfl]

Being smaller, Colombians are bit flightier. And being a bit arboreal, they like to run up your arm and climb to your head. In the beginning of tegus as pets, Colombians were WC and not very tame. Most people who talk about how bad Colombians are usually have never kept them. I have a lovely pair of adults.

 

[DavidRosi]

I can understand the basics of why they're considered "more aggressive", but in practical terms; not so.

I'm not sure how it is in the states, but the Tegu's I have seen in the UK are all CB and if an animal has never witnessed it's "predators" and can become understanding and positively responsive to it's owner; I couldn't understand how one sub-species could vary from another. I'm sure if you never handled, only fed live and generally mistreated a Argentine B&W the'd love to take a shot at you.

Were they skittish as Juvi's? Cataleya is on and off, sometimes she is absolutely golden (blak and gold? waaay) but other times she loves to take a crack at me...

 

[laurarfl]

Very skittish as juveniles and took longer to tame than Argentines. I just had one to raise from a youngster; one came to me as an adult. They aren't subspecies, but completely different species. Being two different species they are quite different and at the same time, similar. Colombian= T teguixin and Argentine= T marianae

There is someone breeding Colombians in Germany (I think). But they have a really long incubation time of 5-6 months. Usually what we find in the US is that CB Colombians means they were farmed raised in a large group, but not really hand raised as companion animals.

It is their wiring that makes them flighty and defensive, not whether they have seen a predator. As they grow and develop, they condition or associate positive and negative. Reptiles do not have the large processing part of the brain that mammals have. They work mostly with the limbic system (react, then think) that basically tells them "good for tegus" or "not good for tegus". A young tegu will most definitely see you as a predator (large, moving, reaching from above). But in time, you catch it and do not eat it. In fact, you take it out of the enclosure and give it food. It begins to associate you with "good for tegus" and not as a scary something to be avoided.

In smaller species, the ones that respond the fastest and survive are obviously the ones that will live to reproduce. I don't think all of the details have been described, but I do believe that docility is somewhat inheritable. There was an interesting article in Nat Geo about a group of foxes that was able to be bred to have tame offspring in 10 generations. People are claiming that Colombians are tamer now than than 10 years ago. Is it selective breeding or are we better at keeping them? or both?

 

[DavidRosi]

Really appreciate that reply ! I think, it's just one of those things... Got all the time in the world for her, so take it as it comes.

 

[m3s4]

Some good info here about Colombians and their notorious bad reps which are undeserved:

Colombian Tegus a Comprehensive Guide

 

[laurarfl]

That's a good approach...time, patience, consistency.

 

[reptilecrazy666]

my columbian anubis falls asleep on me :] hes as tame as can be. as long as you treat him with love he will love you back ;]

 

[DavidRosi]

Got all the love in the world for her, and the utmost respect. I'll keep you all informed of my progress ! (or lack of )