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New to the forums and to tegus

bige85tegu

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I just recently bought a colombian black and white tegu and was interested in how much easier they are to tame than savannah monitors because I have one of them. I have had my savannah for 7 months and she is still not tame and tries to bite me every once and a while. I was just wandering if tegus act the same wy or are they much easier to tame than the savannahs? Also what are some foods that they eat besides crickets because thats all I have been feeding the tegu for the past couple of days. Is there a certain amount that I need to put in there or can I put like 10-20 of them in there at a time? Also do I need to seal the tank to get the humidity levels that the tegu needs? If there are any questions that anyone can think of that I did not ask, can you please answer them for me because I am trying to be able to take care of the tegu the best way possible. I have taken care of the savannah for 7 months and that was kind of hard put I am doing it she is growing and in extremely good health. Also to anyone who helps answers or can steer me in the right direction on these questions thanks a lot!
 

Lexi

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Hey welcome to the forums.. You should look around on the threads to help you out with your questions!
 

shiftylarry

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I just recently bought a colombian black and white tegu and was interested in how much easier they are to tame than savannah monitors because I have one of them.
They're not easier, neither of them will ever be your lap pet. I'm very sorry if you were misinformed by the vendor you got them from. Go through the monitor section of this website and check out some of my posts and others.

I never use the word tame with large, potentially dangerous lizards. A lot of the "tame" savannahs you see have poor husbandry. If yours is aggressive/defensive, it just means it's healthy.

Give me some time and I'll make a "taming" post that will answer all of your questions.
 

bige85tegu

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Ok thanks! Yea she is very healthy and the vender never told me that they are tame or easy to tame they just said that everyone that they have dealed with are like big puppy dogs and I told them that mine is not like that at all. But was just curious on the two different temperments being either a lot a like or one is much easier than the other.
 

Lexi

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well i know that col. Tegus are terrors compaired to Arg b&w Tegus... I know nothing of Savs.
 

shiftylarry

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"they just said that everyone that they have dealed with are like big puppy dogs"
Puppy dogs with jaws powerful enough to break the bones in your hand. Be careful of those types of comparisons.

I can tell you that savannah monitors are smarter than tegus. That however, doesn't make them easier to tame. If anything, it makes them harder. The good news, is that you can have a very fun and rewarding relationship with your monitor by feeding off of tongs. He will learn to associate you with food and actually seek out your company when you come towards his cage. But, you have to stop handling him. And, if your far along in the tong feeding process and then start handling again, you may be back to square one.

Sometimes getting him adjusted can take months or even years. If you're patient, you'll have a lot more success.
 

bige85tegu

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I have a lot of patients with the savannah because thats why I still have her and thats why I am trying to work on our relatinship. But it just sometimes makes me feel like I do all of this hard work and still she acts extremely agressive towards me.
 

shiftylarry

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Do you handle her? If so, that's the problem.

Monitors don't like being ripped from their favorite basking spot or hide. Each time I handle my monitors for vet visits, shipping, or what have you, it takes me months to build back that trusting relationship.

Keep it up.

-Chris
 

bige85tegu

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I know. I took my sav to the vet like 4 months ago and she was ok with me getting her there and everything but after the vet visit she was hard to get out because the vet gave her injections to treat some stomach parasites and they had to be given orally. That means that I had to get her to open her mouth and then hold it open long enough to give her the .05 mg dosage that the vet said to give for 7 doses to get rid of the parasites. It worked and madde her much better but ever since then she has been acting like everytime I take her out that I am going to try and mess with hermouth to give her an injection. I believe that is why is has been acting the way she has since then. But I still love her and she has bit me prolly around 4 or 5 times since I have had her. My finance said that I need to get rid of something that is that agressive because she does not want to be around it. But she loves the new tegu that I just bought on sunday because of how chill and calm the tegu is so far. I tried to tell her that the tegu can prolly get worse if it wants to than the sav but she does not care because of how nice the tegu is right now.
 

PuffDragon

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Hey welcome to the forums! There's alot of good information and answers to your questions in other posts. You can try running a search to find what you are looking for. Alot (not all) of the information on the Arg. Tegu's can go across the board in taking care of your columbian. Got any pics to share?
 

angelrose

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:welc bige85tegu I have a colombian tegu Angelrose and a savannah monitor Bear both with me for about 3 yrs. and just got a male & female args for valentines day 8)
pls don't jump on me everybody :-D they are tame in different ways. Angelrose has free roam and I let her come to me (hand feed comes in the kitchen & walk up to the stove, step over me, lay on top of me) when she wants to she knows by now we are not threats to her and we are inseperable :-D the args come right up to ya and you can pet them whenever you want. Bear (savannah) when I first got him he use to open his mouth as if to bite me and make this horrible hollow sounding hiss (scary, right). he has free roam in a different room (door closed) so they don't both meet :shock: . ( he is about 3 ft now and Angel is about 2 1/2 ft. ) and yes Bear is very powerful :!: you can hear him crack the rats head and bones and he tends to knock things over :roll: . the only time I have to be careful is if I have not been home and he is very hungry he will go for anything that moves. (that is rare). it's actually very cute in the morning he will stick his tongue out half way or if he is laying on the sofa he will lick ya :p and Bear sleeps most of the time with my daughters (he's a sleepy guy) Bear is more quiet and Angel is more outgoing :-D
the only thing both had in common when I got them was the place where I got them were just feeding them lots of crickets and thats it. I started right away with the pinkies, fuzzies, hoppers etc. they were starved :( they love their meat
 

ColdThirst

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Ha! that reminds me of my Arg. B&W, I thought mine was just being mean, but when its really hungry, and out and about, he will rush ANYTHING that moves. He will chase your toes all the way onto the couch until you restrain him. My roomate hates it, and it just makes me laugh until i can't breathe, cuz he only does it if you don't have socks on, and afterwards my roomates like, I think it hungry with this look on his face. Sry, just throwin that out there cuz it made me laugh.
 

bige85tegu

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Thanks Varnyard. Angelrose my savannah used to act like a puppy dog that like to nip every once and a while but nothing serious. I used to be able to take her out of her tank, put her leash on her and walk her around and take her everywhere with me at all times from day one. Now she does not want to wear the leash or just sit and chill on my shoulder, chest or hand anymore. Thats funny ColdThirst because if my tegu does that I think that I may have a heart attack laughing so hard.
 

gotherps?

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welcome to the forum!

the dealer most definitly misinformed you about the columbian tegus ability to be tamed. i cant speak from years of experience but ive had a young gold columbian for several months and it is far from "tame" and i doubt it will ever be anything more than cautiously shy in my presence. there are a few people like anglerose, tupifan, and AB who have adult columbians who are generally managable but from what gather from friends who have savs and what ive seen so far from my columbian and what others report, the columbian tegu is one of the most difficult tegu/monitor species to form an understanding relationship with. (excluding croc and nile monitors and the like)

however dont give up on it. i suspect i will develop a mainly "look at but not handle very much" relationship with my columbian which isnt necessly a bad thing. aside from interaction when feeding and ocasionally sitting on my hand my young columbian is far from even being "generally managable." people pay $2000 for exotic green tree monitors and they are a look not touch species. the $40 gold tegu is almost as beautiful so i dont see much of a problem having a look not touch relationship.
 

bige85tegu

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5 Year Member
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47
I just would like to be able to hold my savannah and tegu with out them trying to bite my fingers off. I think that with time it will happen though.
 

angelrose

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:dan the only thing I can think of that I did different was give them what they wanted ...meat and lots of it in the beginning, from mice, chicken, turkey, steak, rats even hot dogs all the way up the meat ladder :lol:
the place where I got Angelrose had nothing but nasty things to say about her, they even said that she bit them and they wanted to get rid of her. I would go there often for other supplies and look at Angel then I brought her home in a box lifted her up with my hand and placed her in her big new home :-D the worst thing Angel does is hiss and that's if she is sleeping 8)
I went away for about ten days and had a friend come stay and babysit everybody well, Angelrose hid the whole time and Bear looked so stressed when I got back. it took a couple of days to get back in their graces :-D
I think there is just something about reptiles, hmmm ;)
give them food, time and space and they will come around, yes :-D
 

angelrose

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oh and I know the colombian gold are not expensive but I lov'em, I like the color alot maybe one of those will be next :roll: perhaps I like them a lil' spunky :lol:
 

gotherps?

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21
yeah i happened to get a real beaut gold even tho its psycotic and will hold its ground and then spring forward and bite a gently advancing hand. oh well im still working on developing the trust and relationship with it, superworms seem to be doing wonders tho lol. wish i had a dam camera, ill get some pics soon. heres a really old one from when i first got it.

raptor.jpg
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