New to the forums and to tegus

[shiftylarry]

bige85tegu: If your monitor just sits on your shoulder, there's something wrong with it. Trust me. That's just not their nature. A healthy monitor is curious and constantly on the move, searching for food or interesting hides. There is a big misconception out there about how these animal behave.

Don't try and mold something that doesn't act how you want into the pet of your dreams. It is what it is. I've seen very trusting relationships with a savannah and their owner, but it takes years of non forced handling. Whatever happens between you and the monitor, if it's not on the monitor's terms, you're not getting anywhere.

Leashes are not for monitors. That's another bad idea.

This is not a bash, I understand there is a lot of bad information out there. It's not your fault.

PM me if you need some help.

-Chris

 

[angelrose]

gotherps? I think he is a beautiful color. I like the gold 8)

 

[bige85tegu]

bige85tegu: If your monitor just sits on your shoulder, there's something wrong with it. Trust me. That's just not their nature. A healthy monitor is curious and constantly on the move, searching for food or interesting hides. There is a big misconception out there about how these animal behave.

Don't try and mold something that doesn't act how you want into the pet of your dreams. It is what it is. I've seen very trusting relationships with a savannah and their owner, but it takes years of non forced handling. Whatever happens between you and the monitor, if it's not on the monitor's terms, you're not getting anywhere.

Leashes are not for monitors. That's another bad idea.

This is not a bash, I understand there is a lot of bad information out there. It's not your fault.

PM me if you need some help.

-Chris

Ok thanks, everything that I am telling yall about my savannah is coming from the pet store that I bought her from. They told me that savannahs love leashs and that I should hold her everyday so she will get use to me but that only made her worse as she grew.

 

[bige85tegu]

The pet store I bought the tegu from told me that it was a colombian black and white tegu and mine looks different than your gotherps or is that because yours is a golden? How do you tell the difference between a argentine and colombian tegu? Just curious.

 

[DZLife]

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

Maybe, but I would like to partially disagree. I know several people who have Savannah Monitors who seem to actually ENJOY being taken out. I am not speaking for all monitors, but some are handleable if worked with properly....then again, others will never be OK with being handled.

 

[bige85tegu]

I agree with both of you because I have seen ones on youtube that are just as calm and nice as they can be and I have seen ones like mine that can be nice when they want to.

 

[shiftylarry]

Savannah monitors are naturally solitary animals, so let's be careful before we attach human emotions to them. I have seen "tame savannahs" and I've seen sick savannahs that are passed off as tame. They just don't have the energy to act like a monitor.

I don't advertise the "tame" side of monitors, because it misleads people into thinking they're going to have a lap pet. It aint gonna happen. You may have a healthy savannah that chooses to climb up your arm and then settle on your lap on its own accord, but I disagree that a spunky savannah will just allow itself to be picked up, plopped in your lap, and just sit there behaving itself.

youtube sucks. It's not a good reference. Before we start talking "dog tame" savannahs, let's consider that 90% of all imported savannahs die within their first year of captivity, if not while being imported. Then consider that well over 99% will never reach full adulthood. Monitors are just one of those creatures that people don't have the care or the patience to take care of properly. It takes a ton of dedication. You wanna know how many times I've heard "I had a pet savannah, but it died of old age" only to find out that it lived only 3-5 years? Too darn many. The truth is that they can easily live 15 if taken care of properly. Imagine the kind of uproar that would occur if your dog died at age 3 from poor care. Unfortunately there just isn't the same consciousness with monitors.

So, to answer your question, yes, your savannah can become tame. However, if you go it with the expectation that it will be tame, this is not the animal for you. They are very smart animals, and they make decisions for themselves. Unlike other reptiles, consistent handling doesn't always help. In most cases, it just makes them resent you more.

 

[bige85tegu]

I never thought that my savannah would be so aggressive because the savannah is the first reptile that I have ever owned and the tegu is my second. The pet store where I bough her from and the tegu both told to handle them a lot and they would be tame as a puppy dog as I said before. When I got the savannah home it was a different story, she was hissing, slapping and running away. So because I had never owned a reptile before I did what the pet store told me to do and as she got bigger I stopped because of how aggressive she got. Now I can finally walk up to her tank and talk to her and rub the side of tank where her head is with out her going crazy about it. But ever since I have stopped trying to hld her see has calmed down a lot. The pet store also told me to do the same with my tegu and they said that it was a colombian b&w but when I was looking on varnyards website a saw a couple of small argentine tegus that look a lot like my tegu. Can someone help me with that one? Do argentine tegus cost more? Because if they do I only paid like $63 for mine.

 

[shiftylarry]

Argentine's usually cost 75-150 for normal babies.

Concerning your savannah, I'm glad he doesn't whip you as much. Try not to think of him as an aggressive animal, think of him as a defensive animal. He doesn't seek you out to try and hurt you, he only puts on a show when he feels threatened.

I'll send you a PM later tonight.

-Chris

 

[bige85tegu]

Argentine's usually cost 75-150 for normal babies.

Concerning your savannah, I'm glad he doesn't whip you as much. Try not to think of him as an aggressive animal, think of him as a defensive animal. He doesn't seek you out to try and hurt you, he only puts on a show when he feels threatened.

I'll send you a PM later tonight.

-Chris

Ok, but I am not sure on which one I have. Yea I know that she is being defensive and trying to hurt but she is telling that if I come closer then she will defend herself. Ok cool.

 

[shiftylarry]

If you post some pics, we can tell you for sure what your tegu is.

 

[bige85tegu]

Ok I will tomorrow while I am at work. Thanks everyone for yalls help.

 

[angelrose]

:cheers I agree and disagree
many years ago before I got my savannah I knew someone who had one (big) and I can't tell you enough how mean this one was it was scary to even look at.
and the only reason I bought this one is because I like a challenge.
out of all the reptiles I brought/bring home I was scared of this one the most and now look.
you cannot put a leash on them, no way. they do like to seek out hides and no he is not 'tame' but he lets me handle him. I gave my savannah alot of attention in plain view where he would stick his head out and watch everybody. and mine is a lap lizard as long as he can hide under a blanket or something maybe because ever since I bought him I would bring him out and when it was time to go back in, I fed him.
oh and the vet says he's a healthy big boy :-D[/i]

 

[bige85tegu]

If you post some pics, we can tell you for sure what your tegu is.

Here are some pics of my tegu and savannah.

 

[angelrose]

:-D they are adorable, I lov'em :-D very nice pics :-D
they remind me of when mine were babies 8) are you feeding the savannah any mice (fuzzies,hoppers) yet ? it looks like he can handle it
the tegu looks like a an eye catching gold :-D

 

[bige85tegu]

They both are eating mice, the tegu is eating just pinkies and crickets. The savannah is eating hoppers and fuzzies depends on what she wants. These are my first pets and I have had them for almost 4-5 years. My ferrets, Hurley, who is the albino red eyed, Roxy, who look like a criminal with her color scheme, and Spaz, who likes to thing that he is a dog.
Hurley

This is their mansion.

Roxy

Spaz

 

[COWHER]

:fiwo :woot :welc :woot :fiwo

 

[bige85tegu]

:fiwo :woot :welc :woot :fiwo

Thanks.

 

[PuffDragon]

Hey big,
As for your tegu...it is def. a Columbian. Keep up the good work!

 

[VARNYARD]

Awesome pictures!! I agree with Joe, it is 110% a Colombian.