This is Creature!

[Creaturesmom]

This is my new black and white Argentine tegu! I got it a week ago for Christmas from my son. He bought it at petco they didn’t tell him how old or if it was male or female and he just brought it here and said merry Christmas mom. I love it to death but I have done a lot of research since getting it and I still have so many questions! Like when do you know they are ready to move in from crickets and how many times a day or just once a day do I feed him and also right now is the diet just crickets, and many more that’s just a couple can anyone help me out? I have video and can get more pictures of it later he will come out in a couple hours he’s a lot bigger than this picture makes him look and I think it’s a male I’m just not sure so any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thank you

 

[TheTeguNovice]

Welcome and Congrats! Getting a Tegu is huge it's like someone gifting you a great dane lol...your in for a treat lol. Hopefully we can help you out with this. There has already been many threads regarding feeding, housing, lighting, diets etc. Hopefully I can keep this simple.

Feeding
1. Hatchling-Everyday | Yearling-Every Other Day
2. Housing-8x4x4 custom built enclosure | Grow Tint
3. Substrate-Eco Earth, Top Soil Mix
4. Lighting- 1 to 2 UVA & UVB Light (Bask 110-120)
5. Food: See Below List

Whole prey
Captive raised insects
Crickets
Roaches
Mealworms
Super worms
Wax worms
Silk worms
Horn worms
Earth worms
Snails
Crayfish
Pinkie mice
Quail hatchlings
Baby chickens
Mice
Rats
Hamster
Gerbil
Feeder frogs/toads/lizards

Meat
Soft-boiled or scrambled eggs
Raw meats: turkey, lamb, venison, fowl, beef
Fresh fish filets
Organ meats: liver, hearts, gizzards
Sea food: Crab, Scallops, Shrimp

Fruits
Tropical fruits: Mango, Papaya
Melons: cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, watermelon
Bananas- in moderation, peels can be fed if grown organic
Apples- in moderation
Cherries
Grapes- Thompson seedless; green and red
Concord grapes higher in oxalates
Tomatoes- high in oxalates**
Berries:
Strawberries- high in oxalates** and goitrogens* so in moderation
blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries
Figs -fresh or dried
Dates
Kiwi
Peaches- high in goitrogens*
Pears- high in oxalates**
Pumpkin

Veggies
Acorn squash, butternut squash
Kabocha squash
Parsnip
Alfalfa
Okra
Green beans
Green peas, snap peas
Leeks
Prickly pear cactus

Dark leafy greens like:
Chicory greens (Escarole)
Collard greens
Dandelion greens
Endive
Mustard greens
Turnip greens

Spaghetti squash
Bell peppers
Rapini
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Radish
Yucca root- cassava- tough, should be shredded
Asparagus
Broccoli in moderation, high in oxalates**
Beets and Beet greens in moderation, high in oxalates**
Carrots and tops in moderation, high in oxalates**
Bok choy - in moderation, high in goitrogens*
Brussels sprouts- high in goitrogens*
Parsley- good source of calcium
Cabbage- in moderation, high in goitrogens*
Cauliflower- in moderation, high in goitrogens*
Coriander- in moderation, high in oxalates**
Rutabaga
Sweet potato- feed rarely
Corn- feed rarely or never, low in Ca and high in Phosphorus
Spinach- feed rarely or never, high in oxalates and goitrogens
Swiss chard- feed rarely or never, high in oxalates**
Lettuces -low in nutrition
Celery- low in nutrition
Cucumber- low in nutrition
Flowering plants like- Nasturtiums, Dahlia or hibiscus, just be careful of pesticides and herbicides
Lentils-cooked
Cooked pasta or rice
Whole wheat bread