Hi everyone, this is my first post on the forum. I only found out about tegus a week ago and have been trying to learn as much as I can ever since. I want to get an Argentine B&W or a chacoan giant. But, I want to make sure that this is a good pet for me and that I will be able to provide it with the conditions to have a long happy life. I have some questions that I have not been able to answer myself and was hoping u could help me. I know that I will build a cage at least 6x3 or 8x3 for a b&w. Is this satisfactory or does it need to be larger? Would an extreme giant need more room than this or would that be OK? I would keep it in my reptile room with a temp of 80-83 and humidity of 60. Is this OK? How hot does the hot spot need to be? I've seen everything from 90-110!? Also, do you have a feeding schedule u put your tegu on? I.e. x on Monday y on Wednesday and z on Friday repeated every week for life? The more specific you can be the better. My fiance also has a cat and I was wondering if their was a good way to introduce the two? I know that it can be sketchy having two different animal species together and to never leave them unsupervised. How do they do with kids? Both young and old? I don't have any now but want some in the future. Does anyone let their tegu roam their house/a specific room or do you keep them caged up until u are home to be with them to let them explore? How do u teach your tegu not to do something? Has anyone ever potty trained a tegu? That's everything I can think of up to now. I'm sure I'll come up with more later. Any and all info you can give will be greatly appreciated. If their is anything u think a newbie should know please tell me. Anything u wish u would have known before u got your first tegu? Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and for your responses.
-
Hello guest! Are you a Tegu enthusiast? If so, we invite you to join our community! Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Tegu enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your Tegu and enclosure and have a great time with other Tegu fans. Sign up today! If you have any questions, problems, or other concerns email [email protected]!
want a tegu but is right for me, some questions
- Thread starter RX-man
- Start date
Murkve
Member
- Messages
- 186
I'm not experienced with Tegus by any means, but soon enough I'll have my own hands-on experiences. About a week more.
For myself, I've wanted a Tegu for about 4 years, but have been disciplined for these reasons:
1) I was a college student, and as such did not have much free time. Between classes, student teaching, and working part-time I knew that acquiring a Tegu with all these primary commitments would be irresponsible, and unfair to such an amazing animal.
2) As a college student, I simply did not have the finances to support a Tegu to the level it deserved.
3) Even after graduating and finding a job, I held off. My fiance and I were living in temporary arrangements: apartments, relatives' homes, etc. This was so we could eventually purchase a home. I knew that a Tegu will eventually require at least an 8'x4' enclosure. Moving this enclosure around would cause undue stress and difficulty. I owed it to my future companion to have a stable, secure home in place.
Those are the three things I would consider necessities before taking on any large, involving companion animal: Time, Resources, Stability. The question of how a Tegu would do with children and other pets is largely dependent on how well socialized the animal is. Nevertheless, it is imperative to NEVER leave a Tegu unsupervised with either. To do so would be to invite disaster from multiple dimensions.
For myself, I've wanted a Tegu for about 4 years, but have been disciplined for these reasons:
1) I was a college student, and as such did not have much free time. Between classes, student teaching, and working part-time I knew that acquiring a Tegu with all these primary commitments would be irresponsible, and unfair to such an amazing animal.
2) As a college student, I simply did not have the finances to support a Tegu to the level it deserved.
3) Even after graduating and finding a job, I held off. My fiance and I were living in temporary arrangements: apartments, relatives' homes, etc. This was so we could eventually purchase a home. I knew that a Tegu will eventually require at least an 8'x4' enclosure. Moving this enclosure around would cause undue stress and difficulty. I owed it to my future companion to have a stable, secure home in place.
Those are the three things I would consider necessities before taking on any large, involving companion animal: Time, Resources, Stability. The question of how a Tegu would do with children and other pets is largely dependent on how well socialized the animal is. Nevertheless, it is imperative to NEVER leave a Tegu unsupervised with either. To do so would be to invite disaster from multiple dimensions.
HeatherN
Member
- Messages
- 429
- Location
- San Luis Obispo, CA
affording one: a tegu isn't a cheap animal, I'm lucky i have good enough finances to support one being so young. you have to consider the large electric bill that comes with lighting, the incredibly ravenous appetite, and the work it takes to maintain the area and lizard (vet bills, etc)
other animals: i agree to never leave a tegu unsupervised in an unfamiliar environment, or one that hasn't been tegu-proofed, as they can squeeze into the tinniest, dangerous little spots. never leave a tegu unsupervised with another animal either. dogs seem to be easier to introduce tegus to. as for a cat, you keep the cat out of the tegu's room with its cage. the tegu will "claim" the space in the cats eyes through smell. introduce the cat to the room with the tegu scent but NOT the tegu. after he seems calm and comfortable, you can introduced the tegu, preferable with the cage glass in-between. all animals are individuals and thats just a rough technique.
Feeding: since you've researched the food for these guys, you know they need some pretty varied stuff. never feed live. as a baby, most feed everyday until full. as they get into the juvie-subadult stage, you can feed them every other day. when adults, some feed as little as 2-3 times a week, but are large feedings. the key is routine, these animals live and die by routine, it makes them feel comfortable.
the tegu itself: all tegus are individuals, and all are intelligent creatures. they all have their own tendencies and peeves. most tegus have the potential to become dog-tame. however, this can be a long process that requires patience, consistency, forgiveness, and above all, time. some tegus never end up seeking affection, and thats their prerogative. you have to get to know your animal, socialize them carefully at a young age. some become very attached to their owners but will attack others. they have the potential to be very dangerous, so be confident in your animal and trust them to act appropriately before exposing them to others, especially children. always keep him on a leash when socializing, they're strong and fast. be aware of his body language and cues.
training: tegus can be "potty trained". some have been taught to go only in the yard, bathtub, and litter pans. but as with taming, it requires routine and consistence. it can be easy sometimes because warm water stimulates bowels and many tegus do not like to soil their cage anyway. often they'll scratch at the door to be let out! i let my lizards have run of the room their cages are in, with the cage always open so they can bask or burrow as they please. many let theirs "free roam" the entire house or part of it, its good enrichment, especially when tame. as for getting it to NOT do something, I've not heard much about that kind of training in any kind of reptile. when it comes to biting and whipping, you don't yield to them, or else they know acting up gets what they want. i do not suggest training with negative reenforcement, it can cause association of stress with you. reward behaviors that contradict the bad one. (never grab them out of their hide)
Environment: the humidity in your room is kinda on the low end of the spectrum for them, it'll work, but bathe him frequently. the temps in his basking spot has to be higher though. those crazy numbers you mentioned are ideal. luckily they're pretty easy to maintain if done correctly. at least 8x3 is ideal for adults, though larger if they're larger than normal. though babies are often kept in smaller cages as they're easier to keep an eye on and grab.
thats all i can think of to answer your questions, feel free to ask more and i will try my best to answer. I'm studying biology and am very interested in animal behavioral science, so i try to be informed. if i don't know the answer, id be glad to try to find it.
other animals: i agree to never leave a tegu unsupervised in an unfamiliar environment, or one that hasn't been tegu-proofed, as they can squeeze into the tinniest, dangerous little spots. never leave a tegu unsupervised with another animal either. dogs seem to be easier to introduce tegus to. as for a cat, you keep the cat out of the tegu's room with its cage. the tegu will "claim" the space in the cats eyes through smell. introduce the cat to the room with the tegu scent but NOT the tegu. after he seems calm and comfortable, you can introduced the tegu, preferable with the cage glass in-between. all animals are individuals and thats just a rough technique.
Feeding: since you've researched the food for these guys, you know they need some pretty varied stuff. never feed live. as a baby, most feed everyday until full. as they get into the juvie-subadult stage, you can feed them every other day. when adults, some feed as little as 2-3 times a week, but are large feedings. the key is routine, these animals live and die by routine, it makes them feel comfortable.
the tegu itself: all tegus are individuals, and all are intelligent creatures. they all have their own tendencies and peeves. most tegus have the potential to become dog-tame. however, this can be a long process that requires patience, consistency, forgiveness, and above all, time. some tegus never end up seeking affection, and thats their prerogative. you have to get to know your animal, socialize them carefully at a young age. some become very attached to their owners but will attack others. they have the potential to be very dangerous, so be confident in your animal and trust them to act appropriately before exposing them to others, especially children. always keep him on a leash when socializing, they're strong and fast. be aware of his body language and cues.
training: tegus can be "potty trained". some have been taught to go only in the yard, bathtub, and litter pans. but as with taming, it requires routine and consistence. it can be easy sometimes because warm water stimulates bowels and many tegus do not like to soil their cage anyway. often they'll scratch at the door to be let out! i let my lizards have run of the room their cages are in, with the cage always open so they can bask or burrow as they please. many let theirs "free roam" the entire house or part of it, its good enrichment, especially when tame. as for getting it to NOT do something, I've not heard much about that kind of training in any kind of reptile. when it comes to biting and whipping, you don't yield to them, or else they know acting up gets what they want. i do not suggest training with negative reenforcement, it can cause association of stress with you. reward behaviors that contradict the bad one. (never grab them out of their hide)
Environment: the humidity in your room is kinda on the low end of the spectrum for them, it'll work, but bathe him frequently. the temps in his basking spot has to be higher though. those crazy numbers you mentioned are ideal. luckily they're pretty easy to maintain if done correctly. at least 8x3 is ideal for adults, though larger if they're larger than normal. though babies are often kept in smaller cages as they're easier to keep an eye on and grab.
thats all i can think of to answer your questions, feel free to ask more and i will try my best to answer. I'm studying biology and am very interested in animal behavioral science, so i try to be informed. if i don't know the answer, id be glad to try to find it.
got10
Member
- Messages
- 603
Heather has given some great advice . i wish when I started so many years ago I knew more about them . i sort of fell into it when I rescued a tegu from some guy who was going to skin it because it tried to bite him when the cage opened. The idiot thought it was COOL to feed it live rats.So the animal whom was never handled linked open cage to food . And live food to boot. It took me about 2 wks to get the animal able to be calm enough to be picked up without biting. I used the tshirt and wooden dowel method . It works very well if applied correctly
