A pic i took roughly 2wks ago..hes doing really well and hes over 27" now but its hard to get an exact measurement since he wont stay still..
New Tegu =)
- Thread starter blonde.for.life
- Start date
Thats amazing, do you have any suggestions for begginers. Mabey a monitor that can be easily tamed and get big?
I have to agree, even smaller monitors can be a challenge if youve not had any reptiles before so i would def not go for one that gets big as your first. Ackies would be a good place to start if you like them. No matter what you decide - research research research! Look at the good and esp the bad and decide if its something you want to deal with..having a 'cool big lizard' will get old really fast if you dont want to deal with the rest of its requirements.
Monitors will only ever tolerate you messing with them, if you want something tame, I'd recommend something else. The only monitor that I would call remotely close to tame would be an ackie, and even they shouldn't be handled much if at all. Interaction should be on their terms. Speaking of ackies, they're really small, which brings me to my next point. A large monitor can easily consume a couple hundred dollars worth of food each month. Even small ones eat a lot.. Having a large lizard loses its appeal for most people when they realize it doesn't like its owner much and eats a good chunk of its body weight each week. Not to mention the size cage they will need.. On top of that, even the larger species will hide a lot when you're around, unless you have food. Unless you are ready to deal with being bitten, clawed, whipped, and eaten out of house and home to own an animal that will spend a good deal of its time making your gigantic cage look empty, I'd recommend looking into something else.
That being said, I love monitors, and find them fascinating. They're just not for everyone, and most keepers have no clue whatsoever what is involved in owning one.
hmmm. monitors for beginners... nope. get something like a mali uromastyx if you want easy care and taming
I have done beardies and leapord gecko before they just bore me lol. Thanks for all the info so im not exactly a begginer but not to experienced with taming either. So is there anything I could upgrade too that gets a little larger then beardies? I have suitable tanks for 3 and a half foot reptile max as we speak. I could get a bigger home eventually but I am looking for something that wont bite the crap out of me and will get the size of your awsome Tegu. Not trying to steal your thread im sorry just need help.
Large cage, at least a foot of dirt to burrow in, with a temperature gradient from 140F or more on the basking spot to the low eighties on the cool side. They actually aren't too difficult to care for once you have them set up, but the setup is a bit harder than other reptiles. For one thing, there are no commercially made cages suitable for monitors, so you will be making your own. Keep in mind they still should not be handled unless you need to, and it should only be on their terms. Restraining them or handling them often is very stressful for a monitor.
Honestly if you like her tegu, why not get yourself a tegu? They are much better suited to captivity than monitors are.
