Reptiles that don't need live food.

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Each species has a different scale count on the face & head.. I don't know them off the top of my head but with a little google work I'm sure you can locate it...

Most/All Columbian Tegus are wild caught and are available in any number of sizes/ages...

Arg Tegus are almost exclusively captive bred these days. Since they will only breed in the spring, any cb Arg Tegu born in the northern Hemisphere will be lazy (hibernation) and fairly large (20" or so)...

There is a possibility that you will stumble one that is farm bred/born in South America that will be not much more than a hatchling (12" or so this time of year) but if I saw a 12" Tegu in early April I would assume it was Columbian unless proven otherwise (and the sellers word is not "proof").

Keep in mind a lot of sellers may be honestly selling the animal as it was labeled when they got it, but their supplier mislabeled it... So don't assume everyone with a questionably labeled animal is a bad guy.
 
Agreed with everything already stated, however I will also say that the widespread esteriotype of columbian tegus being irrascible beasts does not allways correspond to the truth, in fact Ive never saw one like that (but yea I only handled 3...), the ones that I know are very iguana like in their personalitys, but yea its very likely not granted. Red tegus apear very tame as well. Will have them all some day:D
 
I've only known two Columbian Tegus personally...

One I owned when I was a kid and it was insanely arrgessive toward both me and my other animals...

The other one belonged to a close friend. His was handlable, but was very flightly and would bite to defend itself when it felt threatened...

I've heard several other stories (via internet) about extremely aggressive Columbians as well as quite tame Columbians...

In general, I believe that a wild bred/born/caught reptile is much more likely to be flighty and resistant to human interaction...

Also the general idea that smaller animals are "wired" to respond as prey where larger animals that have fewer preditors are less flighty or defensive...

But that doesn't mean that they can't learn to be tame or at the very least handlable...
 
I will tell you one thing. Every full grown mature columbian tegu I've seen are very tame like a sav might be. Columbians have a bad rap. They CAN become dog tame but it is much harder. Columbians I would think would need more insect matter in thier diet. Even savs in the wild eat a large amount of insects. It is very hard to feed dead insects to reptiles. They just don't respond to it I have found.

If you can provide the room I second the tegu. Great pets with alot of personality and are easy to tame. Mines is also a Bobby Hill tegu and within a month with proper handling techniques he was pretty darn tame. But they eat a ton of food and will need a varied diet. They also get big and need attention.
 
Cuban rock and rhino iguanas do not eat live prey and are far more tame than green iguanas. I have had both for 20 years and my make cuban is 18 lbs and goes to schools for educational shows. Their diet is pellets and fruits an vegetables.

Jeff
 
Hey dude wellcome to the site:) pardon my curiosity but arent you like a big breeder of Cyclura? I think I herd about you in another forum. As far as Cyclura being more tame then greens, I think its a very tricky question to awnser, Ive seen horrible and owesame personalitys on both sides, some even have both depending they are in or not in breeding mode.:D
 
cyclura;4011609; said:
Cuban rock and rhino iguanas do not eat live prey and are far more tame than green iguanas. I have had both for 20 years and my make cuban is 18 lbs and goes to schools for educational shows. Their diet is pellets and fruits an vegetables.

Jeff
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welcome to the forum! its nice to see more cyclura keepers emerging!


i also second rhino iguanas. i have one and he is great. still kinda flighty but i credit that to the lack of handling on my end. but great animals to work with!! or you could go with a green igg. my big guy is dog tame
 
Not a real big breeder, as far as tameness/aggression I have not seen any of my Cubans or Rhinos get aggressive when the males reach sexual maturity. I have taken both cubans and rhinos (male) to schools during the breeding season. When I had green iguanas almost every male would get agressive when they reached 3-4 yrs old. Rhinos can be somewhat aggressive at times, but my cubans have always been puppy dog tame. The one in my avatar is a 18lb male named trouble, he has had 8 sucessful breedings. He is the tamest reptile I have had out of probably 150+. He got his name because it took 4 months to ship him when a hatchling because of weather.
 
He is sweet, post pics of your animals and facilitys when you can:popcorn:Cant wait to see that
 
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