Anyone have a caresheet for a Gold Tegu?

Hey I got a gold tegu a few days ago and was wondering if anyone could give me a caresheet or tell me some stuff about him.

here is a picture of his cage:



I am getting a bigger terrarium in a couple of weeks. Right now I have a under tank heater and a exo terra night glo light on it. I spray the cage daily.

Here are a few pics of him:

Good looking Colombian you have there!!

Here is my care sheet, it is good for Argentine tegus as well as Colombians.
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ad.php?t=78209

Congratulations on the purchase of your new Golden Tegu. In my opinion, those are the coolest lizards in the New World. They are voracious predators with incredible intelligence. I can sit and watch them figure things out for hours. They’re amazing!

My wife and I live and work in Guyana, South America, and we run COBRA Wildlife Exporters. We have the pleasure of watching tegu, and other animals, roam around our yard freely.

Throughout its range, the Golden Tegu is among the top few of the food chain and they are largely view as a nuisance animal in populated areas. These animals get large enough to inflict a severe bite if handled incorrectly and, when adults, are able to kill full-grown roosters and small mammals. The main concern for residents who share space in the fact tegu LOVE eggs and are quite ingenious when it comes to developing ways in, under and around fences, wire mesh or zinc put in place to separate tegu from chickens.

In remote regions, the tegu is viewed as a food source. When we lived in the remote Northwest District, we watched gold miners catch adult tegu with a fishing hook on a spring rod, baited with chicken fat. Along with Iguana, they provide much needed protein and are almost always cooked in curry.

One more cool fact about them is their speed. I travel through the jungle a lot on a dirt bike and when I spook tegu on the side of the trail, they take off running on only their back legs, with their front legs held behind their shoulders. In the blink of an eye, they can match my speed of 15-20MPH before they jump into the bushed.

In our quarantine station, we house 100s of them at a time and they do well in warm enclosures, out of direct sunlight. It is important to house animals of like size together. Right now, June – August, the hatchlings are emerging from the termite mounds, where their mother dug into and laid the eggs. Because of the nasty disposition the larger animals develop, it is best to get a young animal and handle it often, while it grows. Constant human contact will keep it handleable. (is that a word?

In Guyana, our food options are limited. We use a simple recipe of 2 cups of dog chow, soaked in three cups of water. Once fully hydrated, we blend it and add six eggs to the mixture. Lastly, we stir in rice and feed the tegu in the mornings. In the USA, you have a multitude of options and the place you purchased the animal should be able to provide all the care information.

Guyana has a reasonably constant temperature and an extremely high humidity. Be sure to mimic those conditions. Also, we are sure to provide as many hides as possible. We opt for fresh wood chips of assorted sizes, and 24”X24” ¼” plywood squares scattered about the holding areas. Also, we find our animals love to soak so we have several dishes deep enough and large enough for the animals to swim and fully submerge themselves.

Again, congratulations of picking one of the coolest reptiles out there. I have friends who have raised large adults and they feed on full-grown rats. A pretty gory sight but that’s what the animal was designed for! Good luck and enjoy your pet!

[quote]

Originally Posted by COBRA Wildlife Expor

Congratulations on the purchase of your new Golden Tegu. In my opinion, those are the coolest lizards in the New World. They are voracious predators with incredible intelligence. I can sit and watch them figure things out for hours. They’re amazing!

My wife and I live and work in Guyana, South America, and we run COBRA Wildlife Exporters. We have the pleasure of watching tegu, and other animals, roam around our yard freely.

Throughout its range, the Golden Tegu is among the top few of the food chain and they are largely view as a nuisance animal in populated areas. These animals get large enough to inflict a severe bite if handled incorrectly and, when adults, are able to kill full-grown roosters and small mammals. The main concern for residents who share space in the fact tegu LOVE eggs and are quite ingenious when it comes to developing ways in, under and around fences, wire mesh or zinc put in place to separate tegu from chickens.

In remote regions, the tegu is viewed as a food source. When we lived in the remote Northwest District, we watched gold miners catch adult tegu with a fishing hook on a spring rod, baited with chicken fat. Along with Iguana, they provide much needed protein and are almost always cooked in curry.

A side note, there are animals that prey on the Colombian tegus. They are taken by large snakes, as we as caiman. It is also against the law to harvest this animal for food, or any other reason there. These laws were set in place mainly due to the leather trade.

One more cool fact about them is their speed. I travel through the jungle a lot on a dirt bike and when I spook tegu on the side of the trail, they take off running on only their back legs, with their front legs held behind their shoulders. In the blink of an eye, they can match my speed of 15-20MPH before they jump into the bushed.

In our quarantine station, we house 100s of them at a time and they do well in warm enclosures, out of direct sunlight. It is important to house animals of like size together. Right now, June – August, the hatchlings are emerging from the termite mounds, where their mother dug into and laid the eggs. Because of the nasty disposition the larger animals develop, it is best to get a young animal and handle it often, while it grows. Constant human contact will keep it handleable. (is that a word?

In Guyana, our food options are limited. We use a simple recipe of 2 cups of dog chow, soaked in three cups of water. Once fully hydrated, we blend it and add six eggs to the mixture. Lastly, we stir in rice and feed the tegu in the mornings. In the USA, you have a multitude of options and the place you purchased the animal should be able to provide all the care information.

Do not feed dog food, it is very poor for a food sorce. Some of these contain red dyes that have been found to be toxic to reptiles. They also contain ash as a filler. It can not be digested. Ash can cause a impaction.

Guyana has a reasonably constant temperature and an extremely high humidity. Be sure to mimic those conditions. Also, we are sure to provide as many hides as possible. We opt for fresh wood chips of assorted sizes, and 24”X24” ¼” plywood squares scattered about the holding areas. Also, we find our animals love to soak so we have several dishes deep enough and large enough for the animals to swim and fully submerge themselves.

Again, congratulations of picking one of the coolest reptiles out there. I have friends who have raised large adults and they feed on full-grown rats. A pretty gory sight but that’s what the animal was designed for! Good luck and enjoy your pet!

Thanks for the great information.

I didn't say they were THE top animal in the wild, genius.

I’m just stating the facts of the matter. Just chitchat. If you don't like it, please feel free to contact the government of Guyana and lodge a complaint. While you are at it, send some cash so they can form a police department who can enforce environmental laws. This is a country where people do what they need to survive in extreme conditions. Like it or not, tegus are eaten by people EVERY day! Sometimes life in the real world isn’t the same as you wish it to be, as you sit in your air-conditioned house and fantasize.

Glad I could help. If you need any more information, please feel free to ask for more advise!

-Mike

You said:

COBRA Wildlife Expor: Tegu is among the top few of the food chain and they are largely view as a nuisance animal in populated areas.

This is not true, if you consider the two I stated above. Also the well known fact, just not those two feed on Colombian tegus, but indeed many others as well.

[quote]QUOTE=COBRA Wildlife Expor]I didn't say they were THE top animal in the wild, genius.[/QUOTE]

I’m just stating the facts of the matter. Just chitchat. If you don't like it, please feel free to contact the government of Guyana and lodge a complaint.

Then please do, state facts. So it is true, it is against the law to harvest this animal.

While you are at it, send some cash so they can form a police department who can enforce environmental laws. This is a country where people do what they need to survive in extreme conditions. Like it or not, tegus are eaten by people EVERY day! Sometimes life in the real world isn’t the same as you wish it to be, as you sit in your air-conditioned house and fantasize.

I have no need to donate funds to something that we both know would not go to that cause. I also have several Brazilians that work for me here under a work visa. Thus helping the people that are in the conditions you speak of.

Glad I could help. If you need any more information, please feel free to ask for more advise!

-Mike

The advice is fine as long as it is good advice. However feeding dry, moistened dog food is not good advice. This gentleman asked for the proper care for these animals, dog food is not good advice.

Note, this is also home to the Jaguars, Pumas, The Harpy Eagle, Jaguarondi, Bush Dog, Collared Peccary, Margay, Ocelot, and the Giant Otter, as well as the two I have already mentioned (Spectacled caiman, (Snakes) Anacondas, Colombian Boas). I might also add, the human (animal) also feeds on tegus as he stated.

All of these animals are well known for feeding on Colombian tegus. IMO, that would put this animal far from the top of the food chain.

Hey Varnyard I read your caresheet and was wondering where to get the fish if not the ones at the pet store?

Originally Posted by SnakeOwner01

Hey Varnyard I read your caresheet and was wondering where to get the fish if not the ones at the pet store?

I would suggest getting them from your grocery store, or a market that sells fish. Or even catch fresh fish. Tegus have been know to beg fisherman for their catch, as well as bait in South America.

so the fish doesn't have to be whole? And do I have to cook it? Thanks for all the help by the way.