Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do monitors and tegus compare against each other? Are there any similarities other than a similar body style?

I've always had a slight interest in tegus but have never looked into them. I'm just curious to know whether or not they're anything like varanids in actions, temperament, habitat, etc...

I'm not looking for tegu specifics, straight & to the point is fine. However, if you could go a tad bit further than, "No comparison" or "Big difference" I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Two totally different animals. I don't even think I could make a comparison between the two other than thier feeding responses and the fact that they have four legs. Monitors are more streamlined, quicker on thier feet, and "seem" a bit more intelligent. Tegus are bulkier, and made for slower, deliberate actions. However if you do feed Tegu's white Rats, make sure you don't wear white shoes. More often than not, they tend to eat first, and question it later ( I know from expierience ). Convergent evolution? Maybe, but thats about where it stops

As far as Argentine black and whites and reds, big difference in temp. The tegus are really laid back and don't seem as smart or inquisitive, but I love them as well, just not nearly as much. Basically not much personality except at feeding time.

Thank you, "EricIvins" and "MikeT," for two good, informative, replies. Both of you told me just what I wanted to know. This was just one of those things I've always wondered about but never had the chance to ask or forget to ask. My wife knows I don't need anymore animals; she's told me so.

Ya'll take care!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Hillbilly,

I have both and they are more different that I initially thought. I describe Tegu's as "stoner" lizards. If Snuffleupagus was a lizard, he's be a Tegu.

They don't seem to be as alert, inquisitive and always on edge like my monitors are. I don't think they are as intelligent as monitors and they don't have the climbing ability. If you put a Tegu on a table, it will walk off of the edge.

They have a really awesome feeding response though! They bite at anything and everything because either they think its food or they just love to have things in their mouth, I'm not sure which. Eventually one of your fingers will end up in their mouth too. Much much more mellow (except when they think food is around)than my monitors appear to be. I used to walk with my Tegu's around San Francisco, take them to the park, etc...it was awesome.

Physically, of course you notice the monitors have long pencil necks, and Tegus have fat stubby ones(which i adore). And Tegus toes just hang there like they aren't sure what to do, appearing to be rather useless. Tegus have regenerating tails, unlike monitors. They will also eat fruit, as mine love bananas.

They hibernate in the winter time, and I usually provide a basking temp of 100-110 for them, so they require slightly cooler temps than monitors.

As for habitat, I have noticed they seem to like cypress mulch/orchid bark better than dirt. They don't climb so they need lots of floor space to roam.

My first big lizard was a tegu and doing research on him among other things is what got me into monitors. So I guess he was, for lack of a better word, my "gateway drug"

So I guess the similarities are that they are both lizards, they both get pretty large, they are carnivorous, and they are beautiful.

Those people that are looking for "lapdog" monitors, should probably get a Tegu instead. Mine have no problem just laying there.

Hope that helps?
-Jeff

Good post, Jeff! Loaded with comparisons and info I was looking for.

Yeah, that helped a lot. Thanks!

When I see them at shows or shops they don't jump out & grab me, like nearly all monitors do, but I've always been interested in 'em. Something got me to thinkin' about 'em the other night so I figured, "What the heck, go ahead and ask."

From what everyone's said about their feeding response I'm waiting on Eric to give us a grin & tell us about his white rat/white shoes experience. Ha! Ha! How about it, Eric?

Catch ya later!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

If you are still interested in looking into them, check out thetegu.com. It's a really great tegu forum.

Here's a pic of my first tegu(the one when I was in San Francisco). And to keep this monitor related, I sold him to get my first monitor. Don't mind the leash...for some reason I thought it would be useful but it ended up in the trash.

That's a good looking creature you had there. Bet it was hard to let it go.

Thanks for the link!

Catch ya later!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Tegus can be interesting captives since they can become quite socialized with little effort but I assume that is because they aren't the brightest bulb in the lizard string of lights. The fact that they can hibernate up to 6 months out of the year helps on the food bill but can be pretty boring.

There have been no exaggerations here concerning their feeding response. I still have a reddish mark and a numb big toe after a feeding accident that occurred 5 years ago with an Argentine B/W tegu, about a 3 footer. That animal shook the thawed rodent so hard that it went flying and he went for the closest warm flesh around which was my bare left foot. They can also levitate at least 4 feet off the ground for food.

I've kept both tegus and monitors for about 8 years now and tegus were once my second favorite close behind my Cyclura iguanas. I still like to keep them and use them in educational presentations but I'm really enjoying the dumerils monitor that I purchased a year ago. That animal may have taken over second place now.

Thawed rodent, big toe; what's the difference?

One hurts, the other one don't. Hahaha!!! I liked the story. Thanks.

Nice photos, too.

Thanks!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

a word of warning about the Black and golds . They are really cheap and really nasty. I have kept many monitors over the years,mostly waters a lot of whom were nasty compared to the popular belief (that's okay...I prefer them that way.) I also had a nile which was my first monitor and recently passed away after almost 15yrs. I also work with rudicolis which I affectionately refer to as velociraptors. I have had ONE black and gold tegu and it was the nastiest creature I ever owned (have I mentioned yet that I also work with green anacondas???) I swear if these creatures got to komodo size South America would be uninhabited. This tegu had a remarkable ability of being able to jump up and catch my fingers in mid air at feeding time and it always seemed to take aim for my hand over prey items. as others said they aren't that bright so it took it a minute to figure out I had put food in it's cage. It used to stand bipedally quite a bit which was cool although it kind of only strenghtened the thought that it might be a shrunken t-rex. The b&g's do not hibernate as do the reds and b&w's. As I said really nasty for their rather small size (compared to the biggers waters and niles.)

> > > ...if these creatures (black & golds) got to komodo size South America would be uninhabited.

Ha! Ha! Thanks for the heads up!

Catch ya later!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American