Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A while back I was really thinking of getting an Ackie, a few people suggested a Tegu instead. I definitely want as small as possible since a 2 x 4 cage would be a lot (but definitely doable) for me. We have a gold Tegu at work now, he's nasty as anything but I know he can get better.

Basically I'd prefer something which could be tame with work, ideally I'd like to be able to bring it to school presentations that me and some others have started doing (although I would not expect it to eventually be trustable with the kids). I don't know if they'd be harness-able like some iguanas can be, but I think that would work out really well for summer and trips. Ha ha sorry if I sound too idealistic with any of this. Everything else is about equal in how easy it would be to have either one, so let me know based on personality. Thanks!
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Danne
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1.0 '07 BRB (Monroe)
1.0 '08 BRB 66% het Anery (Ace)
1.0 '08 Pastel BP (Sebastian)
1.1 Leos (Bowser & Peach)
0.2 Dumbo rats (Josie & Chalupa)
0.4 cats (Cupcake, Smokey, Thelma & Emelia)
1.2 family members who can't wait until I move "the zoo" into my own place!
1.0 supportive boyfriend
1.0 '08 neutered grey sugar glider (Acco)
0.1 '08 whiteface sugar glider (Malina)

Email = dshoback@eden.rutgers.edu

Gold tegus are NOT the same as the tegus typically recommended. Columbian/Gold tegus are a different species/subspecies than the argentine black and white, blue, or red. They never really tame down and interact with you the same way the 'argentines' will.

For your size requirement, you're out of luck for the most tractable, kid tolerating lizard. Larger, bulkier monitors tend to tolerate that stuff easier than smaller monitors, and the tegus that would work will definately need a bigger cage than the dimensions you're describing. Ackies are a possibility, but they're not a surefire thing for taking around kids and dealing with that regularly. The monitors I've seen used for presentations (thanks to a friend who does that for a living) were larger animals that weren't fazed by little hands touching their back.

If you're looking for something more unusual than a bearded dragon for presentations (and a beardie would be perfect), check out these species:
Blue tongued skinks
cuban knight anoles (this one may not work the best but I have seen full grown knight anoles that didn't mind moderate handling)
legless lizards (the russian ones)
Uromastyx
CAPTIVE BRED tokay gecko (raise up a cb baby and it's actually a pleasant animal)
Chinese water dragon
Basilisk
maybe a sailfin dragon... I'm not 100% on that

There's a lot of options, you could cram in a monitor/tegu into the space you've got, or you could create an ideal cage setup for a smaller lizard. Blue tongue skinks are my personal favorite, they'll eat anything, like a tegu, but minus the size and attitude.

No reptile is really going to enjoy a leash, and in theory it sounds like a good idea, but in practice it's not. Any large lizard out in public should be used enough to the attention and scenery that a leash isn't needed.

~jen
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"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."
- Anna Sewell (1820-1878)