Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a 5' 9" by 24" by 22" cage i would like to get either a tegu or monitor in now it woul dbe the first monitor i personally have kept so i want to start small and what i have found is for the size im intrestd in and the price i want to speng i either have the option on tegus or a savannah i think
so can som1 do me a favor and tell me what they would recomend?

well a realy good monitor is a mangrove monitor they are arent as big as a savana and make very good pets.

Have you ever owned a Mangrove? They tend to be flighty, like to bite, defecate and scratch with needle-sharp claws (probably the worst claws of any monitor!). IMO, unless you have lots of experience with other species of large lizards (yes, they can and do grow to 4-5 feet or more), they do not make a good pet. I would suggest either a Blue Tegu or an Ackie (Ridgetail monitor). Both are much more manageable and even though Ackies are more expensive initially, they stay small enough to subsist on a diet of crickets and superworms with the occasional pinkies/fuzzies. The money you will save on food alone in the first year vs. a Sav or B/W Tegu will more than make up for the initial buy-in. If you're set on a Tegu species, I would suggest a Blue for that size enclosure. They do not get as big as the B/W's or Reds and tend to be calmer than the Colombians. Best of luck with your choice. Billy

>>well a realy good monitor is a mangrove monitor they are arent as big as a savana and make very good pets.

quick question ....how does a akacki eat less moneys worth then a savanah...pinkies cost 30 cents...and mice cost around 50 cents
and even if i get them store bought they are 1.25 each
crickets cost 12- 20 for a dollar...and you need at least 2 dozen to feed an akackie...and thats ever day or every other day...as where a savana eats 1-2 pinckies or mice when it gets older every 5 to seven days done the math savana eats less money

i was under the impretion that b/w tegues were the only speacie sof tegu tht i could get for under 50

I'm kind of under the impression that you haven't researched enough yet, heh.

You may be able to find Columbian Black and White tegus for under 50, but in general, these are considered rather aggressive and hard to tame (Not impossible, though)

The math may add up, but your feeding frequency is waaaay off. A young Sav should eat every day. Also consider that in one short year, your Sav could be around 3 feet long and eating a small to medium rat every 2-3 days while your Ackie will still be eating a couple dozen crix or two or three pinks every week. I don't know too many Ackies that will eat 2 dozen crickets every day and I don't know too many full grown or even half grown Savs that will survive on 2-3 pinks every 5 days. I think you need to do some more research and seriously rethink if you're even ready to care for one of these big lizards. They are a very big, long-term commitment. Best of luck! Billy

>>quick question ....how does a akacki eat less moneys worth then a savanah...pinkies cost 30 cents...and mice cost around 50 cents
>>and even if i get them store bought they are 1.25 each
>>crickets cost 12- 20 for a dollar...and you need at least 2 dozen to feed an akackie...and thats ever day or every other day...as where a savana eats 1-2 pinckies or mice when it gets older every 5 to seven days done the math savana eats less money

ok
i ment 2-3 pinkies foe a baby ike a foot long
and if you are feeding 2-3 rats every 2day s to and adult savy then your savy is very unhealthey
savannahs should be fed every 3-5 days with 1-4 food items (so i cover it all) and crickets on ocasion to keep them active...feeding any more then thisd will result ina n unhealthy odise savy with libver problems

Read the post again. I said a small to medium rat every 2-3 days. That is exactly what a healthy sub-adult will eat. Same for a similar-sized B/W tegu. My 3' long male will happily eat a small rat every other day and is not obese. Granted he is not full grown yet, and when he is will most likely get only two appropriately sized meals per week, depending on his overall condition. Bottom line is, an Ackie is a much better monitor to start with on many different levels, not the least of which is they are all captive bred and born so you start out with a much healthier animal overall. If you're really interested in a monitor, go do some reading and ask some questions over in the monitor forum. Best of look in your decision. Billy

>>ok
>>i ment 2-3 pinkies foe a baby ike a foot long
>>and if you are feeding 2-3 rats every 2day s to and adult savy then your savy is very unhealthey
>>savannahs should be fed every 3-5 days with 1-4 food items (so i cover it all) and crickets on ocasion to keep them active...feeding any more then thisd will result ina n unhealthy odise savy with libver problems

If we are talking about liver problems, many folks will agree that a diet of simply pinkie mice will cause liver problems in its own right, the animals should be given some variety.

Listen to Billy, he knows his stuff
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0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu
2.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.4 Hatchling Bearded Dragons
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
1.0 Florida Brooksi Kingsnake
1.0 Blood Red Cornsnake
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

mice every 2 days and she definetaly aint fat or unhealthy,trust me i have the scars to prove it
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see yah laterz people
jason