Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For the last several days, I've been going through post after post in here, and the old forums (and the monitor forum as well), just reading through them (I've been bored at work )
Anyways, there's something disturbing I've found. I saw a lot of posts like "I just bought a new tegu/monitor, what type of cage should it be in?" or "I just bought a new tegu/monitor, what should I feed him and how often?" and another "I just bought a new tegu/monitor, what are the temperatures supposed to be in the cage?" I can go on and on.

In my opinion, if you're going to get a tegu/monitor, you should do PLENTY of research BEFORE buying. I did a month of research on Tegu's before I decided to buy one, and I still don't know all there is to know about them, but at least I had the basics down before I purchased one. I'm not trying to be mean or discourage people from getting a reptile, I just see so many posts about people getting new lizards and not knowing simple housing or feeding for their species.

If you are reading this and are thinking about a tegu/monitor, please, PLEASE, PLEASE do research before impulse buying. Feel free to ask questions in here, everyone tries to answer the best they can. I'm still sort of a Tegu newbie myself even though I've had mine a year. There is still a lot of information I don't know, even after researching.

Just something I felt like I needed to post

Absolutely! This holds true with any species of reptile or animal, or any critter for that matter. Tegus are not a first-time reptile, thus indepth research should be instilled in their temperaments, diet, heat and enclusre needed as you mentioned.

As in life, those who believe they know all are only fooling themselves and actually showing how little they know. Life is forever learning and with tegus and reptiles this definitely holds true as well. Research is being updated constantly and will continue to do so. What may hold true today, could be disproved in later years. We just need to keep abreast of the consolidated info of the top breeders and keepers..........

Greg

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asking these questions and doing research after buying is better than not asking at all. many people buy an animal and simply guess at the husbandry requirements without ever doing research.

That is also true, although, some may not know exactly what they are getting into. They may not have the resources to take care of such an animal, and it could suffer from the owner not being able to afford to keep it properly. Say someone buys an argentine without doing research. Then they find out how much it costs to feed one and cage it. This is even more important for the Columbian Tegu's and cheaper monitors like the Savannah. Some people just think because it's cheap, it's disposable. I think the worst case of neglect and abuse goes to the green iguana. Think of how many people see a cute little green iguana at a petstore and take one home, not knowing anything about them and the pet store knowing even less. They end up feeding it only lettuce and it dies a horrible death. Look at some of the reptile rescue websites sometime. I just don't like to see pets suffer. I feel guilty for the 3 times a week I'm not home in the evening to let my Argentine out to roam around.

Again, you are right about them at least asking some questions.

>>asking these questions and doing research after buying is better than not asking at all. many people buy an animal and simply guess at the husbandry requirements without ever doing research.

:0)

I am in agreement with you. I ask alot of questions on here that I can not find the answers to anywhere else. Even though before we got our tegu I bought and read the monitors and tegu book, scoured the internet( how I found this site) and asked everyone at local pet stores for all the info I could get. Even with all this however I have found that the knowledge I had gained was still painfully little and that I have a long way to go. I just have to count my blessings that there are those out there willing to over look our ignorance and help to educate those of us that need help. So a big thank you to all who pour out there knowledge to those of us who need it.