Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I have a rare opportunity to purchase Argentine B&W tegus CB by Bert Langerwerf (I'm based in England). I keep and breed other lizards (bearded dragons, blue tongue skinks, geckos etc), but don't have any experience with tegus.

I'm really keen but have a couple of questions.

1. These animals are grown on a bit, at maybe 18" - 20" or so. Is this a good size, or would I be better trying to get smaller/younger animals, as I want really tame animals eventually.

2. Do you think it would be ok to put them in a 6' x 2' x 2' vivarium for say two or three months, before upgrading.

3. Does a viv of 10' x 2'6" high x 3'10" wide sound ok for a pair?

4. I know its going to vary, but is it common for pairs to get along ok year round?

Thanks for your help.
Mark.

Hi mark w -

Argentine black and whites, in my experience, will be of a certain temperament no matter how young you get them. I have five, and they are very different from eachother personality-wise. I don't think slightly older babies will be less nice.

My advice about caging is this: Think about how you would keep a cat. That is how the tegu wants to live. In other words, tanks and boxes will be small for them when they are grown, and they will want to roam the house, or at least a room. They love an outdoor area if you can provide them with one in the summer.

You realize they will probably hibernate or brumate for up to 6 months of the year?

Thanks for your reply, but I have a couple more Qs.

I take your points about letting them roam around, keeping outside in the summer and hibernation.

Given where I am in northern Europe, it sounds like my annual routine would go a bit like this:

late March to late May in vivarium.
late May to early September outside as much as possible.
early Sept to Oct/Nov in vivarium.
Oct/Nov to late March hibernating.

This is pretty much my routine with my (European) tortoises. What does it sound like to you?

Also, I hibernate my tortoises in my cellar, which sticks at around 8 - 10 degrees C all winter. Does this sound good for tegus?

Thanks again for your help.
Mark.

Your setup sounds good for the black and white tegus that Bert sells. I like to keep the hibernation a little warmer, around 15 celsius, because I read a study of tegu hibernation that simulated natural tempuratures and they were actually using 15 c. as the lowest ambient tempurature their lizards were exposed to. In my experience some of the black and whites have a strong hibernation instinct and will hibernate even if I try to keep them warm all winter. they are very stubborn and individual about this.

I have blue tegus too, and I don't see them preparing to hibernate or really deeply hibernating like the black and whites, so I keep them at warmer tempuratures all year.
I don't think they are adapted to deal with tempuratures much below 20 c. for very long.

ok, thanks. If I get them I will post a message here, and maybe a couple of pics.

Cheers,
Mark.

Hi mark

I'm in the UK too - I keep Parauayan B&W's. I have had them for about a year now I think (just about 10 months actually).

When I got them the male was 36" and the female about 30", they were 18 months old. They are now 48" and 36" respectively and have recently been mating.

I house mine in a 8ft x 3ft x 2ft viv - I also have a hide box as an addition thats 42"x 38" x 15". I keep mine in the viv most the time, although they do get at least an hours roaming per day.

I recently took my male out into the sunshine for the first time, and the normally placid tempered teg turned my back garden into a blood bath. I think that giving them some outside time on warm days is good, but wouldn't want to risk the cool night time temps - keep them indoors would be my advice . Where abouts are you in the uk by the way.

with regards to hibernatiing, I understand that it is not necessary to hibernate them, however a cool period is beneficialy - Whilst I didn't cool mine down dramatiically I let the temp drop to 72 for a few weeks - the tegs remained active and feeding throughout.

carl

Hi Carl

I'm in Buxton, Derbyshire - I won't be able to leave them out overnight very often, and might be best bringing them in at night anyway. Are your Paraguayans very tame?

Mark.

I'm not too far from you - well relatively speaking, just moved from howden to Louth - so along the same latitude at least.

Mine are tame - the female is a little flighty, especially since mating, but the male is brilliant - he has odd moments and doesn't like to be restricted, but is usually more than happy to sit on my shoulders and wander round the room -- he even gets on with the two dogs.

Carl