Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Alrighty so i'm goign to be buying a b&w tegu next weekend from my friends brother next weekend and just got a couple questions to prepare myself for the new baby.

1) I've read on some caresheets that putting a baby in a large tank(not actually using a tank going to build something) can cause stress. So is this true and if so what would be a good size for a baby(i think the tegu is 9-12" without it being stressed? I was planning on building something pretty big but after reading that decided to come and ask people who know from experience. Also how long will it last in that size tank? Dont want to be building a new tank every 2 months lol.

2)What is the best diet? I've read alot of mixed reviews about using eggs. I plan to feed it alot of meat, rodents, crickets and meal or wax worms, and fruits and just want to be able to give it a nice variety and balance. So what would be the best diet for a youngin. I do plan on giving it the calcuim n vitamins powdered stuff to. And have a UV light for it.

3)Can i use any non-toxic soil n bedding for the substrate. I wanna give it alot of dirt to dig into, was planning on a mulch n dirt blend just want to make sure its all safe.

Thanks in advance and feel free to leave any comments...

-Peter

On the cage size and stress: Well it might assist in causing stress by your chasing it in a huge enclosure if it doesn't want to be handled but other than that, simply put- they don't live in a box in the wild do they? I personally find it's easier to graduate cage size as it grows but I have many cages of various size so I can do that without much problem. With proper handling of an "Argentine" tegu it will walk right up to you and you shouldn't have to chase it. If you're a first time tegu keeper and you want to only build a couple cages in it's life with you I would go 4Lx2Wx2H for the initial enclosure for the first season. Provided it hibernates, the money you save on food, electric and such during the winter will allow for cash to make a (preferred size) 8Lx4Wx3H final cage for it to live in by the end of it's second spring or summer.
There are a few tegu forums online, you can choose which is your favorite. I think there are at least 3 valid sources for info. Do a Google search for Tegu Forum and you should get at least 2 of them. From there you will find all the knowledge available on the awesome animals called Tegu. Enjoy! Happy hunting and good luck with your new friend!
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