Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've heard that monitors don't need UV since they eat whole food items. Why whould a Columbian B&W need UV since they have pretty much the same diet? I have UV lights if i need them, and i plan on using them while he is in his insect phase, but do I really need them when he is an adult? Also I've heard the B&W's don't usually eat fruit. Should I still offer it and at what age? I've been feeding him large dubai roaches, do i need to switch it up with crickets and mealwormd or are just the roaches good. And what is the best way to sex him. Im going to assume that like monitors they can't be probed.
Thanks Steven

I use UV with my Colombians, but they don't spend a lot of time basking. There was a study done (San Diego Zoo?) with monitors demonstrating that oral Vit D supplements achieved the same plasma levels as exposure to UV. Iguanas have been shown to not assimilate oral Vit D supplementation and are very dependent on UV exposure. Now these are two different lizards, one being a carnivore and one being a herbivore.

There have not been any such studies on tegus and tegus are not monitors. The lighting is so inexpensive and easy to maintain, why not use it since it is the animal's natural design?

That's just my opinion and how I gauge such decisions. Your mileage may vary.

As for determining gender, I have heard of some vets probing, but I wouldn't take the chance if I was going to breed. Most wait it out until the anal spurs, or buttons, appear around 20" of length or so. There has also been talk of determining gender by shape of the head, but I would have to go check that out before I posted the wrong info. One gender has a more triangular head.

I don't mind spending the money. I just don't like a bulb hanging down in my cage. I guess i could go with tubes and only use the UV as a light source. All my other enclosures have a strip floresent for light any way. I just want to make sure it isn't going to get broke since i can't use a plastic cover or it defeats the point. I don't use any other bulbs for anything. I'm a RHP kinda guy

I would HIGHLY suggest you check out tegutalk.com.

It is full of helpful, accurate information on everything having to do with all kinds of tegus. With just the littlest bit of research, all of the questions you have posed would be answered.

The forum is especially effective.

Tegus are not monitors and should not be treated as such. Their husbandry needs are not exactly the same.

When i said i heard i ment i heard on tegu talk. I've been doing research, but would like to talk to as many people who own tegus as possible. I also realize that tegus and monitors are not the same. Thats why i asked why 2 different animals with the same diet would have different needs in regard to UV. I now own 2 lizards. I got my first leopard gecko and the col. B&W. Aside from them i have 3 BPs, 2 corns, 1 black rat, 2 ATBs, 3 rattlesnakes, gaboon, rhino, and eyelash vipers, copperhead, and monocled cobras. I also keep tarantulas and scorpions. If you have advice let me know, but saying do research is no help whatsoever.

Wow...YOU'RE WELCOME!

You're the one who left out crucial information in your post...not me. It's widely known that Tegutalk is the most highly regarded forum for tegus. If you want quality information, unfortunately for you, it's going to take research.

I'm welcome for what? You didn't tell me anything.

You are a sad little man.

I'm a sad little man? I thought the purpose of these forums was so people could talk to other herp keepers to further their research. For him to be sarcastic when i tell him I am doing research makes me little? I'm just trying to do whats best for my reptiles. If that villifies me then i'm ok with that. If i shouldn't ask questions on a forum, why are they here? Take your jabs at me, that just shows i'm "bigger" than you. Honestly i'm getting tired of people acting superior just because they have kept a species longer than someone else. Every one starts at the begining and i bet all of you asked questions when you started with your first tegu. If someone else told you to hit the books instead of trying to help i'm sorry, but you could think back on that and say "Mabee i'll be a little nicer." Wasn't trying to be mean, just pointing out that sarcasm dosen't help and neither does saying to ask someone else

Unfortunately, there aren't many books to hit when it comes to keeping tegus. Research does involve asking questions on forums. There is more than one tegu forum, and Bobby's is a very good forum. However asking questions of a variety of keepers is, in my opinion, doing research.

I didn't want to get involved in your thread, but I hate see the argument continue...

"I'm a sad little man? I thought the purpose of these forums was so people could talk to other herp keepers to further their research. For him to be sarcastic when i tell him I am doing research makes me little? I'm just trying to do whats best for my reptiles. If that villifies me then i'm ok with that. If i shouldn't ask questions on a forum, why are they here? Take your jabs at me, that just shows i'm "bigger" than you. Honestly i'm getting tired of people acting superior just because they have kept a species longer than someone else. Every one starts at the begining and i bet all of you asked questions when you started with your first tegu. If someone else told you to hit the books instead of trying to help i'm sorry, but you could think back on that and say "Mabee i'll be a little nicer." Wasn't trying to be mean, just pointing out that sarcasm dosen't help and neither does saying to ask someone else"

It's absolutely, and positively your tone. Yes, this is a place to come to gather information for your pets. But, you should do so, humbly. Remember, you're the one who doesn't know what you need to know and are asking for the information.
You're the one who left out the fact that you went to tegutalk, which is a bad on your part because that is THE PLACE for information on tegus. I was trying to help you. Your response and your tone is what makes you little.
And, if you DID go to tegutalk and spent more than 5 minutes there, ALL of your questions would be answered. But, you seem to want instant gratification without doing any sort of leg work. It says a lot about your character. That is what makes you a sad, little man.

I've been doing research for weeks and have been to dozens of sites looking for info. It's kinda hard for me to list or know to list which sites i've been to. And I HAVE found answers to all my questions. Unfortionatly alot of them are conflicting. Thats why i'm asking the opinion of individuals. I'm trying to see which sources i've found are accurate and which are not. Thats not instant gratification, it's double checking. As for my tone, i wasn't trying to be insulting in the first post. I was irritated when you were sarcastic for what felt was no reason. I spend a lot of time on kingsnake and i'm not trying to have hard feelings with anyone. Mabee since actual tone can't be heard in type is why you got so upset, but it wasn't intended the way you took it. However it is rather insulting when you refer to me as having no experience when i've been keeping reptiles for almost 2 decades. Yes they are mostly snakes, but i do know how to do research for my animals. I don't feel that it is right that i have to assure you of these things to be shown respect but i hope we can get past it

Sorry for any offense taken

When did I say you didn't have experience?

I like RHP for my big snakes, but I like lighting for my lizards. Most of them are diurnal (as opposed to my nocturnal snakes) and I think it enhances their well-being.

>>I don't mind spending the money. I just don't like a bulb hanging down in my cage. I guess i could go with tubes and only use the UV as a light source. All my other enclosures have a strip floresent for light any way. I just want to make sure it isn't going to get broke since i can't use a plastic cover or it defeats the point. I don't use any other bulbs for anything. I'm a RHP kinda guy

What kind of bulds do you use? I heard the coils are bad for their eyes. Do the GE "plant & aquarium" bulbs put off UV? I could use them in the light fixtures i already have

>>What kind of bulds do you use? I heard the coils are bad for their eyes. Do the GE "plant & aquarium" bulbs put off UV? I could use them in the light fixtures i already have

The plant and aquarium bulbs are full spectrum lighting but do not put off UVB.

I use PowerSun mercury vapor bulbs for my tegus and iguana. Their enclosures are tall enough to accommodate the bulbs and they have a socket type fixture. The Power Sun takes care of the heat and the UV issue for me. Living in FL, my lizards get a chance to bask in the sun quite a bit in the summer.

For the smaller enclosures and smaller lizards, I use Exo Terra's 10.0 tube florescents. It's not the most attractive, but I put them in kitchen fixtures and hang them inside the cage to bypass any filtration from aquarium screen tops.

I've heard and seen eye and skin damage from various lights, include the coiled bulbs. I had an interesting conversation going on-line with some tegus owners recently. It seems that no one had any issues with the Exo Terra coiled bulb, and testing has only been done on the Zoo Med brand. It's not that Zoo Med is making a bad bulb, it's just that Exo Terra is burning theirs in first or longer, and the intensity isn't quite as high. It also seems that the problem with coiled bulbs is not that they don't work or that they are "crap", but that they provide and intense beam of UVB directed at the animal at a close distance.

Here's a great link for lighting research that I think is OK to post. It's a group of researchers that have independent work and are not affiliated with any particular brand and are not trying to sell anything. That always comes across with more credibility in my book.

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

If i went with mercury vapor, do i need a special lamp or will a normal porcilin keyless work? How close do they need to be to stay effective, ect. Should i thake the RHP out? How much heat do the bulds put off? I have only kept UV free species so i'm clueless

>>If i went with mercury vapor, do i need a special lamp or will a normal porcilin keyless work? How close do they need to be to stay effective, ect. Should i thake the RHP out? How much heat do the bulds put off? I have only kept UV free species so i'm clueless

Normal porcelain works and you need porcelain sockets with MV.

The UV output is more intense than the tubes. MegaRay recommends starting with a distance of 12" and then adjusting to get the right temps. Personally, I wouldn't get any closer if I could help it and definitely not closer than 10" according to manufacturer recommendations. Each manufacturer may have different guidelines, so I would check with the label on the bulb you use. I like about 15" to prevent eye problems.

Taking out the RHP depends on the size of your enclosure and what type of bulb you use. There are self ballasted bulbs that come in 100watt and 160watt strengths that give off heat equivalent to that size of flood, maybe a little less. There are also externally bulbs made by Mega Ray that produce very little heat.

Do you need a special lamp for externally balased bulbs? I would prefer to keep the RHPs since they can run 24/7 with no light

>>Do you need a special lamp for externally balased bulbs? I would prefer to keep the RHPs since they can run 24/7 with no light

I've never used them before, so I can't really answer that question.

If you're really interested in using them, you could contact the folks at MegaRay and ask.

I offer fruit now and again, but go for the tropical ones...papaya, mango, banana. One of mine likes a cut grape here and there. They are not big fruit eaters though.

He might not eat any as a hatchling, so try as an adult. I add whole rodents as soon as possible and also eggs once or twice monthly (scrambled, boiled, and raw).

Yes, they do need a proper UVB light or they can get MBD one day even as adults. I recommend taking the Tegu outside ( on a reptile leash ) in the summer time. Natural sunlight is the best for the Tegu. It's hard to sex a Tegu when it's still very small. But when it's about 6 months old or a bit older and it's a male you can feel some pumbs ( beads ) under the vent. One on each side ( at the end ) of the vent. The females don't have that. The females also have a bit of a longer nose and not as wide of a head as the males do. The females also grow a lot slower.

http://www.anapsid.org/mbd.html