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.

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