The love of my life, Tegu

[pouchedrat]

I adopted this girl earlier this year as my birthday present to myself.. she is an adult argentine black and white tegu and AMAZING. Last sunday, my manager had me do a pet show for her son's 9th birthday party and she was part of it, and the kids absolutely LOVED her! (also brought tarantulas, scorpions, bearded dragon, leo geckos, corn snake, western hogs, hissing roaches, and my prairie dog, etc... heh)

Her name is Bakarah, after the Krogan female also known as Eve in Mass Effect 3. When I adopted her she was still in hibernation, but now she's fully up and moving and eating a CRAP ton of food!! HOLY MOLY! Every day she eats 2-3 mice, 1-2 chicks, been offering her some veggies and fruits although she usually snubs those... but lately she seems to eat kale and grapes. Last night she upped it to 3 baby chicks and the day before she ate 5 whole mice. Yes, I've tried ground turkey and eggs but she snubs that as well. She was raised on live, and had a nasty feeding response as a result, but now she's starting to gently take food from the plate instead of trying to snap my fingers off. It feels weird just going all-in with an already grown tegu instead of starting off with a baby, because I didn't get to learn and grow with her like I am with my savannah monitor (who's getting freaking enormous, btw.... he's up to 18 inches now. I HAVE his adult enclosure built, but my tegu's in it for the time being until hers is fully built. It's here, it's just not put together yet. 10x4x4 feet and 10x4x3). This girl is a sweetheart though, she's just like a dog and LOVES attention! As soon as I open the cage, she's up and ready to come out and be with me.

 

[Munch]

I am jelous

 

[MarkmD]

Nice i wouldn't mind one.

 

[Shrike]

Amazing lizard. The krogan inspired name is very fitting How does your savannah compare in the temperament department?

 

[jthorntonwillis]

RE:Tegu

As I said in a previous post Gods Holy Trousers!! Just the PICS scare me!! Ts' please....no big lizards

 

[pouchedrat]

As I said in a previous post Gods Holy Trousers!! Just the PICS scare me!! Ts' please....no big lizards

HAHA I didn't realize I started another thread with my tegu in it. I know I've posted pics of a few of my other herps, but wasn't sure about her. She really deserves her own picture thread, though. She's just that amazing!

As far as temperament goes, it's like night and day. The tegu actually likes human interaction, and wants to be out of her enclosure and with me. Or she knows she's getting fed, and gets a bath or to go outside to roam around and have a righteous poo. My Savannah monitor, Aralakh, I've had since last September I think? He's mean. Like seriously mean. He does NOT want to be handled or to leave his tank for anyone, and honestly I handle him as little as possible. He's bitten me a couple times now when I got too comfortable around him and the last time bled a bit and got mildly infected. I don't even want to know what he'll be like as an adult. It's definitely a look but don't touch type of lizard.


Here's a good idea of what he's like. I gave him a bath because I was worried about some shed skin, and he managed to pull the plug out of the bathtub, and WOULD NOT let it go!!! He only dropped it once I put him back in his enclosure, and only THEN would he.

Aralakh is also SMART AS all crap. We've watched him push up on his enclosure's lid, walk slightly over, push up again, walk over a bit more, testing for a weakness in the top little by little.... He reminds me of a raptor a bit too much, from Jurassic Park. Also, today, after his bath I put him down on the floor for a moment to drain the tub, and he promptly ATTACKED an angry bird plush that my son left in the bathroom... THRASHING it about!!!! when I went to grab him, he lunged at me hissing and puffing up big time, LOL! threw a towel over him and put him back in his enclosure... and then he wouldn't let go of the towel! Crazy lizard!

He's growing fast, too... He slowed down during winter, but now I think he puts on an inch or two each week, or even more.
Here he was in September:

and now:

Mind you, I LOVE that kind of personality in animals, as well... I've adopted known biter rats specifically because they were nasty little pieces of crap and I knew if I didn't take them, they'd probably be put down or worse. They were always strictly pets and had the best life, and I loved their personality, but they were also completely opposite of my other rats who'd be the sweetest things in the world. I still remember one girl who was over 3 years old, had muscle degeneration and hind leg paralysis and she STILL Managed to move her little body as fast as she could at my hand and take a bite out of my finger, earning her even more respect in her old age.

Anyway.. Bakara in her outside fort, lol.. it's filthy but I don't think she cares much.

 

[akarikuragi]

Very neat! I quite like the look of tegus but I'm not sure I'd be up to owning one. XD

 

[pouchedrat]

She's shedding right now.. pretty gross, lol.

 

[Tarantula155]

Oh yeah. I've had tegus and monitors before.

My savannah monitor was very intelligent. My nile monitor was a little pri**, bit me every time it had the chance. My tegu was lazy, never did much.

Hands down savannah monitors are the smartest, love their personalities too.