Argentine tegu care sheet

ARGENTINE TEGU CARE SHEET Introduction We’ve had the pleasure of keeping Argentine tegus on and off for the past 20 years. At C and C Tortoises, we produce many species of tortoises, snakes and lizards and hope to produce tegus in the future. We’re not experts but we’re happy to share what has worked for us, based on years of trial and error. Other keepers may do things differently with excellent results. These magnificent and intelligent lizards aren’t for everyone, but given the proper housing and care can be truly amazing reptile companions.

There are two species of Argentine tegus, the black and white (Salvator merianae) and red (Salvator rufescens). The name Argentine is misleading as these adaptable lizards can be found throughout a vast range in the South American continent.

Argentine black and white, Chacoan white head or Chacoan giant (from the Chaco region of Paraguay) and blue (from Brazil) are all the same species but look different.

Chacoans are generally bigger with more white on their face. Blues have the characteristic tear drop and burnt nose markings and a blue tinge throughout their typically whiter body. Blues are also generally smaller. There has been a lot of controversy over blues being a sub species but so far no distinction has been made.

As with black and whites, Argentine red tegus differ in colouring and size. Similarly, this is dependant on locale and genetics. Hybrids from both species are being produced in the US and breeders have come up with their own names to market these (purple, black flame, purple tiger, etc). Albinos were first produced by crossing blue with blue.

Temperament and Handling Argentine tegus have the potential to become extremely tame and trusting pets. We’ve raised many CB and farmed babies and found a big difference between the two; without a doubt, CB tegus are naturally less anxious as babies and adults. Regular interaction with different people, hand-feeding and exposure to different environments are things we do to socialize and bond with our tegus.

Even the tamest tegus can inadvertently scratch you with their sharp nails. To make handling much more comfortable, we occasionally trim our adults’ nails with human nail clippers. Our tegus are used to this and don’t mind at all when it’s done.

We’ve found that once trust is established, daily handling isn't necessary to maintain a tame animal. Our tegus are so calm and gentle that our young children can handle them easily; Argentine tegus are the most friendly and engaging lizards we’re ever kept, more affectionate than some cats we’ve known!

Housing These heavy-bodied, terrestrial lizards can reach up to 5 feet in length. As such, adults require large enclosures. The universally accepted size to house an adult Argentine tegu is 8’x4’.

Our tegu enclosures are all very plain, basic and functional. In the past, we had beautifully planted and elaborately decorated enclosures but we found those to be very impractical. Now we prefer simple enclosures with lots of open space for a variety of reasons: Simple set-ups are much easier to keep clean. Tegus are very strong and destructive so planted enclosures are difficult to maintain. Large, open space allows for easy access to the tegus and is much more conducive to taming, hand-feeding and daily interaction.

We have several tegu enclosures and the main difference between them is size. Our baby tegus are housed in custom-made, glass enclosures, approximately 5’x2’. Our juveniles are housed in a custom-made, glass enclosure, approximately 6’x4’. Our adults are housed in wooden pens, approximately 9’x5’. We also have large, outdoor enclosures so our tegus can bask in natural sunlight during summer.

We’ve tried many substrates over the years (including soil), but prefer coarse grade coconut mulch. We buy mulch in 4kg dried blocks and expand it in hot water for use.

Coco mulch holds moisture well, smells pleasant and is mould-resistant. It’s also great for burrowing.

We use 160-watt mercury vapour bulbs for UV and heat. We also use under tank heat pads directly below their hide boxes. With moist substrate, this keeps humidity close to 100% inside their hides and it feels like a steam room when you stick your hand in!

Basking temperature is approximately 130F and we use large slabs of slate or sandstone for basking spots.

Tegus drink regularly so we always provide fresh water in large bins. Our bins are big and deep enough for them to climb into and soak their entire bodies.

Argentine tegus are social and communal lizards, constantly seeking out each other and their owners - for contact and comfort. Despite the large amount of space they have in their enclosures, our tegus choose to sleep piled on top of each other every day. As such, we keep our tegus in groups with similar-sized animals. Occasionally, males don’t get along and have to be separated.

Adult tegus are remarkably clean lizards. Our juveniles will only defecate in a small, isolated area of their big enclosure and our adults and don’t like to defecate in their

enclosures at all. When they have to go, our big males will pace incessantly and scratch on the sides of their enclosures to be let out!

Ambient temperature in our reptile room is approximately 30 C and ambient humidity is approximately 70%.

Feeding Contrary to popular belief - with the exception of hornworms and silkworms - we don’t feel insects are the most nutritious food source for rapidly growing baby tegus. In the past, we fed the standard gut loaded and calcium coated crickets, super worms, etc.

Nowadays, we skip bugs altogether and start with rat pinkies and raw, ground whole meats with bones and organs. We use raw meats made for cats instead of dogs as the bones are ground finer. We alternate between chicken, turkey, beef, duck and salmon and add raw, ground mixed veggies. We also mix in cod liver oil, ground egg shells, egg yolk and lots of fruit. Because vitamins A and D are fat soluble, we use cod liver oil sparingly. We only feed fruit high in beta carotene and vitamin C; papaya, cantaloupe, mango, kiwi and berries are staples. Our babies devour this concoction with gusto! We also feed babies whole smelt, salmon and a variety of organ meats. These items are hand-fed.

Juveniles and adults are fed a whole prey diet (FT rats and chicks, smelt, herring, mackerel), with salmon, different organ meats, whole quail eggs and lots of fruit. We feed our black and white tegus approximately 20% fruit and red tegus approximately 30% fruit. Reds are especially susceptible to shedding issues and we find a diet high in fruit prevents this.

Our babies are fed twice a day, our juveniles are fed daily and our adults are fed 3-4 times a week. We don’t use any commercial vitamin or mineral supplements for any of our tegus.

Many keepers don’t hand-feed their tegus because they feel their tegus will associate their hands with food. We’ve hand-fed all our tegus from babies and they all gingerly take food from our fingers.

Hibernation Argentine tegus naturally hibernate in the wild and in captivity. Temperatures, lighting and the tegu’s internal clock are factors that affect hibernation. Hibernation can occur for several months where the tegu will be completely dormant. Many keepers find their tegus go through a brumation period, during which they surface periodically. Hibernation is not required for breeding but encourages reproduction by maintaining natural cycles.

Most of our tegus don’t hibernate but occasionally slow down and refuse food for several weeks during winter. Tegus must not be fed prior to hibernation.

Health Issues The most common health issues facing Argentine tegus are difficulty shedding, impaction from ingesting substrate and obesity.

High humidity, a high fruit diet and regular soaking will prevent shedding problems, which can result in stuck sheds and the constricting and subsequent loss of digits.

To prevent the ingestion of substrate, our babies are fed the raw meat mixture on baking trays. Our tegus are also hand-fed, which further minimizes the risk. We constantly spot clean the enclosures to ensure food is not left on the substrate.

Our adult tegus get lots of daily exercise out of their enclosures. When we’re in the reptile room, they follow us around and keep us company. During summer, they enjoy their large, outdoor enclosures and gets lots of free roaming time in the backyard.

Argentine tegus are very hardy lizards and can live up to 15 years if properly cared for.

Photographs Here are a few photographs of some of our tegus. Many more pics can be seen on our website and Facebook page: www.candctortoises.com https://www.facebook.com/C-and-C-Tortoises-301989669948605/

Red Tegus

Black and White and Chacoan Tegus

Blue Tegus

Purple Tegus

Fifty Shades of Grey!