Columbian Gold Tegus

[DeadIrishD]

I really do not see, how so many people can be ignorant when it comes to columbian tegus, and say that they do not make good pets.

I do admit that I have only owned my 6" columbian gold, for a day however I cannot picture him having a mean body in his bone as he is quite nice, has never bitten me, just extremely hyper.

so to end my post, from what I can see not all columbian tegus are mean, viscous.... whatever else you would like to call them, it's all in how you train them and the individual tegu as well.

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Columbian tegus just don't have a reputation for being as calm as argentine tegus. They can be calm but it takes far more work than an aregentine black and white.

[NicoleRussell]

Get back to us around june

[wreckwriter]

Originally Posted by NicoleRussell

Get back to us around june

Yup, wait til he's 3 feet and 10 or 15 pounds.

[NicoleRussell]

and very warm

[RehabRalphy]

In the wild, Columbian's are more timid around humans. Argentine's are less timid towards humans. Its how mother natured wanted it and it really can't be changed. Sure you can try to tame one, and sometimes it does work, but really you cant take the natural timid feelings they have away.

[wreckwriter]

Yup, they can sometimes be tamed, generally not though. In any case, I didn't see anyone say they were vicious. What they are is nervous and spooky. Its a cute quality in a 6 inch lizard, a bit less so in a 36 inch lizard. They have long tails which will whip welts on your arms and sharp claws which will dig bloody furrows in you when they get spooked while you're holding them (notice I said when, not if), and if you do manage to get bitten you'll likely need to see a doctor.

In any case though, people ask for advice, we give it. Often they know better than we who own the lizards do and they go ahead and get one anyway. The cheap price coupled with a cool lizard that gets big is just too much for some people to resist.

You'll learn, the same way we did.

[DeadIrishD]

I don't mean anyone here at RTB. (I missed ya guys btw.) specifically, and yes I do realise that a tame columbian is hard to come by, but IME their really not as hard to come by as people give them credit for.

and my experience is in no way, shape or form just based upon my little six inch tegu.

but come June, lets see how this guy turns out, if he's extremely mean than he has a life long home with me, still trying to work on this.

Also I remember reading that an all rodent diet is prone to making many animals agressive, I wonder if this has anything to do with why alot of columbians are looked down upon. (it can be hard to get these guys to eat anything, besides rodents or other meat or atleast it is for my little dude.)

[NicoleRussell]

I'm not saying there is no place for a non lap lizard in your collection--I would have a nile tomorrow if I didn't have kids. I love tokays too...and there are folks who say even these two species can be tamed...and I guess they exist. They ar just few and far between.

[DeadIrishD]

Originally Posted by NicoleRussell

I'm not saying there is no place for a non lap lizard in your collection--I would have a nile tomorrow if I didn't have kids. I love tokays too...and there are folks who say even these two species can be tamed...and I guess they exist. They ar just few and far between.

Thats exactly what I had wanted to hear, which is that they do exsist, nice tokays yes they do exsist a majority of them are CBB and have been worked with since a young age, most of the work is creating a bond between you and your herp.

yesterday 3rd day since I have had him, he fell asleep in my hand as I stroked his back with my thumb, but still became a tad bit wild after a while, while today I am going to give him a rest from being handled.