Columbian Tegus

AmeivaBoy · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 2:56 am Post subject: Columbian Tegus

Just wondering if anyone keeps these, I know they have a bad reputation but there's a young one at my work that's pretty mellow in contrast to the other that bites me at every chance, so I am considering getting this one instead of an arg plus it'll only cost me 27.50 : ^ ) anyone have a docile columbian???? some pix of adults would be appreciated as well

cycomiss · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject:

I have two Columbian Tegus. They are both male. I think it's great that you are considering a Columbian!!!

The first Columbian, Sim, that I got is now 2 years old. He is totally tame and very intelligent - 100% gentle. He has never huffed at me or anyone else. He just seems happy and relaxed but still very curious. He is about 2.5 feet and a little bulky.
I have only been bitten by him one time and it was totally my fault (happened when he was about 6 or 7 months old maybe) - when I first put him outside in direct sunlight (well, in a reptarium). I tried to take him out to bring him back inside and he opened his mouth at me a few times, I didn't take the warning sign from him and I got a little bite. No big deal and it's never happened again.
I can not say enough great things about Sim.

My other Columbian is not as laid back as Sim. He is a great eater and he's so much fun. He will climb all over you and he'll run pretty fast - but, you can get him to sit still with you. You can even leave him on the bed/couch and go make a sandwich - come back he's still sitting right where you left him.

The history with this Tegu is that two friends of mine got him after they met Sim - they loved him and wanted to get a lizard like him. So they got Jezzie (they thought he was a she - hence "Jezzie").

It turned out that they couldn't handle him at all - he was angry and tried to attack anyone who even walked by his enclosure. I was the only one who would attempt to handle him and it resulted in a couple bites (one was semi bad w/ a pretty good amount of blood).
My friends did the total opposite diet-wise for Jezzie when they had him - they would give him 2 mice once a week. I really disagree with a completely rodent diet but it may have contributed to Jezzie's size - he is one year old and he is 3 feet.
Anyway, after the last time that Jezzie bit me my friends decided they were going to give him away and they found a petstore that would take him. I asked them to give him to me - they thought I was nuts.
So, I took him home and it was almost an INSTANT change... no huffing, no opening mouth threats - nothing.
I think he just needed an enviornment that didn't have dogs - that was a big change... I think he was afriad of my friends' two dogs. Also I handle him daily for long amounts of time. Since Tegu's are so curious by nature I think letting them out of their enclosures as much as possible is important.

I am so happy that I took Jezzie - I have so much fun with him and I can't remember not having him. So far, from what I've seen I think the Columbian reputation is unfounded.
The best thing that worked for me, I think, is that I let Sim and Jezzie know that I'm not a threat...
For example, when I first got Sim I was paranoid and got up and checked on him like 3 or 4 times a night. I would get up in the morning and sit near his encolsure and just put my head on the table and close my eyes --I was so exhausted... but the point is, I think this showed Sim that I trusted him enough to close my eyes around him so he realized that I wasn't a threat (or maybe I'm just crazy?).
I have some old "cell phone" pictures on here of Sim and Jezzie - I'll get some more on here to show the sizes - Sim doesn't seem to be getting any larger (he's such a picky eater too...) but Jezzie is still growing.

jb · Honored Member Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 201

I have a 2 yr old male Columbian. See pics in the tegu gallery under LYNCH/ Justin's tegu. It's funny. He was a total impulse buy for $20.00 and he is my girlfriend's absolute favorite lizard now. We have 12 other mixed species, too. He would jump up and try to bite our hand when he was tiny, but now that he is near full grown at 3 ft, he just huffs a little when we pick him up and very uninclined to try to bite now. I sit outside and read while he basks on my lap...he's great. We call him Lynch after John Lynch, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer safety b/c his neck is thicker than his head.

RainbowParty · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:11 am Post subject:

Columbians definitely have a more aggressive nature to them, but with proper care and attention they can tame down quite a bit. However, from what I've heard they usually don't tame down like an argentine. For some pictures of a baby to juvenile to sub-adult columbian, look for the album titled Elchupaneebrae in photo albums. That one is a gold morph. Good luck with whatever you choose.
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ReptilesLovePunk · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:12 pm Post subject:

My Columbian is the ost gentle thing in the world! Even tempered and not aggrssive at all!! He is my most prized pet and i love him!! Ok so I sound like a dork but seriously! I got him at an expo and the guy said that he handled them since they were hatchlings. he actually put my little guy in his shirt pocket while he got the bag out for him!! he is really tame and the only difference temperment wise from an argentine is that he wont eat any fruit!! Ha! Anyways my freind got one at a slightly older age than mine, and her lizard was a columbian and never calmed down! I really never liked her lizard and neither did she. It was a very sktchy lizard! if you walked into the room or made a sudden movement it would run very quickly from one side of the cage to the other and tweak out. And that werdo lizard mutilated live food before she would eat it. it had to be dead and pulled to pieces. UGH! so i have had both good and bad experiences w/ columbians. if you get it young enough it should warm up to you. My lizard is very patient and did't bite my little two year old cousin when she got in my room and picked him up by the head! I freaked out! i was like oh no hun he'll bite you! (I knew he wouldn't but if he did she'd be w/out a finger) oh and he comes up to me when i put my hand in the cage. VERY SMART LIZARDS!!! Anyways good luck! Veil Gluk!

AmeivaBoy · Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:18 am Post subject:

Thanks for the responses everyone! the lil columb im looking at is very young and has about the same svl as my largest ameiva (3.5" svl) I have been handling him/her everyday on my lunch breaks and also handle him/her while cleaning the cage, he/she is calm when picked up but occasinally squirms quite a bit while be handled which is to be expected, good news though i might be bringing him/her very soon i just bought this 4' x 2' x 2' wood cage w/ sliding front glass and flor & incandescent fixtures built in for 75 bucks, the cage needs only minor work and shall be ready soon, I'll post pix when i bring him/her home : ^ )

Tegublackandgold · Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 1:59 pm Post subject: i have a columbian

he is a hand full but he can be gentle it juss depends on him
if hes hungry or stressed

AmeivaBoy · Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject:

wow, i had forgotten all about this thread, anywho, i've had my lil colomb about a month and a half now and he's been growing fast, his temperment is pretty good he allows me to pet him within the cage (only rarely scurrying away from me) though he tends to panic when restrained,once i let go and let him do what he wants he is usually pretty good and doesnt freak and dart off very often,so far he's been chowing down on crickets,mealworms the pupua and beetles, waxworms and the occasional pupua, pinkies, mango & banana (covered in quail eggs,it's ignored otherwise), quail eggs and the occasional zoomed moni/tegu diet

Nero557 · Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 7:58 am Post subject:

Sweet, great looking little tegu you got there.

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