Varanids and Tegus

[DiscoPat]

I was wondering if they can be kept together if they are a similar size or if anyone has any information on how the interact with each other.

I saw an Argentine Black and White Tegu being kept with Savannah Monitors and it made me wonder if the care is similar or if when kept together in optimal conditions if they would be aggressive towards each other.

Sorry if this belongs in the general lizard forum but I feel that people here would have more information.

[Pirarucu]

I'm going to go with horrible idea on this one. Let's take a large carnivorous (Well, omnivorous..) lizard from South America and throw it in with a large carnivorous lizard from Africa. What could possibly go wrong?

[infernalis]

I would never do it..

I would never mix lizard species in the same cage, it's not going to work.

[infernalis]

I'm going to go with horrible idea on this one. Let's take a large carnivorous (Well, omnivorous..) lizard from South America and throw it in with a large carnivorous lizard from Africa. What could possibly go wrong?

Lethal fighting...:shocked:

[DiscoPat]

That is what I was assuming. I just had to ask people who would know more about it.

Anyone know anything about the care of the Black and White Tegus? The guy told me it was similar to a Sav but he didn't really seem like he knew what he was doing.

[Pirarucu]

Varanid species should not be mixed with other varanids, let alone different animals entirely...
The only mixed varanus setups that I could see being possible would be animals in the indicus complex or animals in the prasinus complex, and even then I'd only ever try it with females, to further decrease fighting and more importantly, to eliminate the possibility of hybridization.
Overall, I will never mix varanid species with members of another species, unless that species is something that I don't mind being killed and eaten. For example, Croc Monitors in a large planted enclosure with geckos or something like that. Now that would actually be pretty neat..

[DiscoPat]

I wasn't planning on putting them together. I just think that the Black and White Tegus are beautiful lizards and if their care is similar to a Sav then I believe sometime in a few years I may have the space and money to have a separate enclosure for one.

[Pirarucu]

I know that, I was just elaborating on my first reply.
Care wise, I don't really know much about tegus, so I really couldn't tell you.

[DiscoPat]

Okay just making sure you knew. I checked a few sites and they seem to require pretty close to the same as Savs. A little higher humidity and no mention of deep substrate.

[BarelyBreathing]

No, they can never be kept together. They have very different care requirements.

[BarelyBreathing]

I keep tegus, what information do you want on them?

[Pirarucu]

I believe I heard that while deep substrate isn't necessary for them, they still appreciate a fairly deep soil substrate, a foot or so. I could be wrong though.

[BarelyBreathing]

It depends. Some tegu species burrow a lot more than others, so for them deep substrate is necessary.

[DiscoPat]

I was wondering if I could keep a Argentine Black and White Tegu in a setup similar to a sav setup.

8x4x4 foot or two of substrate 70+ humidity.

Do they bask like savs? as in do they like it nice and hot or do they need a lower bask temperature.

I read that they need UVB as well..

[BarelyBreathing]

Similar, but very different. You need much higher humidity. Closer to 85%. They also require a lower temperature. The top of my basking stack reads only 121F at highest.

Yes, they do need UVB. 5.0

[moshirimon]

Mixing is a definite NO NO.

Never owned either one but I would put tegus at a little more difficult to keep than savs
Only because of larger size, and a much more varied diet. Otherwise I hear they're both docile.

And not too sure about savs, but let me tell you, tegu poop REAKS. And I believe it's due to their varied diet.

(Helped a fried clean out his enclosure once...)

[BarelyBreathing]

tegu poop REAKS.


Umm, no it doesn't. I have four tegus now. The only time I've had smelly poop was when my Argentine was battling a serious infection (had it when I brought her home) and had to be fed a ground turkey diet to get her meds down.

[infernalis]

Mixing is a definite NO NO.

Never owned either one but I would put tegus at a little more difficult to keep than savs
Only because of larger size, and a much more varied diet. Otherwise I hear they're both docile.

That's the biggest problem going.. properly supported lizards are far from "docile"

[moshirimon]

You're right. That's exactly why I stay away from them. Let me word it better. If you have the time, dedication, and resources to properly own, and work with a b&w or sav, then they can turn out to be some of the most well tempered big lizards out there.

And barelybreathing like I said I never owned one. I've only experienced the poop once and I guess it was too much for me. Like you, my friend (owner of the tegu) kept insisting it didn't smell lol.

[BarelyBreathing]

You're right. That's exactly why I stay away from them. Let me word it better. If you have the time, dedication, and resources to properly own, and work with a b&w or sav, then they can turn out to be some of the most well tempered big lizards out there.

And barelybreathing like I said I never owned one. I've only experienced the poop once and I guess it was too much for me. Like you, my friend (owner of the tegu) kept insisting it didn't smell lol.


It could have been stress poop. Stress poop smells awful, regardless of the creature it comes from.

[moshirimon]

yea you're right. i know about stress poos lol.
but do you have any threads on your tegus? i'd love to see them!

[BarelyBreathing]

I just put up a thread last night on my gold. It's just a picture, though. I believe I have one on Maya, my tame Colombian, and pictures of Zorro and Iris.