# Lizards > Monitors and Tegus >  My golden tegu care sheet w/ taming tips

## Jeremy Browning

Alright, i haven't seen any care sheets on bp.net for Columbian golden tegus so im going to share one based off of my experience:

Introduction:
The golden tegu is not for everyone especially an unexperienced keeper or anyone who is not willing to give them daily attention.Also, understand tegus in general have some of the strongest jaw pressure in the world along with many sharp teeth, and to add to that when they bite they hold on for at least five mins. . However they can certainly be a rewarding herp to keep.

Selecting your golden tegu:
If possible purchase a tegu at an expo. The reason for this is to select a tegu personally and inspect its health. look for one that doesn't have mites and doesn't have any missed sheds and it is preferable to buy a baby. Also, understand that tegus at an expo are cold so they will seem friendly, but once warmed up they will revert back to being aggressive.


Taming:
This is the most complicated aspect to golden tegus, as they are generally EXTREMELY aggressive when warm. What is recommended is instead of handling, just have your GLOVED hand present in there cage and pet them slowly. Additionally do not leave when they bite as that will support an aggressive response. taming these tegus is very similar to taming Nile monitors, only harder. another aspect to keep aggression down is to use a feeding container for them because feeding bites from an adult WILL result in stitches.
Slowly progress from just having your hand present and once they stop biting due to the simply having your hand in there container, start petting them after about 2 weeks they will stop biting for touching them, move on to lightly picking them up in there cage, and keep in mind they can run faster than 25 mph and will find a place to hide if they jump along with knowing even as hatchling they can climb stairs. After they are comfortable with that put them on a reptile leash and let them roam through your house while you follow with the leash. Remember you dont teach the tegu the tegu teaches you. Additionly remember this is not a pet for other people to hold.

Housing:
the absolute minimum cage size for a single golden is 48"x28"x28". Bigger is always better though. Since these tegus are from Columbia they like plants also provide a hide, climb and water bowl.

Diet:
Tegus are very oppurtonistic carnivores. in captivity there diet should be mostly feeder insects such as crickets and roaches. However 2-3 feeding a week should be eggs (scrambled with water or hard) or cooked ground turkey. Although other tegus are omnivores, Columbian tegus are carnivores all through life.

Heating/lighting/humidity:
The ambient air temp Should be about 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity should be 75-90%. UVB/UVA is required a UTH and heat lamp are recommended for heat.

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## Jeremy Browning

Alright, i haven't seen any care sheets on bp.net for Columbian golden tegus so im going to share one based off of my experience:

Introduction:
The golden tegu is not for everyone especially an unexperienced keeper or anyone who is not willing to give them daily attention.Also, understand tegus in general have some of the strongest jaw pressure in the world along with many sharp teeth, and to add to that when they bite they hold on for at least five mins. . However they can certainly be a rewarding herp to keep.

Selecting your golden tegu:
If possible purchase a tegu at an expo. The reason for this is to select a tegu personally and inspect its health. look for one that doesn't have mites and doesn't have any missed sheds and it is preferable to buy a baby. Also, understand that tegus at an expo are cold so they will seem friendly, but once warmed up they will revert back to being aggressive.


Taming:
This is the most complicated aspect to golden tegus, as they are generally EXTREMELY aggressive when warm. What is recommended is instead of handling, just have your GLOVED hand present in there cage and pet them slowly. Additionally do not leave when they bite as that will support an aggressive response. taming these tegus is very similar to taming Nile monitors, only harder. another aspect to keep aggression down is to use a feeding container for them because feeding bites from an adult WILL result in stitches.
Slowly progress from just having your hand present and once they stop biting due to the simply having your hand in there container, start petting them after about 2 weeks they will stop biting for touching them, move on to lightly picking them up in there cage, and keep in mind they can run faster than 25 mph and will find a place to hide if they jump along with knowing even as hatchling they can climb stairs. After they are comfortable with that put them on a reptile leash and let them roam through your house while you follow with the leash. Remember you dont teach the tegu the tegu teaches you. Additionly remember this is not a pet for other people to hold.

Housing:
the absolute minimum cage size for a single golden is 48"x28"x28". Bigger is always better though. Since these tegus are from Columbia they like plants also provide a hide, climb and water bowl.

Diet:
Tegus are very oppurtonistic carnivores. in captivity there diet should be mostly feeder insects such as crickets and roaches. However 2-3 feeding a week should be eggs (scrambled with water or hard) or cooked ground turkey. Although other tegus are omnivores, Columbian tegus are carnivores all through life.

Heating/lighting/humidity:
The ambient air temp Should be about 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity should be 75-90%. UVB/UVA is required a UTH and heat lamp are recommended for heat.

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## VesiDeschain

I made an account just to reply to this thread, because it was frightening that this is the first google result for Golden Tegu care. Just wanted to say that a decent amount of your info is accurate, but I had a few big issues with it.  A 48x24x24 cage is way too small even for a minimum requirement for an adult Golden. At least 6 feet of length and 3 feet of depth is required and a minimum 18" substrate bed for burrowing.  All sides should be blocked except for the front to make the animal feel more comfortable.  A small enclosure is only going to make matters worse for aggression.

As for feeding, eggs and ground _anything_ is never a good idea more than very sparingly, nevermind 3 times a week, unless you are a nutritionist and know how to add all of the required vitamins and minerals into a ground turkey diet to make it complete. Reptiles eat WHOLE foods almost exclusively in the wild.  This means whole rats/mice, roaches, ducks, chicks, etc.  Primarily feeding partial food items (like scrambled eggs and ground turkey) will lead to deficiencies and health issues in your reptile.  In addition, it's a good idea to feed your Tegu in a separate container instead of inside his primary enclosure to avoid developing food aggression.

75% humidity should be the high-end for Golden Tegus, not the low end.  90% is way too high and if this is maintained over a long enough period, you are asking for respiratory issues and mildew/mold problems.  Not to mention it would be almost impossible to maintain in an enclosure of the proper size. 

A basking spot of around 105-110F should be provided on one end, while the cool end should be in the mid 70s.  I recommend a 160 or higher Mercury Vapor Bulb or high intensity T2 UVB bulbs combined with incandescent or infrared heat.  Remember to make sure enough space is between the basking area and the heat source so you do not burn your reptile.

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## jclaiborne

> Alright, i haven't seen any care sheets on bp.net for Columbian golden tegus so im going to share one based off of my experience:
> 
> Introduction:
> The golden tegu is not for everyone especially an unexperienced keeper or anyone who is not willing to give them daily attention.Also, understand tegus in general have some of the strongest jaw pressure in the world along with many sharp teeth, and to add to that when they bite they hold on for at least five mins. . However they can certainly be a rewarding herp to keep.
> 
> Selecting your golden tegu:
> If possible purchase a tegu at an expo. The reason for this is to select a tegu personally and inspect its health. look for one that doesn't have mites and doesn't have any missed sheds and it is preferable to buy a baby. Also, understand that tegus at an expo are cold so they will seem friendly, but once warmed up they will revert back to being aggressive.
> 
> 
> ...



Other than the first line in the taming section all this info completely contradicts everything I have ever been told about caring for Tegus!

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