Husbandry

Are you thinking about adding an Argentine Tegu to your family? They are absolutely wonderful in my opinion, but they are also hard work. I do not recommend getting a tegu as your first reptile as it can be extremely overwhelming, especially at first. Tegus are destructive, they get big, they have bad days, they need big enclosures if not a room, and they need lots of interaction. I also strongly discourage tegus interacting with other house pets such as cats and dogs for everyone’s safety and strongly advise to supervise around children.

…If this hasn’t discouraged you, then lets continue…

Housing an Argentine Tegu takes up a lot of room. If you live in an apartment, you may want to wait until you have the proper space. At minimum, they should have an enclosure that is 8x4x4 feet. In my opinion, that is still a little small for them as they can get up to 5 feet long. These guys need a lot of stimulation so it is important that they have the space for enrichment. Make sure there is enough room for them to dig, climb on low level logs, bask, hide and to interact with their favorite “toy.”

Enclosure Options

There are a few options to house a tegu. The most frequent I have seen the most are PVC, wooden, grow tents and modified bedrooms.

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