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what should i get a savannah monitor or b&w tegu?
Question: what should i get a savannah monitor or b&w tegu?
i have done alot of reserch on the savy but im hearing alot about tegus are nice which 1 shold i get
2 bearded dragons
1 uromastyx
also i had an iguana and my friend had a mangrove monitor so i have experince with big lizards i watched my friends mangrove
also i had an iguana and my friend had a mangrove monitor so i have experince with big lizards i watched my friends mangrove
savannah b&b
Best answer:
Answer by Becky B
Two beardies and a uro do not prepare you for a sav. Do more research on the tegu and check out ackies if you really want a monitor.
EDIT: A little more detail than what I put in my original answer. I will reiterate that you should avoid the sav and think about the tegu or ackies.
An ig, though also not a beginner reptile, is nothing like a savannah monitor, disposition, diet and husbandry are all different, though both large lizards a sav will do much more damage than an ig. Igs lean towards “flight” when the “fight or flight” kicks in, whereas savs are bloodthirsty little monsters and will fight; basically an ig will damage you trying to escape while a sav will rip and tear into you so that you will leave it be. Ornery savs will rip and tear (and poop! these guys will defecate all over you as a defense mechanism!!) everytime you get near, no matter the reason, and sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw that you get a nasty-tempered sav and nothing you do will change that. You state that you used to have an iguana, out of curiosity what happened to it? They live two decades with good care.
I looked through your question history and discovered that you’ve only had your uro about two months. Watching a friend’s monitor does not prepare you for monitor ownership. These guys are a definite challenge. Large lizards are a unique challenge, and one that I undertake on a daily basis with my own collection and my foster animals. Continue to do your research, but with a word of warning ~ most monitor care you find online is garbage. Those videos on YouTube of “tame” savs are misleading. Monitors grow quickly and that cute little beast you buy at the pet store all too quickly turns into a complete monster requiring daily food, a huge enclosure and can be a pure bloody pain. Start with ackies or the tegu.
Although I thoroughly agree with all previous advice given, I wouldn’t cull out the Arg. Black and White Tegu…….def a better choice than a Sav. I’ve worked with a lot of BW tegus and actually have more experience with tegus than monitors. Tegus are usually very nice-dispositioned, but they can become aggressive during feeding and are really prone to associating handling with feeding time. For this reason, Tegus are pretty much the only animals I ever feed in a separate container as to hopefully sunder that connection.
I also suggest looking at Ackies……..don’t let their price tag discourage you. Int he long run, they will actually be cheaper than larger monitor species. Plus, Ackies are fun!!!!!! You will truly enjoy the quirks and “personalities” that come with Ackies. With Savs, life is a living hell if you get a mean one.