# Monitor.vs.iguana.vs.tegu



## Adam_R (Sep 26, 2007)

wot would you say is the best just wondering just crossed my mine like the 3 large lizards that are kept in captivity just wonders which yu guys prefered:lol2:


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## Lewb (Oct 27, 2006)

Best depends what you want a pet for.. For the average herper i'd say a tegu (Black and white or red) is best - medium - large size but possibly the easiest to tame out of the 3, and the most docile.

Iguanas obviously get very big and theres more cases of untame iguanas being rehomed than monitors or tegus it seems.


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## Lee n his lizard (Oct 9, 2007)

i have both a monitor and an iguana, never owned a tegu but my monitor is by far my favourite. he's so full of character and an absolute pleasure 2 own


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## Adam_R (Sep 26, 2007)

with me i wanteda bosc but nan said no becaus ethey grow to big but yet she let me get an iguana that really confused me :rotfl:


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## Othnelia (Jul 21, 2007)

monitors,... intelligent and loveable!


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## Razaiel (Oct 17, 2006)

I've had no experience of iggies but find my sav an interesting captive. I'd quite like a tegu one day (Arg. B&W) - are reds normally pretty OK too? I thought they and the golds were supposed to be pretty unhandleable.


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## fastbaz (Aug 12, 2007)

gotta be a argentinian black and white tegu at the top of my list medium -large lizard intelligent and can be tamed down to dog tame... the red tegus need to have a higher fruit content in their diet than the black and white or they can suffer shedding problems...... golds are more unusaul over in england but i do know that the columbian black and white is supposed to be more difficult to tame it can be very easily spooked, flighty and can be nippy... although that can apply to any animal as at the end of the day they are all wild animals which we try and domesticate.


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## CTO-Reptiles (Nov 7, 2006)

i've got 2 boscs and 1 adult iggy and i would say the boscs are best, all the iggy does is sleep and eat, where as the boscs are always out doing something, never had a tegu so can't coment on them but looking to get one in the future


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## snakecharmer (Nov 9, 2007)

*Get a black and white tegu!*

I've kept a variety of all 3 and would say if you're new to keeping large lizards, the most foolproof option would probably be to go for an Argentine black and white tegu (not to be mistaken with the columbian tegu that looks very similar but has a bad temperament!), we recently got a couple here at the wildlife park and they're a pleasure. Loads of character and a great temperament, and will grow to 4 feet or so. They also have the most gorgeous skin, as much in texture as pattern. My golden tegu is typical of his species and has a very bad attitude! I've heard of people taming them, but it's rare. However, he's an awesome display animal, always active during the day and a lot of fun to watch, so it all depends on what you want from your pet and how much handling you want to do. With iguanas you can't always be sure what you're going to get and thay can be a bit funny sometimes (I've got some great scars, even from handling freindly ones!). I can't comment too much on monitors having only worked with very large, fairly unpredicatble species, though i know a few people who rave about their bosc monitors and I have a freind with a gorgeos spiny tailed monitor, which is a beauty and not huge, but diosaur-like enough to be super cool! Good luck with whatever you choose!


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

I had a green iguana for a couple years a long time ago and she was fantastic..fun to have out, great to watch eat, friendly... an absolute gem in every respect.

Ive not had a tegu before of any type.

I have one Bosc who...well isnt like the iggy was atall...very different of course but still great.

I do believe though that a green iggy can be more of a companion animal than the monitors though.... just not having that "MEAT...LASH..YUM" Instinct must mean something..


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## derbyleighton (Sep 10, 2007)

ive only had 2 iggys and a bosc the bosc was by far the best to watch eat but thats it, were as my iggys just like a cat can sit on the arm of a chair all day even with a house full and will happily be stroked and then will walk back to there viv to sleep for me its an iggy


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

Monitor​


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## Fangio (Jun 2, 2007)

My Bosc's monitor has been my fav. lizard to date - he was dog tame and loved to be scratched behing the earholes. My Argentine Tegu isn't quite as calm as he was but isn't too bad. I'm not a big fan of iggies TBH.

There are plenty of smaller monitors etc. out there though if you don't want one that's the size of a bosc's.


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## Johelian (Nov 25, 2006)

Im biased as I have only had a tegu. To be honest though I dont like the look of many monitors, and the ones that I do tend to have nasty temperaments. Its the same for the iggies really - lovely looking creatures but there seems to be a real spread in temperaments. They also need far more room than a tegu, due to the vertical space required.

I personally will always have a tegu if I get my way; theyre just such beautiful, laid-back guys. Babies can be more troublesome though, so if you get one, dont get discouraged by their skittiness!


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## Lee n his lizard (Oct 9, 2007)

i dont agree at all u know. they can b jus as much as tame as iguanas. monitors are intelegent lizards. theres evidence that they are if raised under the right circumstances. videos of dog tame boscs walkin through bunches of kids lettin em stroke it not even phased.


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

who do you dissagree with lee?


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## fastbaz (Aug 12, 2007)

i think he is disagreeing with johelian..... a fellow tegu owner...


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## xx-Charlie-xx (Oct 29, 2007)

:flrt:bosc monitors:flrt:


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## wba6745 (Jan 11, 2007)

water monitors :no1:


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## Johelian (Nov 25, 2006)

Lee n his lizard said:


> i dont agree at all u know. they can b jus as much as tame as iguanas. monitors are intelegent lizards. theres evidence that they are if raised under the right circumstances. videos of dog tame boscs walkin through bunches of kids lettin em stroke it not even phased.


I said the monitors I like the look of (not many) tend to have nasty temperaments, not all monitors. :roll: I know I havent seen or even heard of many tame tree monitors or niles.


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## Lee n his lizard (Oct 9, 2007)

DeanThorpe said:


> I do believe though that a green iggy can be more of a companion animal than the monitors though.... just not having that "MEAT...LASH..YUM" Instinct must mean something..


i dissagree with that, i think boscs can b compasionate animals, well ive seen them being compassionate. they can be taught that theres no need for "meat... lash... yum" instincts and can even be trained to take food nicely from your hands. again ive seen it. there far smarter than most people think. ive actually been quite shocked at some of the things ive seen them doin recently. had some good tips and been shown what expectations are actually realistic


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

but you havent got a baby iggy....or an adult bosc....

Not having a killer instinct does make a difference imo.

so your opinion is that it makes no differnce? or that monitors potentially are more companion animals?

as my statment was rather broad and non specific im not sure.

i never said anything about compassion.. i dont think reptiles feel compasion to be honest...least not a monitor that would tear apart a rodent and smile about it.

How have you seen a monitor be compasionate?> as in what did it do?

yes you can train a monitor to take food nicely... but that is forcing it to deny its instincts..doesnt mean the instinct i mentioned is any less there.

Also.. inteligence has nothing to do with it...atleast not from where im coming from.


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## comoneeleon (Oct 9, 2007)

*bosc or iggy*

i had a tegu, which was very agressive, had to get rid, recently got myself a bosc monitor male, who was a rescue case, he,s 4ft at mo. quite docile until feeding time, when you have to watch where your putting your hands, but I think its only because he,s excited, smelling his food out, he does,nt mind being stroked, wriggles when handled, just puts up with me really, comes out of his viv, goes for walkabout, then goes back in when he,s ready, only had him 4 weeks now, and think he,s great, never atempted to bite, can,t say about iggys as never owned one.


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## comoneeleon (Oct 9, 2007)

the tegu was a black and gold columbian so i guess we had the lil bar steward of tegu's, stick with a bosc. they are more timid and they definately click on to routines etc. proving their intelligence


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## Skar's Royals (Aug 24, 2007)

In a word 'Tegu'.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i've kept all three multiple times and i say hands down a b&w tegu. they are just a joy. the others are ok. monitor is very general. they are all so different but regardless of what monitor, arguably a tegu is, over all a better pick..


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## Incubuss (Dec 19, 2006)

I would say Arg' B&W tegu. I am going to be getting one in the next few weeks. Iggis are ok, but can be a little boring IMO. As for monitors; the only one I seem to like a lot is the Nile. But they are sooo aggressive and get massive. At that size and and with all that power they are just not practicle for someone who is starting a family, and I don't agree with getting an animal for a while then selling it when it gets too big and or aggressive.


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