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Home » Colombian Tegu (Gold Tegu): Information, Enclosure Requirements, Diet & Health Tips

Colombian Tegu (Gold Tegu): Information, Enclosure Requirements, Diet & Health Tips

The Colombian tegu (tupinambis teguixin), also Gold tegu or Golden tegu, is a species of tegu lizard common in the pet trade, although it is not as easy to domisticate as the more popular Agentine tegu and Red tegu.

This species is considered somewhat aggressive and not beginner-friendly, although it can still be tamed with a lot of patience and expertise.

Compared to the other two aforementioned species, the gold tegu tends to be smaller in size, and has higher protein requirements, although it can still feed on fruits and vegetables in smaller amounts.


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Tegu Care Sheet

Colombian Gold Tegu

The Colombian tegu or Gold tegu is considerably different from the other two species of tegu lizards commonly kept as pets, i.e. the Agentine tegu and the Red tegu.

First of all, gold tegus are much smaller in size, and its coloration has black and golden stripes, because of this it is also known as “tiger lizard” in some countries such as Trinidad. They also tend to grow smaller in size than regular Argentine tegus.

Colombian Tegu a.ka. Gold tegu.
Colombian Gold Tegu (tupinambis teguixin). Photo courtesy of Charles J. Sharp.

Lifespan

A tegu lizard in the wild can live for up to 12 years, but in captivity life expectancy can go up to 15-20 years. Some people have reported tegus living up to 22 years.

Because of this, caring for a tegu is considered a big life commitment – much like getting a dog. Make sure you do extensive research before you decide to adopt one of this animals.

Size

Gold tegus tend to grow smaller in size compared to other species of tegu. They however grow rather quickly, reaching maturity in 2-3 years.

Because of this they require a lot of space in order to burrow, wander and thrive, and their enclosure should be at least twice the size of a fully grown adult.

As a rule of thumb, males grow larger than females, and pets that are fed daily and do not undergo brumation will get larger in size compared to those who are fed more sporadically.

Tegu growth chart

SpeciesMax size for adult male
Black and white tegu4’-4.5’
Red tegu4’-4.5’
Blue tegu3.5’-4’
Colombian tegu2.5’-3’

Size

When setting up an enclosure for your gold tegu you will need a lot of room for it to roam freely.

While juvenile tegus can be kept in 10- or 20- gallon aquariums, fully grown lizards will need anything between 8 and 16 square feet of space, depending on their size.

Colombian tegus tend to grow moderately big, although not as big as other tegu species, and males grow larger than females. 

A 6x3x3 enclosure may suffice for smaller specimens, but the bigger the better.


Essential 8 Foot PVC & Aluminum Enclosure – 96 L x 48 W x 48 H

Essential 8 Foot PVC & Aluminum Enclosure – 96 L x 48 W x 72 H
Read more: Tegu Enclosures, Size & Requirements

Temperature

Tegus are cold blooded and need sources of external heat to warm themselves up.

Because of this, it is crucial to set up their enclosure in a way that offers both warm and cool spots, allowing them to thermoregulate their body temperature.

Make sure to have a warm environment with day time temperature ranging from 100-110F and another cooler area inside the cage with temperatures between 80 and 85F.

Not having a well lit, heated spot in the cage may lead to the tegu going into brumation during winter, in this period of time the tegu will mostly retreat to their cage and refuse to eat regularly.

This is a totally normal form of hibernation that occurs in nature that will not hurt your tegu, and is actually needed for females to be able to breed.

Tegu owners who are not interested in breeding generally prefer to avoid letting their pets go into brumation because they will cease nearly all interaction during this period, and may halt their growth due to the limited food intake.

Lighting 

All species of tegu require 12-14 hours of UVB light exposure per day.

Ideally, let the tegu roam outside to get access to sun rays as often as possible, while keeping a UVB light inside their cage using an automated heat lamp with a 12 hours on-off schedule.

A heat lamp will provide both precious UVB and a source of heat during the day. If you intend to start brumating your tegu, shorten the timer on your heat lamp to 8 or 6 hours to simulate shorter day times, and eventually turn them off completely.

Substrate

Colombian tegus are burrowing animals which need a substrate depth of around 12-24″.

Burrowing is necessary for tegus to keep their bodies active and claws filed without the need of nail trimming by their owners.

As the majority of gold tegus come from wet areas with plenty of rain, it is important to choose a bedding substrate that holds humidity.

The best substrate for tegu is cypress mulch, which can be mixed with topsoil and sand. Other DIY mixes often include coconut shells or reptisoil.

Humidity

Tegus require a high level of humidity, around 75-90%.

This can be achieved by choosing adequate humidity retaining soil, by spraying the top soil and tegu itself with water regularly, and leaving a bowl of water in the enclosure every day, which the tegu will use for both drinking and “freshening up”.

Make sure any water bowl you introduce to your tegu enclosure is tip-proof and big enough for your pet to soak in it. Replace the water daily.

Decor

Your enclosure needs to provide your tegu with both hiding spots and sources of entertainment.

Tegus, particularly young ones, often fall prey to birds and larger reptiles and you will need to provide them with a hide box or “cave” where they can feel safe from predators and sleep comfortably

A dog kennel or large plastic bucket can be used for adult tegus. If you can get your hands on a very large hollow log, that will also do the job.

Keep in mind that tegus are highly intelligent creatures and as such, they tend to get bored easily: they need to interact with their environment, play with it, and at times they tend to destroy everything in sight.

Make sure to keep your tegu entertained by adding plants, barks, boxes and “toys” around. Many owners will occasionally hide their pet’s food or offer live prey to give the tegus an opportunity to scavenge and hunt as they would in the wild.


Colombian tegu a.k.a. Gold tegu.
Colombian Gold Tegu (tupinambis teguixin). Photo courtesy of Bernard Dupont.

Tegus are scavengers who eat just about anything. In the wild, their diet relies heavily on insects, plants, fruits, eggs and small animals such as rodents.

In captivity, it’s important to feed your tegu a mix of meat and veggies, with the occasional whole prey, but they will most likely munch on anything you throw at them.

Colombian tegus are considered carnivorous, in nature they have been observed eating only small amounts of fruits and vegetables.

In captivity, it is best to provide them with a balanced diet that minimizes fats and sugar in order to avoid obesity and other potential health complications.

Food requirements

Juvenile Colombian tegus should be fed a diet high in protein in order to promote growth. This can be achieved by feeding mostly insects such as cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, earthworms, mealworms, silkworms and snails.

As they grow larger, you may be able to start feeding your gold tegu pinkies and reptilinks. Eventually, you can feed them raw chicken and turkey, raw or boiled eggs (with the shell), fish and shrimp; as well as vegetables and fruits such as carrots, bell peppers, squash, pumpkins, dandelions, strawberries, blueberries, apples, grapes, cherries, cactus pads and fruits.

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Colombian tegus are mainly carnivores who do not need a lot of vegetables and fruits in their diet, even as adults. The only difference in diet between juvenile and adult specimens is determined by the size of your lizard’s mouth and what they can actually fit in there in terms of whole prey. In the wild, hatchlings and baby tegus have a diet that consists mostly of insects, while fully grown gold tegus can prey on small birds and rodents.

As a rule of thumb, aim at the following diet percentages:

Dietary requirements
Juvenile gold tegu (0-2 years)90% protein, 10% fruits and vegetables
Adult gold tegu (>2 years)90% protein, 10% fruits and vegetables
Colombian gold tegu diet by age

Feeding schedule

How often you need to feed your Colombian tegu depends largely on its age. The younger your pet, the more often it needs to be fed. Fully grown adults only need to be fed a couple of times a week, although you may still decide to feed them daily (make sure you don’t over do it or you risk ending up with an obese lizard).

Feeding schedule
Hatchlings (0-6 months)Feed every day
Juveniles (7-12 months)Feed almost every day
Subadults (1-3 years)Feed every other day
Adults (>3 years)Feed twice a week
How often to feed a gold tegu, by age

Foods to avoid

  • Wild caught insects
  • Processed meats
  • Canned food that is high in sodium or sugar
  • Avocados
  • Azalea flowers
  • Azalea leaves
  • Broccoli
  • Buttercup flowers
  • Eggplant
  • Hemp
  • Marijuana leaves or flowers
  • Onion
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Spinach

Feed in moderation:

  • Raw eggs – can lower vitamin B7 absorption
  • Citrus and acidic fruits such as oranges and tomatoes
  • Fruits that are high in phosphorus or sugars – see: how to choose the best fruits for your tegu
  • Vegetables with poor nutrient contents such as lettuce and cucumber
  • Vegetables high in oxalates and goitrogens – see: how to choose the best vegetables for your tegu
  • Raw fish containing thiaminase (such as anchovies, bass, bream, carp, goldfish, tuna) – can lower vitamin B1 absorption

Supplements

Calcium supplements are especially recommended for reptiles.

Choose a calcium supplement that is free of phosphorus and vitamin D3 and dust your tegus’s food with it once to twice per week.

Occasionally feeding whole prey (e.g. frozen mice, whole fish with bones) can also help provide calcium as opposed to ground meats.

Finally, you may also gut load live insect preys with calcium and then feed them to your tegu. Once a week, you can sprinkle or mix a reptile-friendly multivitamin with your tegu’s food as well.

These recommendations are the same for all tegus regardless of age and species.

Repticalcium Calcium Supplement
Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3
Reptile-friendly Calcium SupplementRepcal Calcium without D3
Reptile Multivitamin Supplement
Fluker’s Repta Vitamin Reptile Supplement
Read more: Best Supplements for Tegus

Brumation

Brumation is the reptile equivalent to hybernation. The process of brumation in nature lasts about 6-8 months during winter, when days are shorter and temperature cooler.

During this period, the lizard appears to be “dormant”, spending most of its time inside the enclosure, conserving energy, and only rarely venturing outside for food.

For female tegus, the process of brumation is crucial in order to prepare for breeding: a captive tegu that hasn’t undergone through brumation in the first couple of years of her life most likely won’t be able to lay eggs. That said, it is not necessary nor “unhealthy” for a tegu to skip brumation.

When pet owners decide to brumate their tegus, they often do so in order to save time and money since the lizards won’t need as much light, heat or food until the next summer.

If your tegu is currently in brumation, it is recommended to still leave some food out of their cages every week or so, and remove it shortly after if the tegu refuses to eat.

Breeding

Males reach sexual maturity between 18 to 36 months. Females must undergo at least one cycle of brumation in order for their body to become suitable for laying eggs.

In the wild, mating season is in the May to June period and eggs are layed in August through Mid September.

If the female doesn’t hibernate she is capable of another brood during the year.

Number of eggs is 20-50 eggs at one time, usually 30, and they take around three months to hatch.

In the wild, females living in the Amazon basin will often climb trees to lay their eggs inside of termite nests for protection against predators.

The eggs would then hatch during rainy season when the nest is softened after absorbing rain water. The hatchlings are arboreal and do not leave the tree until they grow much older.

Common disorders

  • Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (metabolic bone disease)
  • Obesity
  • Dehydration
  • Respiratory infections
  • Obstruction from substrate ingestion

Common disorders in tegu can be prevented with adequate diet and by supplementing enough calcium. Make sure not to overfeed your tegu and limit the amounts of fruits (which are naturally high in sugar) in order to prevent obesity.

Keeping your gold tegu in a large enough enclosure and allowing for enough room to wander and burrow will also help keeping it fit and healthy. When it comes to water, it’s important to provide fresh, clean water to your tegu every day.

The enclosure also needs to be maintained regularly by cleaning every piece of decor / furniture with detergent every couple of months and replacing the substrate once or twice a year.

When feeding your Colombian tegu, it’s best to use tongs or to place the food in a bowl outside of the enclosure in order to avoid your tegu accidentally ingesting soil with their food.

On rare occasions, a tegu may drop their tail – as with other types of lizard, this is generally not a cause of concern as they can regenerate it fully.

Tegus may drop their tail following an injury or if they feel threatened – when a lizard is grabbed by the tail by a potential predator, they may drop it as a survival mechanism that allows them to escape.


Colombian Tegu / Gold Tegu for sale

Colombian Tegu for Sale

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