PetHobbyist.com's 11th Annual Chat Month Complete Chat Month Schedule and Transcripts Subscribe to our free email newsletters about pets and animal issues Email Address:

PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us at kingsnake.com, I am pleased to welcome Bobby Hill to our 11th annual Chat Month..

PHFaust: Bobby has over 30 years in the keeping and breeding of reptiles. Currently focusing on Tegus, he has over 80 adults and a bunch of holdback babies, including his Extreme Giant program.

PHFaust: Upcoming projects for Bobby included the Jewelled Lacertas. He lives in the great state of Florida, where he runs his business Varnyard Herps Inc.

PHFaust: Bobby will be spending the hour discussing the wonderful world of Tegus.

PHFaust: Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls I present Bobby Hill!

BobbyHill: thanks, Cindy, and Kingsnake for having me here for chat!

ncsuboi89: so i bought an argentine b/w he's still green :) um should i feed him now even tho its time for them to be hibernating?? he's been under the mulch now for 3 days

ncsuboi89: i was also wondering how to calm him down a bit

BobbyHill: if he's not coming out on his own, leave him be. he will come out when he's ready to be out.

BobbyHill: gaining trust must be accomplished by taking your time and not pushing the animal

BobbyHill: there is an article on my website about taming the beast, good reading

JimG: With so many Tegus, how do you go about feeding them? Do you raise your own rodents/insects?

BobbyHill: no, i don't raise my own. i purchase my feeders because it's less time consuming

alewis0890: ?

BobbyHill: i feed every day while they are awake, same time of day

PuffDragon_nr: How safe do you think it is for a new comer to tegu's to hibernate their animal? What are some of the negative reprocussions if done improperly?

BobbyHill: tegus will basically hibernate themselves whether you want them to or not. however, the only problem that i can see is that the temps are too warm during hibernation. this will cause the metabolism to stay up causing the animal to lose weight. ga

tuxus: Not a tegu Q, we talk about them all the time as it is so I know you have mentioned that your going to be breeding jeweled lacertas, when is that project beginning and where did your original stock come from for said project?

BobbyHill: i hope to produce babies this spring. my stock is young yet. they came from 2 different breeders. ga

Bentley83_nr: Hey Bobby, My tegus are together right now should I leave them together, for breeding them.

BobbyHill: i leave my tegus together from the fall until the female starts building her nest.

Bentley83_nr: I see breeding behavior but female rest alot

BobbyHill: i return the males to the females enclosures after the females go into hibernation. ga

alewis0890: whats your take on the parietal (sp?) gland? its said to not only be photoreceptive, but to also seek out heat and uvb, so with that would it really matter if you had a large uvb coverage spot if they were able to seek it out and tell how much they need?

BobbyHill: the gland does serve a purpose but the scientific world is not totally sure what that is yet. an animal knows how much UVB exposure they need and will act accordingly, be it artificial or natural UVB.

BobbyHill: ga

alewis0890: some caresheets state to span the most the tank with uvb

JimG: With the holdback babies do you see any aggression when kept in large groups?

BobbyHill: no, not if fed well. tegus will show signs of aggression if underfed. i don't see much aggression in adults either when kept in groups when not breeding. ga

PinkPunisher: Bobby, how would you re-act if someone began breeding tegus for certain traits, or patterns? Assuming the bloodlines are kept clean and no inbreeding occurs. Like for example breeding Args for solid black tegus, or really orange bellies.

BobbyHill: I am doing some selective breeding for certain traits myself. As long as breeders are not inbreeding I see no problem with it. ga

PuffDragon_nr: What are the most important factors to encourage successful breeding?

BobbyHill: Keeping the animals well fed, healthy, and free from stress. ga

Reptileszz: Hi Bobby, I have heard you mention Castor Oil (I think it was castor oil anyway) before as a supplement for tegus. How much and how often? Assuming a diet that includes rodents, chicks, beef heart, chicken gizzards, ground turkey with bone meal. I would be afraid of the laxative effect of the oil.

BobbyHill: I use beef liver and cod liver oil in conjunction with each other in once weekly feedings. it's important to include the beef liver. I see no remarkable laxative effect from the cod liver oil. ga

Reptileszz: lol cod liver not castor. my bad. thanks

Desone: I just got a adult female red. I also have a baby red from you, Should i keep them seperated until the baby catches up in size? Have you ever seen adults eat babys like bearded dragons do?

BobbyHill: I've never seen an adult tegu eat a baby tegu. I would suggest that you keep them apart until closer in size since the larger one may show dominant behavior and stress the smaller one. ga

tuxus: what prompted the switch

tuxus: varanids to tegus? What 1st caught your attention about them?

BobbyHill: well, their large size, docile nature, and the fact that they are pretty intelligent. monitors seem to be lacking much of the more intelligent traits that tegus possess, IMHO

JimG: What is the origin of your breeding stock of Chacoan Giants?

BobbyHill: I believe that they originated in the Grand Chaco region of SA due to wild caught animals having the same size, color, and body structure of the ones that I have in captivity. These animals have not been observed in other areas of SA. ga

Bentley83_nr: I feed my tegus rats,mice,ground turkey,roaches,chicks,chicken liver,and crayfish,hard boiled eggs is that a good diet? and smelt/lake perch

BobbyHill: sure, it sounds like you are giving them a varied diet as long as the whole prey items are offered at least twice a week. ga

pandora_nr: What is a good start tegu? Also since you have worked with both groups, are tegus a better choice over monitors to look at with the larger animals?

BobbyHill: argentine black and white tegus are a good starter tegu. steer clear of the Columbians if at all possible. they do not become nearly as tame as the argentines. the monitors, IMO, are not a good choice when first starting with larger lizards. Tegus tame faster with less stress. ga

omgtaylorg_nr: Hey Bobby, of course you sell a ton of baby tegus every year, but I was wondering if by chance you have ever or are ever willing to sell any yearling-adult tegus or are you constantly trying to expand your breeding stock?

BobbyHill: i usually sell out every year with only my holdbacks remaining and they are held back for breeding, of course. my retired breeding adults are my pets and never for sale. ga

Limey1: Bobby you sexy beast! Do you suggest letting young tegus hibernate the first season in captivity? If not why not?

BobbyHill: well, i allow them to hibernate their first year since they would hibernate in the wild. my tegus hibernate each winter from their first year on, just like wild tegus in SA. however, i have not seen any adverse effects in tegus that do not hibernate. ga

PinkPunisher: Bobby, what UVB bulb would you recommend above all others? Also on that note which would you stay the farthest away from?

BobbyHill: I recommend the ReptiSun 10.0 if using fluorescent or the PowerSuns, all by ZooMed. Keep in mind that PowerSuns need to be used carefully because they can cause burns. The coiled fluorescents are ones that i would never recommend. ga

tuxus: Whats the most common mistake you feel is made by keepers new to tegus?

BobbyHill: improper lighting is probably the most common mistake that new keepers make. MBD is seen too frequently in Tegus when it is totally preventable. ga

ncsuboi89: so im feeding my little boy crickets, and superworms.. i want to add extra variety.. what can i offer him besides that?? things that he'll actually eat..

BobbyHill: you can add pinky mice or other suitably sized whole prey items. they need all of the nutrients in whole prey food. you can also add some ground turkey, beef liver or heart, fish, etc. ga

PinkPunisher: If you could have ANY kind/colour of tegu what would it be? Assuming the animal is completely healthy upon purchase and there is no health concerns to the animal in the long run. =P

BobbyHill: all of them are favorites of mine but if I had to choose I would say it is the Extreme Giants.

Bentley83_nr: I know our time is running out but are you back in the Sunshine state and if so your lucky because i hate this cold weather and the snow we just got yesterday.

BobbyHill: I'm still in Michigan for a couple of days. I agree, the snow stinks!! It's been too darned cold!!

omgtaylorg_nr: This is kind of a two part question, one I always see you talk about the beef liver, where can this be found? Also my tegu has been closing his eyes alot lately, when im holding him he doesnt seem to or when hes in the bath, but when hes in the cage they seem closed almost all the time, he never used to do this.

BobbyHill: tegus seem to be sleepy this time of year but if you are concerned about the eyes you should probably see a vet. Beef liver can be found in most grocery stores or meat markets, usually frozen. ga

PuffDragon_nr: Do tegus have venom sacs? :)

tuxus: hahahaha

PinkPunisher: LOL

Rick209: so i missed it

BobbyHill: some scientists claim that many lizard species do have venom sacks but I've never seen them on xrays of tegus and have not seen any documented proof of them existing in tegus. ga

PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us here at kingsnake.com, Thank You for taking your time to chat with us. Transcripts will be posted with in a few days. Once again, Thank you Bobby!

PinkPunisher: Thanks Bobby! :)

PHFaust: Please visit Bobby's website at varnyard-herps-inc.com

BobbyHill: Cindy, I appreciate you inviting me to chat month and hope that we can do it again! it was fun