http://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=DoctorY 2003-06-27T04:24:54Z http://everything2.com/user/DoctorY/writeups/Agama+InternationalDoctorYhttp://everything2.com/user/DoctorY2003-06-27T04:24:54Z2003-06-27T04:24:54Z <p>Agama International is the name of the <a href="/title/company">company</a> run by Bert Langerwerf and his wife Hester Langerwerf. Bert has been breeding reptiles for over 30 years in several countries. He now lives in central <a href="/title/Alabama">Alabama</a>, where he runs Agama International in his back-yard lizard complex. He breeds several species of lizards including <a href="/title/Argentine+Black+and+White+Tegus">Argentine Black and White Tegus</a>, <a href="/title/Jeweled+Lacertas">Jeweled Lacertas</a>, and <a href="/title/Australian+Water+Dragons">Australian Water Dragons</a>. He breeds only lizards which can hibernate outdoors during the alabama <a href="/title/winter">winter</a>s. Lizards that don't need electric heating are not only much cheaper, but they're more environmentally friendly.</p> <p>Bert is very well known in the reptile community, and breeds primarily endangered animals which are hardy and good in captivity. He has many contacts in official channels and has been permitted on many occasions to capture endangered animals in order to breed them with full <a href="/title/CITES">CITES</a> permits.</p> <p>Bert is a <a href="/title/polyglot">polyglot</a>, speaking at least Dutch, Russian, German, French, and English. He also&hellip; http://everything2.com/user/DoctorY/writeups/TeguDoctorYhttp://everything2.com/user/DoctorY2003-06-27T03:48:26Z2003-06-27T03:48:26Z <p>The <a href="/title/appropriateness">appropriateness</a> of tegus as <a href="/title/pets">pets</a> varies with the <a href="/title/species">species</a>. <a href="/title/Columbian+tegus">Columbian tegus</a> and <a href="/title/gold+tegus">gold tegus</a> <a href="/title/tend">tend</a> to be very <a href="/title/skittish">skittish</a>. While some can be <a href="/title/handled">handled</a>, they generally try very <a href="/title/hard">hard</a> to <a href="/title/avoid">avoid</a> it. <a href="/title/Red+tegus">Red tegus</a> are <a href="/title/friendlier">friendlier</a> than the columbian and gold, but they are still somewhat <a href="/title/shy">shy</a>.</p> <p><a href="/title/Argentine+black+and+white+tegus">Argentine black and white tegus</a> make excellent pets. They are very <a href="/title/intelligent">intelligent</a> and extremely <a href="/title/friendly">friendly</a>. They are interested in <a href="/title/people">people</a>, including <a href="/title/new+people">new people</a>, and like to <a href="/title/know">know</a> <a href="/title/what+is+going+on">what is going on</a>. They can <a href="/title/learn">learn</a> their <a href="/title/name">name</a> and be <a href="/title/trained">trained</a> to come when called. When <a href="/title/adult">adult</a> sized, they will <a href="/title/sleep">sleep</a> in your <a href="/title/bed">bed</a> with you if you wish. T. merianae is <a href="/title/omnivorous">omnivorous</a> and very easy to feed -- while their <a href="/title/diet">diet</a> should be <a href="/title/balanced">balanced</a> and moderately rodential, you can feed them nearly any <a href="/title/table+scraps">table scraps</a>. They like <a href="/title/fruit">fruit</a> such as <a href="/title/strawberries">strawberries</a>, <a href="/title/oranges">oranges</a>, and <a href="/title/cantaloupe">cantaloupe</a>. They are especially <a href="/title/cute">cute</a> when <a href="/title/eating">eating</a> <a href="/title/left-over">left-over</a> <a href="/title/chinese+takeout">chinese takeout</a>.</p> <hr> Information is culled from personal experience with T. merianae and from <a href="/title/Agama+International">Agama International</a> (www.agamainternational.com).