Beware of CB tegus, these are tegus that are imported and are not bred in the USA, often times full of parasites and are not cycled to the northern hemisphere. These animals are cheaper in price as a rule, but after adding a vet bill they become more costly then a Captive Born and Bred tegu in the USA. You really don't know if they are healthy and free of inbreeding. Most of the CB imports are raised on farms for the leather trade; most go to make boots and belts, but a few find the way to the pet trade. When buying one of these animals you are supporting the breeders that raise tegus to be sold for leather.
It is best to buy an animal that is CBB in the USA from a trusted breeder. Do a search on the breeder to get the history for yourself, make sure they have the long, and good reputation they claim to have, there are a few people out there that are making false claims about breeding tegus for years. These breeders are not being honest, and are not long trusted breeders of tegus.
Also beware of ads that say Black and White Tegu, most often it is a ploy to sell a Colombian tegus for the more valued Argentine tegus. Ask the seller if it is an Argentine tegu, there are no Colombian tegus that are really known as Black and Whites, Colombians come in two types, Black tegus and Gold tegus. So beware of ads that do not say Argentine before the Black and White tegu, it is a ploy to confuse the buyer into thinking it is.
Ask the seller who the breeder was and contact that breeder, ask if they bred it. I have had a few different people through the years that I caught selling tegus as my stock, so I know how false claim can start.
Beware if they claim to have selective bred tegus, and as I said before, do the search on the breeder to make sure what they advertise is true. A simple Google or Yahoo search on the name of the seller will tell you if they are a long time breeder and if they have the long good reputation they claim. Just because it is advertised on a website does not mean it is true. It is always better to buy direct from a long time trusted breeder. And it is always best to do the homework, look up the breeder and do searches on the Internet to find the best, and true breeders.
So often we find a great deal that turns out not to be so great. Bottom line is, you get what you pay for. The best is always hard to beat, even if it costs a few dollars more to get it.
If buying from a seller, get the history on the animal, ask if the animal pictured is the exact same animal in the picture. Beware of ads they say the animal in the picture is an idea of what is for sale.
Ask who the breeder was, contact the breeder, look up the breeder and make sure he has a long good history of breeding these animals. Look at the animal in the ad, make sure it looks healthy and alert. Look for a good round thick tail base, and look at the eyes to make sure the animal looks awake and alert. Look for stuck sheds, tail nips and bad toes. Ask the seller what the guarantees are, and if the animal is feeding well.
Beware of ads that say the animal pictured is an example of what is for sale. Most often you are not going to get an animal that is a nice as the one in the picture.
If all else fails, give me a call, I will be more than happy to answer your questions and point you in the right direction of a well trusted breeder.