A little girl named Madelyn and an Argentine black and white tegu named Chester Copperpot are best friends. Despite his fierce looks, Chester is a sweet-natured giant lizard who loves to walk on a leash and cuddle with Madelyn whenever possible.
Lizard who loves cuddling with his favorite girl insists on always being the little spoon
Chester came to the family he was voluntarily surrendered to Reptile Refuge and Sanctuary, where Madelyn’s mom Kathleen was volunteering.
In early 2020 we started volunteering with this reptile sanctuary in New England. Snakes especially terrified me, my daughter Madelyn she loves them. I brought him [Chester] home for a sleepover and I just saw that having him here, he fit right in…he was originally re-homed to the sanctuary. …I give credit to Madelyn because if she didn’t love snakes then we would have never gone to volunteer.
It’s the perfect day for snugs on snugs on snugs for these two. *** This is Chester Copperpot, our black and white Argentine tegu. Tegus are large omnivorous lizards that average 2-5 feet tip to tail and can weigh up to 15 lbs, with males growing larger than females. Males also have these large cheeks, called jowls, which house huge jaw muscles and also are used to impress the ladies. Chester came to live with us a few years ago after I met him volunteering at a local reptile sanctuary. He was known as a problem child, but for whatever reason he decided to trust me and I brought him home. Tegus are very intelligent and can be incredibly gentle, but they are not meant for beginner reptile keepers. They require an enormous amount of space, expensive lighting, an endless food supply including frozen thawed rodents and insects, and knowledge of reptile behavior. It’s our passion to show the world a side of reptiles most people don’t know exist, and we’re so glad you are here to join us! #lizard#lizardsoftiktok#reptilesoftiktok#reptiles#fyp#tegu#reptile
I’ve done 100% of the work (and it’s a lot), but Chester has made it clear he is Madelyn’s lizard. It’s impossible to be mad though- just look at them ? *Chester Copperpot is our black and white Argentinetegu. He’s lived with us for about two and a half years. Tegus require a tremendous amount of space, food, expensive gear, and knowledge of large #lizard behavior. This relationship has formed over the past couple of years- much much slower than most mammals. It’s been thought the reptile brain isn’t capable of making these connections with people, but new research (and these interactions) show me otherwise. Chester would not do this if he didn’t want to- trust me. #reptile#reptilesoftiktok#reptiles#tegu#reptilekeeper
Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.
