Young tegu trying to hibernate

herp_haven · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 2:36 am Post subject: Young tegu trying to hibernate

Loki is currently 24" long. He has been chilling out buried under his bedding... I think he is trying to hibernate. He didn't want to eat today or yesterday. I know they shouldn't hibernate at this age, so what should I do? Raise the temps?

James_James · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:34 am Post subject: hibernate

Young Tegus do infact hibernate. I would just let him be. My little one has been ( hibernating?) since the begining of winter.

John · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:31 am Post subject:

Thus is very true. My albinos would be burmating (or hybernating) if I let them. My male is still on the smaller side and I need to fatten him up before he even thinks about it! The female on the other hand is a nice chunky tegu! If you pull them out of their burrow and let them bask they will eat. When I pull them out they will bask, eat, and stay out untill they are supposed to go to sleep!
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John

herp_haven · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 4:15 pm Post subject:

Ha, when I pull Loki out he gets mad and goes back into the burrow...

Johelian · Retired Mod Joined: Nov 22, 2004 Posts: 848

Be careful about pulling them out if they have been hibernating already; their metabolism isnt up to suddenly having to move and digest food etc.

Rick · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:05 pm Post subject:

I agree. If you want to keep your tegu from hibernating try raising the temps, keep the food supply steady, even make the substrate only a few inches thick so the heat stays up even at the bottom, but pulling a hibernating tegu out can cause issues as Johelian explained.

Rick
theTegu.com

Brisamen · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 6:01 am Post subject:

And then...why would you want to pull them out of hibernation?
Let them be if they are sleeping and theres nothing wrong with them
I would get cranky too if I was hibernating and you pulled me out

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John · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:57 pm Post subject:

My male is a bit skinny and needs to put on some weight. He's actually comming along nice, and he's tearing it up in his new cage! they both took 2 mice today! They prefer them live but from here in on out I'll be placing a dish in with 3-4 f/t mice in every other day. I'm going to try roaches again now that they are all set up. Anyways....now they get to do what they want.
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John

herp_haven · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 4:29 am Post subject:

Yeah, anyway... It wasn't my idea to pull him out of hibernation. I'm leaving him alone anyway. I could have sworn that someone on here said that it isn't good to let little ones hibernate....