Hi everybody! I just got a tegu and have a few questions.

Jimjones · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:46 pm Post subject:

yea try not to handle, for a couple of days.
_________________
" Never let them get to your pride, give them hell to the day you demise" -The Capo

pumpkin · Member Joined: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Detroit

O.k. I was going to start building a cage for her when she's full grown. I was wondering if there were any onlien directions?

AmeivaBoy · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:03 am Post subject:

rehab ralphy put together this tutorial for building his style of caging

http://thetegu.com/postt3023.html

here's some pix of my cage for some ideads

striggs · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:01 am Post subject:

pumpkin · Member Joined: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Detroit

Thanks for all the help!!!

I'm just always so nervous that I'm doing something wrong, or that she just isn't gonna make it.

I gave her a pinky and she licked it then scratched it but didn't eat it. She did however eat a cricket, she may have eaten more while I was gone.
A concern that I have those is, if she misses a cricket then its like she gives up and goes back to basking instead of trying to catch another one, this happened twice today that I saw.

Is this normal?

mumps · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:04 am Post subject:

Hi pumpkin, welcome.

IMO, while species of herps can have "normal" behaviors, we must realize that they also have their own personalities. I have had pets of the same species that were as different as night and day. My old male tegu is as laid back as they come, while my 3 yr. old female is very curious. Perhaps your tegu knows (they are pretty smart) that there isn't a whole lot of room for the crickets to hide, or is just "energizing" by basking. My female ackie V. acanthurus basks in the middle of her hunts, but my tegus eat no matter if they're cool or not. They know that a basking spot is always available.

I would recommend getting or building a larger enclosure ASAP, your tegu will love as much room as you can spare.

Chris

1.1.0 Arg B&W tegus
1.1.0 Redfoot tortoises
1.1.0 Spiny tail monitors (red)
1.0.0 Burmese python
0.1.0 Yellow anaconda

pumpkin · Member Joined: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Detroit

I'm starting the new cage as soon as weather permits.

One thing she does that seems really strange is in the morning when I turn the lights on she doesn't wake up, she'd probley stay buried all day if I let her, and she seems to go to bed about an hour an a half before lights out.

Is this just because she a baby? My temps are good. basking 107-110.

I think she ate good today while I was at work, because she had a really fat belly, and the worms I put in her dish were gone along with a little banana, somehow she got a little banana really high up in the right hand corner of her tank, like she through it up there!

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

Tegus will actually spend quite a bit of the day in their burrows it seems, particularly if they have already managed to forage and eat well. My younger tegu is active from early morning at around 7.30am until about 3pm generally. After this time he will usually return to his burrow.
_________________
www.freewebs.com/johelian
www.freewebs.com/joslittleworld
---------------------------------
1.0.0 Argentine Tegu T.merianae
3.4.0 Monkey Tailed Skink C.zebrata
1.0.0 Crawl Cay Boa B.c.imperator
0.1.0 Royal Python P.regius

pumpkin · Member Joined: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Detroit

Ok then her burrowing makes more sense.
She still doesn't seem to be a very crazy eater. She only ate like 5 crickets today and I have offered her a pinkie twice, and she still doesn't want anything to do with them.
I've had her for almost a week now, hopefully her appetite will really start to pick up.