Breaking up attempts at hibernation?

Anubis

I'm not doing this since I thought that it's detrimental to the lizard, but I heard someone who put off a tegu's hibernation by picking it up when it tried to sleep. I guess that must include taking it out of the hide.

Is that safe? Because it sounds like a great way to ruin a relationship with a tegu. But at the same time, half a year of hibernation isn't going to make it any better either, especially if the hibernation is unwanted. I sure as heck would have liked to feed and play with mine these past 5 months, but I don't want to disturb him at the same time.

meanah · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:25 am Post subject:

i got my arg. while he was in hib. and i put him in the repti room and it has warmed up enough so that he no longer hibernates. hes up everyday i dont think it did anything wrong.
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1.0.0 Arg. Tegu
0.1.4 Bearded Dragon
0.1.0 Royal Python
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Anubis · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:05 am Post subject:

Heat doesn't seem to be much of a factor with mine though. He went under his shirt under the heat lamp and stayed that way for a week before I turned it off.

I'm just going to hope mine comes out by summer. He can miss future ones.

txrepgirl · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

I heard that Tegus start coming out of hibernation in March.I'm still waiting for one of my Tegus to come out.The other one never hibernated.I also heard from someone on this forum that his Tegu started to go into hibernation in August.So I hope that yours will wake up soon ( mine,too ).Good luck.

Frizz · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

If they don't hibernate their first year does that mean that they will continue not to hibernate thereafter?

We got Louie in Jan and obviously he hasn't hibernated at all in his short life, but I wondered if he might in the future

Sorry Anubis to take a bit of a detour on your original post

angelrose · Moderator Joined: Jan 05, 2008 Posts: 1474

I don't think you should go in their hide place because you loose their trust of a having a safe place.

Frizz, I have been told it's ok if they miss a couple

LisaN · Member Joined: Sep 03, 2007 Posts: 69

Hibernating does not seem to be an issue in whether your tegu is healthy or not. If you do not want them to hibernate, you keep them warm and with bright lights to fake them into thinking it is still summer. I wanted mine to grow so that they would be large enough to go outside in the summer and did not let them hibernate. If I'd known just HOW fast they were going to grow, though, I might have let them sleep. : )
From this point I will let nature take it's course and they can go to sleep when they want and for as long as they want. I do this with my tortoises who are still asleep. I'll see if they want to wake up next week, if the temps stay warm.

To me it's like the perfect summer/winter pets. In the winter when the weather is nice to work the horses and dogs....the reptiles are sleeping and do not need any care. In the summer when it is super hot and you don't want to work with the other critters....you have your reptiles to watch and play with.

LisaN

txrepgirl · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:47 pm Post subject:

Here is some info from Rick about hibernation.Hope it helps.

http://thetegu.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=37129#37129