How important is a basking rock

october · Honored Member Joined: Aug 04, 2008 Posts: 220

Hello all,
My tegu out grew his granite basking cave/rock. For the past 3 weeks, I have just letting him lay on the mulch, repti bark (fir bark). Is this ok??

I will be getting him into a bigger enclosure within the next 2 weeks, then I'll get him a new rock or brick. I was just wondering if its ok to just let him bask on the mulch. The basking side is around 100.

Rob

worldeater · Respected Member Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 585

yea, it's fine, they just like the rocks. and if they wake up after the lights turn off they can get a little heat from em.

also nice rough rocks are a shedding tegus best friend.
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spencer · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:10 pm Post subject:

yeah but they are also a tegus fingers enemy i know from experience , dont get a rock too tall or they will cut they're hands climbing onto it.

and my tegus bask on mulch and i have rocks all over except under the heat because they never seem to go on the rocks when its under the heat.

so yeah your fine with them basking on multch
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Bill_S · Member Joined: Dec 10, 2004 Posts: 56

I use a 1" thick 18 x 18" square slab of slate for my adult male Arg. The slate is under the heat source and it really soaks up and retains warmth evenly. Plus, the hard slate helps keep the razor tips off of the claws.

Bill

meanah · Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:25 pm Post subject:

i have the same set up basically for my basking.. its a 18/18 by 3/4in thick slate.. they love it.. keeps the heat for a long long time.
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october · Honored Member Joined: Aug 04, 2008 Posts: 220

Thanks everyone......I looked through many rocks this week at Home Depot and Lowes. However, many had very sharp and jagged edges. There was a smoother patio stone. However, they smelled like turpentine or something so I didn't get it. I did pick up a stone tile square, however, it doesn't hold heat, seemingly at all.

Anyway, I changed back to his original substrate, the cypress mulch from the repti bark ( fir bark). I just think its better for him. I think it may hold the heat better too. He seems to really be comfortable in his basking area and stays under the lights through most of the day.

He has ecame home today and the whole tank was tore up. His hiding box was on the other side of the tank and tipped upside down, his water dish was tipped over and the mulch was in sporadic hills and all over the tank.

I took him out of the tank, gave him 5 adult mice and then he calmed down lol

teguman1 · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject:

i have a huge 1 1/2 footx2 foot long basking rock he loves it
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txrepgirl · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:56 am Post subject:

I don't use any basking rocks.In one enclosure ( for Zeus ,he is still kind of small ) I have a big branch in there where he climbs up on it and basks on there and in the other enclosure ( for Leonidas ,he is a big boy ) he loves to get on top of the hide box ( big plastic bin, I have it upside down ) and the temps are perfect.I do have some cypress mulch on top of the bin so it will not melt from the heat lamp.Having the heat lamp above the bin also helps to keep it warm and humid in the bin.I didn't like all the ruff edges on the stones/bricks that I found either.

october · Honored Member Joined: Aug 04, 2008 Posts: 220

Hello txrepgirl..yup, I don't trust those sharp edges either......There where some stones that if my tegu was to rub the side of his face on, like when he sheds, he would absolutely cut his face open

txrepgirl · Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:32 pm Post subject:

What you can do ( that I did a few times before ) is go to a River and get a rock from there.They are nice and smooth.I soke them in Clorax for a while and then rinse them of really good and than let them air dry.

agallegos37 · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:21 am Post subject:

I like to use regular bricks for my basking rocks. When I had bearded dragons a while ago I used that in all their tanks and they seemed to like it. It's rough enough to trim their nails and good for when they shed, but not sharp enough to actually cut or scratch the animal. Bricks also retain heat quite well.