New Tegu, New Behavior, New Questions

techrev · Member Joined: Jun 26, 2005 Posts: 29

Hello everyone and Rick!

I have had my tegu from Rick for a while now and I emailed Rick for a while about handling it because it was very unfriendly. He suggested a smaller enclosure while it was small but unfortunately I don't have any space for another enclosure or tank. I sectioned off the larger enclosure to help with the problem. The tegu isn't mean its just very antisocial *smile* handling it is pretty much impossible. It doesn't want to be picked up or even touched. This has gotten a tad better but I think we've only really handled him 10 times in 30 days.

He seems to be shedding well and growing well and eating well. We've tried some different meats and fruits to see what he likes and he seems to take to certain things. Not picky by there are some things he just ignores. Rick said fruit was important so I have been trying to make sure he eats some with each meal.

His habits have changed slightly recently. I usually turn the UVB and florescent lights on around 7am. He usually comes out of his borrow around 7:30, 8:00am. He basks most of the morning and eats around noon. Sometimes he'll jump up on the glass after eating and RARELY when I open it he'll come out and spend some time wandering one of the bedrooms. Getting him back into the enclosure is a trial but once he's in he usually disappears under the substrate by 4:30. He's rarely still out when my roommates get home from work around 5 or 5:30. I turn the lights out around 6 and repeat the next morning.

He's been getting up around the same time, eating and then borrowing. By 1pm he's no where to be found only to resurface the next morning at his usual time. The temperature in the enclosure stays around 80 and the humidity is also constant since we got him. Should I be concerned that he's sleeping so much? Is it hibernation time?

I check in on him today and saw him for the first time peeking out from UNDER the heating pad which makes me think he's been borrowing underneath it and hanging out under there during the day. The heating pad is a Cobra (recommended by Bert at Agama) and it keeps constant temp. Would he be under it because its too warm on top or is it just another place for him to kind of hide? I was just curious.

Thanks in advance.

Oh also, he seems to go to the bathroom ON the heating pad and no where else. That's not good. But I cant seem to break him of the habit. Any suggestions?

Elaine

tegulevi · Respected Member Joined: Mar 10, 2005 Posts: 489

you need more heat. aimfor high 80's low 90's with a 100 basking spot. good luck

techrev · Member Joined: Jun 26, 2005 Posts: 29

We added additional lights over the basking areas and it made the temp rise WAY high in the enclosure. We couldn't regulate it with the additional lamps.

Diegar · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:37 am Post subject:

I have been told, by Bert, at Agama, that a huge problem with tegu information is that people keep their temps too high. He was firm in telling me, on several different occassions, that tegus do not need HOT temps, and the ambient temp of the cage should be around 80, with a basking spot of 90. I don't know which way to go for sure, but i will say this from my experience. My tegu never layed on his basking rock, when i kept the temps that high, but now that the basking rock is around 90, he will. He also doesn't spend most of his time hiding from the heat anymore, like he used to. So i am not so sure that techrev's temps were that bad.
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The Jay

drfish · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:49 am Post subject:

My ambient temps are around 80 but more often than not, he chosses a shaded corner of the room, where the temp is more likely to be around 70 - 75, and chills there.

As long as the basking temp is fairly close to spec, I wouldn't overly worry about the ambient too much.

techrev · Member Joined: Jun 26, 2005 Posts: 29

My temp and humidity have been exact since I got my tegu and then just a few days ago he started sleeping UNDER the heating pad. He use to have a pretty consistant schedule of basking ON TOP of it most of the day after eating. Now, hardly at all. He spends his time in his burrow or buried UNDER the pad with just his head sticking out. He seems just fine otherwise - actually, let me take that back, he's not eating as much as he use to. I made him a beautiful bowl of some eggs, fruits, and a couple of meatballs which is normally attacks me for *grin* but he hasn't touched it.

I just took him to the vet Saturday (who didn't know a damn thing about tegu's AT ALL. She had the nerve to tell me not to water my substrate. I just smiled and nodded. She obviously thought he was an iguana. She was like "just use newspaper". I was like .. riiiiight.... I need to take him to a herp specialist) but she said he looks fine, his color was good, his mandible was strong, spine was good, etc.

So I'm not sure if I should be worried or not. Bert had told me the same thing about tegu's a while ago. About the temp. To keep it at around 80 also. That anything else was very high and they would hide most of the time if it was too warm.