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I was wondering If it has been recorded or possible to stunt a tegus growth. I have a feeling that my male was neglected of and am seeing fast growth sperts alot faster then my original tegu.
my girl exploded to her current size when i got her. i wish i could have documented it cause it was amazing, she went from like 21 inches to 39" in less than 3 months. it had to have been a neglect thing, i just can't see that kind of growth being normal. _________________ 1.1.0 Arg B/W Tegu Joker n Groxy
1.0.0 Australian Water Dragon "Spyro"
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0.1.0 White Dwarf Hamster "MiMi"
1.1.0 Black&Albino Kingsnakes "Pearl & Hannibal"
Joined: Dec 18, 2007 Posts: 877 Location: Eddington, Maine
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject:
idk if it was a neglect thing.. but i got my gavin at 26-27 in long in jan and now he is 42in long... he blew up as well.. but i got my colombian isis in dec. and the people that had her before me severaly neglected her and i got her at 24 in and shes now only 27.5 at most.. so shes not going to grow for crap _________________ 0.1.0 Colombian Tegu
1.0.0 Arg. Tegu
0.1.4 Bearded Dragon
0.1.0 Royal Python
1.0.0 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Kingsnake
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1.2.0 Tokay Geckos
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
Joined: Oct 03, 2006 Posts: 536 Location: Central FL
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:
I don't know....
My 11mo old is about 23" (long tail), but still even has hatchling green markings. She's really not that big and I've even wondered if she's runty. It sounds to me like she's headed for a growth spurt from what you guys are saying. I've had her since she was about a week old, so I know what kind of care she had. She didn't eat much in the beginning, but is making up for it now! She hatched in Aug and went to sleep in late Oct, then didn't wake up until April. _________________ Laura R (FL)
0.1.0 Colombian Tegu
0.2.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
1.0.0 Red Tegu
1.0.0 Green Amevia (yet another teiid)
8 other lizards
1 little gator
13 snakes
4 frogs
some bugs
and a partridge in a pear tree
Joined: Apr 30, 2008 Posts: 393 Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject:
I just found out that the tegu I picked up was fed once a week for one year. Now that I have been feeding him everyday or every other he is blowing up he gained 10 inches in 3 months. My wife warned me about the growth spurt but wow. She use to be a vet tech for a vet hospital that cared for reptiles and she said she saw that alit in neglected reptiles. Rule of thumb eat they grow just like plants. That is also why some breeders say power feeding in some reptiles can effect there breeding process.
Joined: Oct 12, 2007 Posts: 506 Location: San Diego, CA
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:57 am Post subject:
Consider this, the average tegu is 4.5 feet, so 54" some get a little bigger and some stay smaller so maybe a normal range between 48" - 60", and that's over a 10-15 year life. Clearly most of the growth comes in the first year or two, normal so as to improve survival in the wild, which means after about 18-24 months things slow down. So, if feeding does not slow down considerably after tegus hit 3-5 feet complications with overfeeding seem very probable, in particular if the tegu is not hibernating.
A trim, not skinny, tegu is a healthy tegu. I believe it a tegu's belly is constantly round, firm and protruding at the sides, unless a baby and still growing fast or laying on it's belly, you're looking at a fat tegu and problems may be on the horizon. JMO _________________ 1.0.0 B&W
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2.0.0 Cats
0.1.0 Wife
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Joined: Apr 30, 2008 Posts: 393 Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 3:14 pm Post subject:
[quote]A trim, not skinny, tegu is a healthy tegu. I believe it a tegu's belly is constantly round, firm and protruding at the sides, unless a baby and still growing fast or laying on it's belly, you're looking at a fat tegu[/quote]
This is what I try telling people all the time. 8O
But the question still not answered can they be stunted
Joined: Oct 12, 2007 Posts: 506 Location: San Diego, CA
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:32 pm Post subject:
I read in one of the monitor/tegu books that stunting can occur and that it couses many many health problems. _________________ 1.0.0 B&W
0.0.1 CA Horned Lizard
0.0.1 Savannah Monitors
2.0.0 Cats
0.1.0 Wife
1.0.0 Child
Joined: Dec 18, 2007 Posts: 877 Location: Eddington, Maine
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 7:41 pm Post subject:
thats what i hope with my col. that she will be alright but idk. _________________ 0.1.0 Colombian Tegu
1.0.0 Arg. Tegu
0.1.4 Bearded Dragon
0.1.0 Royal Python
1.0.0 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Kingsnake
0.0.1 Painted Turtle
0.1.1 Spotted Pythons
1.2.0 Tokay Geckos
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
Joined: Oct 12, 2007 Posts: 506 Location: San Diego, CA
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject: ..
The very real probability is that if you care for your gu and deal with prior problems he/she will turn out fine. MBD is a major issue and if not present and it's only a lack of size due to a lack of food, you should be good. Remember, I know I preach this all this time, don't let your gu get fat! _________________ 1.0.0 B&W
0.0.1 CA Horned Lizard
0.0.1 Savannah Monitors
2.0.0 Cats
0.1.0 Wife
1.0.0 Child
It seems that if the skeleton isn't compromised by MBD, then growth will catch up.
I have a stunted beardie...he was housed with an aggressive male that beat him up pretty good. He also had poor lighting, etc, so I'm not sure what the initial cause of his short stature is. He's just a very submissive.
My 5yo Arg grew 2" and put on 3-4 pounds after I got her. My 11yo Burm grew another foot and put on 15 pounds in a year after I got him. Neither of these were stunted per se, but underconditioned when I got them.
I wanted to add that my little Arg is 26" as of yesterday! woot! She's still green...weird. _________________ Laura R (FL)
0.1.0 Colombian Tegu
0.2.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
1.0.0 Red Tegu
1.0.0 Green Amevia (yet another teiid)
8 other lizards
1 little gator
13 snakes
4 frogs
some bugs
and a partridge in a pear tree
Joined: Oct 12, 2007 Posts: 506 Location: San Diego, CA
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject:
maybe the green head means they've had too much to drink and are feeling a bit ill _________________ 1.0.0 B&W
0.0.1 CA Horned Lizard
0.0.1 Savannah Monitors
2.0.0 Cats
0.1.0 Wife
1.0.0 Child
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