Tegu hints and tips

[mustang91302]

I just bought a tegu after reading about 20 different caresheets on them. I am just wondering some hints and tips to keep him as happy and healthy as i can. What are your expeirences and suggestions

[Annarose15]

Hmmm...my computer must be broken...can't see pics...

I'm afraid I don't know anything about tegu care, though.

[mustang91302]

I posted a pic under my new tegu

[mumps]

Well, there are any number of areas where assistance could be offered.

Perhaps if you tell us your tegu's species (slight differences with diet, care, etc.), husbandry techniques (enclosure, size, temps, furnishings, substrate) diet (what you're offering) and handling (or not) approaches, we can be of more help.

I can give you these guidelines, just to make sure you're on the right track:

- Give as large an enclosure as you can provide
- Make sure there is at least a foot (preferably more) of substrate in there (a dirt/sand mixture works for most)
- Make sure there is a basking spot of at least 120F
- When establishing trust, go at your tegu's pace, not yours.

Chris

[mustang91302]

He is an argentine b&w he is about two feet including tail i temporarly have him in a 75 gallon tank I have him in a coco husk dirt mix with a little snad to hold it all together. The temps on the baking side are 95ish i need a higher watt bulb. I feed him boiled eggs crickets anoles crawfish mice and some fish as wel as alittle mango and grapes. He has to be hand fed which worries me a little i dont want my hand by the big mouth. I am trying to get him to eat off tongs and he is doing ok at it. I handle him daily ill pick him up and watch tv or something he usually gets on my shoulder and just hangs out or falls asleep i also let him roam around the floor. If i left anything out let me know I just want to make sure this guy has a long healthy happy life and being a first time tegu owner he is prwetty damn cool

[MrLang]

When people tong feed, do they do that outside of the enclosure to avoid cage aggression?

I see a lot of people pushing for 120F for B&W, but when I read care sheets they all say 100-110F. Are the sheets wrong or is 120F better for a monitor where GUs can go a little lower? Lower for juveniles than adults?


strongly considering a GU myself so I'll piggyback a few questions if that's cool

[John1982]

I think 120 is too high for the hot spot. When my GUs were young and indoors I kept their basking temperature between 100-110F and they did great. Probably the most overlooked aspect of raising a healthy tegu is proper lighting. Get some full spectrum lighting with UVB output or you're likely to end up dealing with metabolic bone disease sooner rather than later. Plenty of lighting options out there, do some research and find out what is best these days. When I was keeping my boys indoors I used a megaray for basking and reptisun 10.0 tubelights for general lighting. I'd stay away from the coil UVB bulbs, as I remember they were suspected of causing blindness/sight issues, but again, you can research this to find out more. These bulbs should be replaced every 12-18 months as the UVB output deceases over time.

[mustang91302]

I have a uvb 10.0 bulb in there now i need to get a larger one though it only covers half his tank. i have a 75 w black light and a heat pad on the side of the tank which keep the hot side about 95 and the ambient is 80 to 85

[bubblz]

What are you using to measure temps? Temps are basic need to know info, a basking temp of 95ish is too low for proper digestion. Providing a basking platform with levels allows different temp gradients for the tegu to pick what works for them. Since like most things,.. not all are the same or even prefer the same thing. My Colombian Milla spent more time at the top of her platform where the temps were in the 115*- 120* range when she was younger. As she got older she spent more time at the lower level and bottom where the temps were more in the 100*-110* range. Out of 7 tegus, where they spent their time basking varies from one tegu or day to the next.

Usually after a heavy meal mine spend more time where the temps are higher than 105*. I live in vegas and in the summer time my tegus are outside on a regular basis and the temps get higher than 120* especially when they sprawl out on the cement. Which is fine as long as they have access to cooler areas to regulate their body temps.

With any animal it takes time to figure out what they like but what they need comes first, then adjust accordingly.
Here are two great places to start;
.thetegu.com
tegutalk.com

Almost forgot,.. why does he have to be hand fed?

@ MrLang tong feeding can be done inside or outside of the enclosure. As long as you spend more time working with your tegu inside and outside of it with out any food involved you shouldn't have issues with cage aggression. Cage aggression is also a live prey feeding issue, but it's not aggression just excitement. The movement stimulates their feeding response, puts them on high alert and gets them excited. You have to be quick to catch prey that moves quick as well and some people take that as aggression. In those situations they're more likely to lung and bite first then ask questions later.
It can also take them time to calm down afterwards, not allowing them to do so is how and sometimes why people get bitten.

Which is just one of the reasons why a lot of people don't recommend feeding live prey. Live prey or not movement can trigger their feeding response at anytime but it's less likely to happen and with less excitement if they're not use to chasing it down or having to catch it.

[mustang91302]

I bought a perch today i am using a temp gun to measure temps. Temp on the ground is 95. The previous owner hand fed him as an attempt to tame him.