Tegus cohabitation

[hungba]

I have been keeping tegus for 10 years, and have never had a problem with getting them to live together. I used to have a trio of two reds and a b/w, all adult males together for some years. I introduced them and at first the smaller red got pushed around a bit, so I separated them and when he caught up in size, I introduced them again and they lived together for years fine.

Then, I injured my arm, and decided to downsize my reptile collection because I wasn't mobile for a while. I sold the reds (something I deeply regret) and kept the b/w, which today is about 11 years old and doing well.

My arm is all better now, and I have started increasing my number of reptiles again, including tegus. I first purchased a b/w female and introduced to my male, and they cohabitate very well. Then, a month or so later, I took in an adult red male from a family who didn't want to keep him anymore. He was described as a healthy adult male red tegu, which was tame and never attacked a human. All this is true. What I found out was that he attacked other tegus.

He would chase and bite the female, which I thought was breeding behaviour, even though there was no huffing or jowl popping. However, he started biting the male too, at which point I separated them as the others were stressed.

The two b/w are in their huge pen, while the red is put into an indoor 6x6 foot. The red doesn't seem happy in there as he's been outdoor all his life. I sm a bit worried if he would refuse to defecate in sn indoor enclosure as my b/w did till moved to a huge communal envlosure. The b/ws seem happy he's gone.

Now, I really would like to introduce them again at some point. I have had tegus which were aggressive towards ME, and with lots of time and patience, got them to stop biting me. I feel it must be possible also to get them to stop biting each other, but I need a little help.

I have thought of a few things, perhaps to house them next yo each other but with a partition so they can see each other but not bite, letting them get used to it. I have also thought about switching them around periodically so they get used to each others smell/territory. Even use the T shirt trick, but put the t shirt with one tegu and then leaving it with the other.

Hopefully someone will respond on this forum. I really want to give this a try before either resigning yo the fact they have to be separate, or rehoming the red.

[John1982]

How large is your outdoor enclosure?

[John1982]

You have a ratio problem with 2 males and 1 female in the same space. Same sexes, even males, can generally be kept together without much issue. Opposite sexes are fine too and you can keep multiple females with 1 male. Males are going to breed females if kept in the same space, no avoiding it, so be prepared for that and all it could entail.

Once females are gravid you're better off pulling everyone else out of their enclosures - they can get nasty when nesting. Anything is fair game for an attack by a female protecting her eggs.

[John1982]

Half asleep when I posted these ramblings, forgot explanation. You have 2 males in the same territory with a female, both want to breed her - battles are inevitable.

[Darkbird]

There is also the possibility that the new male will never get along with anybody, so be prepared for that possibility too.

[wolfy-hound]

When I introduced my monitors to each other, I put a heavy duty wire dog crate in the big pen and the male was in it so they could see and smell each other but not get TO each other. It worked well.

I suspect though that the female being in there with two males is indeed going to be the issue. Two males may get along fine, until you introduce the female which gives them something to fight over. Being territorial can then lead to aggression towards all other tegus, even the female. Or he's just ornery.

Did he do any damage to the other tegus? How long did you let them work it out before separating them? Did any of them go off food or show stress signs? Some squabbling might be normal, but of course you don't want any damage or excessive stress.

Good luck. I had a pair of reds and one b&w, but my ratio was 1.2 and they got along. I still have the female red, Groo. She's grumpy this season.