Disaster, please help explain this!

[bd0795]

I was soaking my tegu and giving her a bath. I've only had her for a week and at this point she was starting to mellow out (she'd bask next to the window sill, let me rub and pet her, i even handfed her). Anyways, I decided to go get a quick bite since my family was waiting for me. So, I left my tegu in the bathroom unsupervised for 5 minutes, but was sure to shut the door behind me so that she wouldnt escape...well, 5 minutes later I enter the bathroom and she is GONE. it's like she vanished out of thin air and trust me when i say there are literally no places to hide, no mats to crawl underneath, no crevices to jam herself into. i searched every cabinet and drawer and i still cant find her. windows were closed...only escape route i can think of is the toilet...the lid was open. there are two problems with this theory: 1) the toilet seat is about as high as my bathtub and i know for a fact she cant get out of the bathtub 2) she is a sub-adult, a little over 2 feet long, 2-3 lbs and has a girth of about 6-8 inches, would she be flexible enough to fit through the toilet hole?

im honestly so devestated. it just happened today and i literally, cannot for the life of me, come up with a logical explanation, other than that she crawled into the toilet...please, wwould it be possible that she somehow exited the room as soon as i opened the door w/o me knowing? i've searched my whole entire house and she is nowhere to be found...

UPDATE:
so, i was still dumbfounded and hurt from losing my tegu. i couldn't, for the life of me, understand how my tegu could just vanish in the bathroom. well...i decided to search every sq inch of the bathroom again and i found something interesting.

on each end of the bathroom counters, there's a little alcove between the cabinets and the walls. i did not know this before, but underneath the cabinets (on each end) are 2x3 holes.it may seem like wishful thinking, but i dont think my tegu crawled down the toilet. if anything, she probably tucked herself in one of those two holes. 2x3" hole may seem small, BUT i have personally witnessed my tegu tucking more than half her body length inside this slot on my air purifier (the slot is smaller than the holes, 1x3" if i were to estimate).

if this is the case, and hopefully it is, i'll just have to wait her out and try to lure her out. any ideas? only way i can reach her is if i were to saw the bottom lip of the trimming, but my parents would freak out if i did that. im just concerned that she'll stay in there long enough to grow to the point where she cant fit through the hole.

 

[bd0795]

bump (idk the minimum days to bump a post, so if this is a violation, i apologize)

so, indeed, my tegu is in the space between the bathroom counter and wall (i'm so relieved!).

how'd i find out? well, i refused to believe that any sane tegu would crawl down the toilet unless it was really that desperate to get away. with that in mind, i wanted to poke at the hole to see if anything was really there. only problem was, the hole is positioned right beneath the toekick. my hand is too big to fit through the gap and i can't use a long stick because the gap is positioned perpendicular to the floor (great, more problems!).

so what did i do? at that moment, my mind screamed, "eureka!"

i had about 30-feet of 1/2" vinyl-tubing that i used to water change my fish tank. the tubing is relatively prehensile compared to a stick; it can bend, therefore i can shove it through the gap and thats what i did. within the first 8 feet of tubing, i heard the scuffling of nails grating against the drywall. it was like hearing a baby cry after birth.

now, i just need to get her out. but she refuses to come out. i can't even see her because the bottom trim actually blocks her. the entry way is a gap that is perpendicular the floor, so i can't look straight at it; i'd have to get down on all fours and look up.

i just feel so ridiculous now.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Hope you get her good luck

 

[bd0795]

Any advice? Idk if she wants to stay there or if she cant get out. Either way, i want to see her again...

 

[Walter1]

If she can't get out, you'll have to dig her out. If sh can get out, set out a pan of water, keep bathroom light on and wait. Lay out some smoothed-out sand to see if she's coming out when you're not there to check. I would try that for a day or two.

 

[bd0795]

Im a bit worried because its been 4-5 days sibce she last ate. Are subadults considerably hatdier than babies?

Id have to tear my cabinet apart to get to her and idk if my parents and landlord are fine with that.

Edit: will she be able to smell or see water if i lay it outside? Its hard to describe the layout, sonill try to post pictures, but i cant look straight into the hole. The gap is literally underneath the toekick

 

[AlphaAlpha]

I don`t think any animal will purporsely starve its self to death....I think put some water out and food in your bathroom to tease her out but when you`re not there remove the food and place something infront of the hole which you would be able to tell if its being disturbed overwise she might just come out for a feed and go back into hiding.....if this doesn`t work theres only one other option I can see.....DIG HER OUT....lol

 

[Canheaton]

I would tie a hornworm to a fishing line ( no hook lol ) and drop that down to her ( if that's possible for your case).,then if you hear her move she's probably going after it. Then pull your end of the line and have her chase it out.

Its worked for me one time with a salamander.lol

Good luck

 

[bd0795]

you guys are amazing. thanks for the quick responses, you've managed to quell some of my anxiety.

i've attached three images; i figured i'd take some shots of the cabinet so that it'll be easier for you guys to comprehend where the gap is.

is she smart enough to get out? or does she think she's in a box? im worried that shes not getting out simply because she doesnt know the way out.

still contemplating about tearing the cabinet...but again, my landlord is a bit stiff when it comes to these things. last time he came around, he forced my parents to change all carpets in the house because my parakeets left some stains in one room that we weren't able to get out and that set us back financially for a couple of months.

@Canheaton desperate times call for desperate measures lol ill try that, thanks!

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Do the fake cupboard doors not slide up and off or detach some how? Units like that usually have a way to get in to adjust the plumbing or are built up in place due to the plumbing ....I would investigate further as I would definitely think there would be a way in by causing minimal damage so the landlord can`t complain

 

[bd0795]

Do the fake cupboard doors not slide up and off or detach some how? Units like that usually have a way to get in to adjust the plumbing or are built up in place due to the plumbing ....I would investigate further as I would definitely think there would be a way in by causing minimal damage so the landlord can`t complain

yeah, they do, but they go into the cabinet and the tegu isnt inside the cabinet. the gap is actually empty space between the cabinet and wall and i guess the carpenter just boarded the last remaining 2" for aesthetics. i would need to cut into the side of the cabinet from the inside to reach her, or i could just saw off the bottom trimming. either case, im sure my landlords going to make a huge fuss over it when our lease is up.

edit: plumbing goes through the back wall, not sidewalls unfortunately. this house is really stupid, but apparently not as stupid as letting a tegu free roam unsupervised :|

very worried shes getting dehydrated cuz she has no access to water...ive been leaving out a tub for her to soak in but idk if she even comes out. ill try that flour trick that was suggested awhile ago.

 

[bd0795]

I told my predicament to my coworker and he said he'll help me in taking it apart without tearing anything up. The boards that block the gap are fortunately glied or sealed wutg caulk (not nailed or acrewed), so hopefully we can put everything back together in one piece

 

[Walter1]

I told my predicament to my coworker and he said he'll help me in taking it apart without tearing anything up. The boards that block the gap are fortunately glied or sealed wutg caulk (not nailed or acrewed), so hopefully we can put everything back together in one piece

Good luck. Please update.

 

[Aardbark]

Lesson one, dont leave a tegu unsupervised.

Tegus can go without food for weeks, so try not to worry about that.

If there is a room you suspect she is hiding it, one thing you can do is set up a basking spot, and a bowl of water. Leave the light on, and even put out some fruits like kiwi. Tegus have a great sense of smell, she will sniff it from wherever she is hiding. Leave the room alone, and it may draw her out. You might not be able to catch her that way, but at least she will be eating. They are smart, and amazing escape artists, so try to make sure the room is as sealed as possible to prevent her from getting to another room.

If you arent sure where she is hiding in a room, you can dust the floor with flower. Leave it overnight and check the next day. You might see little lizard foot prints and see where she is traveling. Once you know where she is hiding, you can safely try to get her out.

 

[bd0795]

haha

so, my coworker told me to take some pictures of the cabinet vanity (so that he knows what he is working with). i strolled towards the bathroom, camera in hand, and, coincidentally, my tegu came out just as i stepped through the doorway.

she was a bit nervous seeing me since she had been gone for so long, but mellowed out and was back to her usual self. sorry for alarming you guys, and appreciate the help @AlphaAlpha @Canheaton @Walter1

 

[Walter1]

haha

so, my coworker told me to take some pictures of the cabinet vanity (so that he knows what he is working with). i strolled towards the bathroom, camera in hand, and, coincidentally, my tegu came out just as i stepped through the doorway.

she was a bit nervous seeing me since she had been gone for so long, but mellowed out and was back to her usual self. sorry for alarming you guys, and appreciate the help @AlphaAlpha @Canheaton @Walter1

Fantastic!!!

 

[Canheaton]

Awesome!

 

[bd0795]

just wanted to assure you guys that she is safe and enjoying a nap during her bathtime

 

[Walter1]

just wanted to assure you guys that she is safe and enjoying a nap during her bathtime

Excellent save. Always talk to her.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Good to hear ....excellent