Need help with growth tegu rate!

[skylarlaham]

Hey guys I need help! I have had my tegu for around 3 months, and hes around 2' long. When I got him, he was roughly 1' or so... Is his growth average, or is he small? And also, are there any foods that will make him grow bigger?
Thanks, Skylar.

 

[cornking4]

Gaining one foot in three months is a good growth rate for a B&W, although there is a lot of variation in growth rates between different tegus, just as there is among humans. As long as she is given a proper and varied diet on the correct intervals, as well as proper lighting, she should have no issue. I use Bobby's diet, which can be found in the food section of his care page:

<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.tegutalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=20&hilit=diet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=19&t=20&hilit=diet</a><!-- l -->

Be sure to mix it up and add vitamins and whole prey items, which can be anything on Puff's list. Try to give about 80% meats and egg:

<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.tegutalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1353&hilit=food+list" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1353&hilit=food+list</a><!-- l -->

Vitamin supplements are also recommended, but be sure to get the stuff WITHOUT D3, as D3 will cause impaction and gout. Your bulb should be mercury vapor, which will provide close-to-sunlight spectrums and will prevent MBD.

If all of this is taken care of, your gu should be fine. Post some pics, I'm sure we'd all love to see them :-D

 

[skylarlaham]

Thanks for the reply man. Ya hes in a 210 gallon tank with 2 48" reptisun uvb lights.

 

[cornking4]

What are the dimensions on that? And is that a mercury vapor bulb?

 

[skylarlaham]

Um the tanks like 7 or 8 feet long by 2 feet wide and 2 feet tall. And im not sure if it is mercury vapor but i know its a uvb.

 

[cornking4]

Sounds like good dimensions for a starter cage, but you'll probably want to move up to a 6'x3'x3' or 8'x4'x4' in the future. You should get a Powersun or Megaray bulb for him because the bulb you're using now won't provide any of the heat or UVA/UVC needed to prevent MBD.... In other words, if you don't get the mercury vapor bulb, he'll develop limps, twitches, and bone loss, which leads to death pretty fast.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://reptilesonline.com/store/catalog/-/zoo-med-100-watt-powersun-uvb-heat-bulbs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://reptilesonline.com/store/catalog ... eat-bulbs/</a><!-- m -->

 

[skylarlaham]

I do have heat n spot lamps in the tank too... and if im not mistaken, uvb lights are the ones theat stop MBD... But ya, im gonna upgrade, not any time soon, but once hes full grown, ill put him in an 8x4 or a 6x6.. maybe a little bigger. But i also think im gonna buy him a girl friend in a few weeks, so who knows, they might need a upgrade a lil sooner.

 

[skylarlaham]

This is the girl I wanna get him! lol.

 

[cornking4]

Wow, she's beautiful!! Nice white streaks!

 

[Meg90]

That's a red/black and white cross right? Is that off Kingsnake? I think I have seen it before...

 

[skylarlaham]

Ya, it is... Please dont get it lol... I already have a red X black white tegu from Agama, so I figured I might as well try and continue this cool breed!

 

[skylarlaham]

This is what my guy looks like, I got him from Agama.

 

[cornking4]

He looks great! As long as the tail base is fat, I'd say he's very well fed!

 

[mr.tegu]

great looking lizard. better grab it before its gone!! hahaha

 

[Zilch]

If that's the picture I think it is it's from Ben Siegel's Reptiles down here in Florida, I've actually been down to his store, it's very clean and the animals are all well taken care of. He actually has been known to carry Varnyard tegus as well... this one obviously isn't, but Ben generally has high quality animals.

 

[skylarlaham]

Thanks for all the input and responces. Ya I cant wait, how sick would those puppies be hahaha. Oh ya, how long or how old till they can mate?

 

[Zilch]

I think it's generally accepted that they should be 3 years old before you breed them, but I could be mistaken.

 

[skylarlaham]

I think it's generally accepted that they should be 3 years old before you breed them, but I could be mistaken.

ahhhh so they have along long way to go hahaha

 

[skylarlaham]

Does Varnyard have any hybrid tegus that arnt super expensive?

 

[Meg90]

Hybrid? What type are you looking for? And what's super expensive?