# Hibernation questions.



## Guest (Jul 15, 2010)

In some time i will be getting a Argentine black and white Tegu baby from Bobby. But i still had no idea about hibernation and have some questions. I have looked around for answers but their is always more than one answer and i don't no a straight answer that i know is right for any of these questions.So I am looking on here for some expert advise .

1. I have heard you can keep them from hibernating?
2. How would i keep it from hibernating and would it be hard to do so.
3.If i did keep it from hibernating would it effect is heath and or how tame it will be?
4.How long do they usually hibernate?
5.If they hibernate does it take longer for them to grow?
6. Is it actually hibernating ( going to sleep not to wake up) or just a slow down part of year?


Any help at all would be appreciated 

Justin


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## reptastic (Jul 15, 2010)

1. I have heard you can keep them from hibernating?
it depends on the tegu you cant force them to hibernate nor can you keep them from hibernating
2. How would i keep it from hibernating and would it be hard to do so.
same as answer above, i have seen my female tegu active when the temps were in the 50's
3.If i did keep it from hibernating would it effect is heath and or how tame it will be?
no he/she will be just as healthy as a tegu that hibernated although many blieve if they dont hibernate they cant breed
4.How long do they usually hibernate?
most tegus can hibernate up to 7 months
5.If they hibernate does it take longer for them to grow?
yes because during hibernation they are inactive and thus dont grow
6. Is it actually hibernating ( going to sleep not to wake up) or just a slow down part of year?
yes they are hibernating, if they just slow down its called bumation

S/N after actually witnessing a tegus growth rate w/o hibernating i would prefer for my future tegus to hibernate. they can get huge fast! this could be the potential of a tegu not hibernating, my female tegu nero(RIP) at only 9 mos.:


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## Guest (Jul 15, 2010)

Thanks man it helps allot. And Wow yours grew fast did u feed her every day?


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## reptastic (Jul 15, 2010)

she ate everyday until she was like 10 mo. then i started feeding less frequently once she started to fill out!


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## Guest (Jul 15, 2010)

Holy crap!! She was only 9 MONTHS in that pic?? Beautiful!

R.I.P. Nero.


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## reptastic (Jul 15, 2010)

i think she was younger maybe 8 mo, she was a huge baby.


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## Guest (Jul 15, 2010)

Wow


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## TheTeguGurl (Jul 15, 2010)

just a stuiped ? when do tegu begin to go into a hibernation? what time of yr? :chin


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## avin13 (Jul 15, 2010)

<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.tegutalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=826" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=21&t=826</a><!-- l --> 
Has some really great information about hibernation hope that helps you.


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## TheTeguGurl (Jul 16, 2010)

:chin hmm well thank..


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## Toby_H (Jul 16, 2010)

1. I have heard you can keep them from hibernating?

You can encourage or discourage it, but you cannot make them or stop them... I prefer to artificially replicate seasonal temperatures and allow the chance to hibernate or at least burmate. Although keeping them in 'eternal summer' conditions will discourage such. 

2. How would i keep it from hibernating and would it be hard to do so.

keeping heat, light and humidity in summer like conditions will discourage hibernation. But if it's in your animals nature to go down it will go down... 

3.If i did keep it from hibernating would it effect is heath and or how tame it will be?

From my understanding it has no measurable impact on health nor attitude. 

4.How long do they usually hibernate?

Anywhere from not at all or up to around 7 months... with 5 months being a more 'common' hibernation.

5.If they hibernate does it take longer for them to grow?

Yes, during hibernation their metabolism slows to an almost stop. At which time they are not growing. 

6. Is it actually hibernating ( going to sleep not to wake up) or just a slow down part of year?

In wild conditions they literally hibernate. In captive conditions they can hibernate... but if kept warm they will likely just slow down for the winter season.



I like the idea of giving them a cool season. Mine went into a full hibernation for around 5~6 months its first winter... but its second winter only hibernated for 5~6 weeks while being 'slowed down' for 4~5 months. 




I really worried about the whole hibernation concept before I got my Tegu. Despite all my worry and all my planing, I simply didn't do anything special and he hibernated just fine. Without adjusting anything he started eating a lot less and sleeping a lot more, so I adjusted the lights to only be on while he was awake. Eventually he stopped waking up at all and I turned the lights off for the season.

Then in the spring when my local overnight temps were in the low 60s I put his cage outside and allowed him to wake up to "natural conditions' with natural sun basking. It worked like a charm.


The second winter I went through an elaborate and complex system of reducing hours of daylight, reducing hours of basking light, reducing tank temps, etc... and he stayed active regardless. Eventually he slowed down for a few months staying down a day or two at times, several days at other times, but eating when he was up and moving. Then he didn't eat for a week and disappeared (hibernated) for a few weeks. 


All in all, in my experience, the Tegu is going to do what the Tegu is going to do. Don't cook it and don't freeze it and you'll be just fine.


PS - They grow fast no matter what. Mine woke up from hibernation at 16" in May... and was close to 40" by October... 

He was 9" when I received him in July of '08... He is 46" (@ 8~9 lbs) two years later in July of '10. During that second summer for about two months he grew literally 1~1.5 inches per week...


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