# do i have time for a tegu?



## h00blah (Sep 16, 2009)

-i dont have a tegu-

currently i work from 9 - 6 monday through thurs, and then on friday i work 9 - 5

does anyone have a more hectic schedule that manges to take care of their tegu(s)?

if so, can someone please explain LOL

i kno it takes a lot to tame down a tegu, and get them calm. and i kno they eat a LOT.

as the title states, do i have time for a tegu?

i really love tegus =(... i hate just googling and youtubing to see one LOL. i would very much like to try my hand at raising one


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## TanMan57 (Sep 16, 2009)

Well i used to work from 3pm to 9pm kinda late hours and i was able to manage time for my beardies and ball python (it was before i had my tegu) but i think you would be able to get one as long as you pay attention to your tegu when you get home


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## MIKE-ZILLA (Sep 16, 2009)

You shouldnt have a problem caring for a tegu. heres some advise to help you work it into your schedule. set heat lamp and uv lamp on a timer so you dont have to worry about turning lights on/off. try using a feeding bin as much as possible, but if its too much trouble place the food in the cage on a plate early in the morning while the tegu is sleeping (late at night probably wont hurt but if you feed raw meat or thawed mice ,bacteria may manifest if it sits too long.) using a feeding bin is a great way to get the tegu used to being handled. try to interact/touch/ handle the tegu everyday ,but if you skip several days a week i dont think it will matter.if you have a basement or attic (or some other cool place),allow your tegu to hybernate there in a rubbermaid plastic tub.tegus (b&w and reds) can and will hybernate about 6 months per year(during the cold season).this will give you and the tegu a break,although you will need to keep a regular check on the tegu during hybernation. you must also follow cool down procedures like you would for a snake or other reptile before hybernation. I hope this helps. I think once you get used to caring for a tegu you will find its not that much trouble at all.


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## Zilch (Sep 17, 2009)

I'm actually kind of in the same boat, I'd like to get back into tegus but I've got about the same kind of schedule. I think the feeding tank thing is a pretty big part of the bonding experience since the connection to being handled is made to the acquisition of food. So my question is, does feeding have to be done in the morning, or can it be done in the afternoon, perhaps a snack waiting for when he wakes up and his real meal around 6PM?


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## h00blah (Sep 17, 2009)

THANK YOU

ok so im feelin a little more optimistic now, i was told that a timer would decrease the lifespan of my MVB? is that true?

when u say i can leave food in there, as a baby should the main staple be ground turket, some eggs, and an attempt of a couple berries all on a plate in the morning? then when i get home, move to a feeding bin and feed again?

can someone breakdown HOW i can go about feeding the tegu since im not home much? in november is when i want to get a tegu, at the expo thats coming up, but i dont want to get it if i dont have time for it. i already did a looot of research, and the main detail that sticks out to me is "they require a lot of time and attention", and i would LOVE to do this

i appreciate the help so far, its GREAT advice, just need a few more questions answered. THANKS for responding


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 17, 2009)

I work from 10-12 hours a day and also have a 2 year old that takes up a bunch of time. With my little fella i just handle him an hour or two every night and as much as possible when i'm home on the weekend. He's doing very well and is becoming more and more friendly. Your schedule is definetly doable.


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## h00blah (Sep 17, 2009)

thank you guys VERY much!!

in november, i plan to get my tegu then =D

ONE more thing!! wut size enclosure should i start him out with? i have a friend who actually builds custom enclosures, and i also want to kno wut the NEXT size is gonna be? so i can store it for when i need it


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## TanMan57 (Sep 17, 2009)

Well you can go as big a you want it will just be harder to clean. But i suggest if you want to start with a smaller cage no less than a 20 gal for a baby but bigger is always better for a tegu enclosure


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## mikecrowder23 (Sep 17, 2009)

To start with i wouldn't go less than a 40 and that's not going to last but a couple of months. That's what mine is in and he's 3 1/2 months old and already 2 ft. long so i am finishing his full size enclosure. These guys can grow at incredible rates so i would go ahead and get the full size enclosure and just divide half of it off because it will be much easier to clean as tanman said but also much harder to get the little fella out.


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## h00blah (Sep 17, 2009)

thanks guys!

but im still curious

i mean i HAVE a 40 gallon already, but i want to kno wut the NEXT step is. i woudnt mind starting with this 40g bc it looks nice, its in perfect condition, and i already have humidity and temps regulated (i kept a bp in there a looong time ago before i switched to tubs)

and i kno a 40g is too big, its wut petco suggested, LOL, but i learned quickly, and all my BPs are happeh =D

so ya, again, whats the next size enclosure i should get? i'll probably have my friend start working on it ASAP, so he can take his time and when its done, i can get used to the temps


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## TanMan57 (Sep 17, 2009)

Instead of wasting money go straight to a big enclose after the 40 gal and jus devide it in half if hes to small for it


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## MIKE-ZILLA (Sep 18, 2009)

> when u say i can leave food in there, as a baby should the main staple be ground turket, some eggs, and an attempt of a couple berries all on a plate in the morning? then when i get home, move to a feeding bin and feed again?


 I think its best to feed a varied diet, but for the most part insects ,pinkies,and meal worms for a hatchling/juvenile. you can leave crickets in the cage but understand this will increase you tegus natural feeding response and cause him to chase and bite things that move (including your hands) when I made the suggestion about ground turkey, i meant that if you wanted to feed him dead crickets you could use the turkey to encourage him to eat the dead crickets. As for the tank size I would start with the 40 gal. since you already have it and you dont have to go buy or build a cage. depending on the size and age of your tegu you may have to get something larger around the middle or end of next summer.


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## h00blah (Sep 18, 2009)

MIKE-ZILLA said:


> I think its best to feed a varied diet, but for the most part insects ,pinkies,and meal worms for a hatchling/juvenile. you can leave crickets in the cage but understand this will increase you tegus natural feeding response and cause him to chase and bite things that move (including your hands) when I made the suggestion about ground turkey, i meant that if you wanted to feed him dead crickets you could use the turkey to encourage him to eat the dead crickets. As for the tank size I would start with the 40 gal. since you already have it and you dont have to go buy or build a cage. depending on the size and age of your tegu you may have to get something larger around the middle or end of next summer.



thanks. the turkey / dead crickets thing is a good idea

im pretty confident i know what to feed the tegu, just didnt kno how i would have gone about doing it lol.

about the mice thing tho, i read that its best to feed them mice like 2/3 times a week, but i wanted to kno how many mice  at a time? i am also confident i kno the appropriate sizes of mice to feed the smaller tegus, so thats good, and i'll ask again later when i start to get curious about boosting the size a bit.

im really excited lol, im just getting my own "FAQs" that have been bugging me out here now so im ready in November when i get mah babeh =D

thanks guys so far, you guys RULE


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## MIKE-ZILLA (Sep 18, 2009)

you have to judge the size of the mice by the size of the tegu. mine is about 32" long and eats two or three hoppers twice a week. she could eat small or medium mice but im feeding leftovers from a snake that out grew hoppers. its better to feed several smaller mice that one large one.


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## wyattroa (Sep 18, 2009)

mine is just at 24 inches long.. and takes small mice... she wolfed down three of them two days ago...
robert


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## thestem07 (Oct 8, 2009)

In response to if you have time for a tegu.
I am currently in my Junior year of Chemical engineering, taking 15 credit hours, and working 25-30 hours a week. Most days I leave the house at 6:30 am and dont get back until 6-7 pm. This is when I feed my little guy. I have his lights on a timer from 7 am til 8 pm, and when I get home he is usually out and ready to eat. I feed him in a separate bin and he eats very good. I dont feed him in the mornings as he is sleeping and is very grumpy if I wake him up.
He seems to be doing fine and growing like crazy. When I got him, late august, he was maybe 12 inches, he is now pushing 21 inches. I think he is around 8 months old, and yes I know this is actually pretty small but I got him from a large reptile breeder and he didn't feed him to grow.

Anyways I think you have more than enough time for a tegu. I get my little guy out as often as I can and hold him for an hour or more and it seems to be working. He started off running like crazy and even biting, but now he will actually come to me and want me to hold him.
well I wish you luck and I know you will enjoy your tegu when you get it!


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