# Tarot



## HeatherN (Jul 10, 2012)

[attachment=4568] 
today i received my extreme giant from bobby, he came in excellent condition. let me pick him up straight out of the bag, and even let me gently peel of his loose shed.
[attachment=4569]

he surprised me with how curious he was, insisting on licking every corner of my hands, arms, shoulders, head, and even face!

i put him in his cage, and he alternated between basking and exploring. after letting him settle in a bit, a made him a little plate of ground turkey and beef liver. unfortunately, when i went to pick him up to put him in his bin, my dog snuck up behind me. as he quickly ran over to lick and climb onto my hand, the peered around my shoulder and spotted nika, my dog. :-/ it really freaked the poor little guy out, and of course i sent my dog out. i had to sit there a bit, but he came back to check me out, not half as excitedly though. eventually, i slid my hand under him and slowly lifted him, but it was clear he was still rather shaken.

i took him to his bin in my bathroom, and he immediately picked out the largest pieces of beef liver he could find and gorged himself.  i didn't want to force him to do anything, especially when he was shaken up, so it took a bit with my hand in the bin to scoop him out, and when i put him in his cage, he went straight for the humid hide.

he's been hiding every since, and i feel really bad because i didn't hear my dog behind me. and that liver is going to take forever to digest without basking. :s hopefully he'll come back out tomorrow for some basking, he's incredibly interesting to watch! 

I'm going to try to update this thread with anything interesting developments, thanks for reading!


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## Dana C (Jul 10, 2012)

Ah yes the King of Cups....not to worry, it could be worse. He is a cute little guy...or girl.


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## HeatherN (Jul 10, 2012)

ah yes, very hard to tell visually at this age, but i did forget to mentioned i requested a male


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## tommylee22 (Jul 10, 2012)

SO did I and mine looks a lot like yours


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## reptastic (Jul 10, 2012)

Ahh he is soo tiny lol, and cute, hwrd to believe at that size justt how big they will get, if itt helps any, i requested a male snd storm is, well, a male lol


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## JohnMatthew (Jul 10, 2012)

Too cute, and don't beat yourself up over the dog incident - he'll get over it eventually. As for requesting a male, I did the same my first GU from Bobby, and got a male. My 2nd GU, Bobby showed me how he visually picked sexes and let me pick on my own - also ended up with a male by my amateur eye. The odds are in your favor that you have a male but as most things in this world nothing is 100%, of course, until you feel them buttons or he shows you his hemipenes.


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## Miles Dad (Jul 10, 2012)

What a cutie.. Wish you and Tarot all the best. How did you come up with the name?


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## HeatherN (Jul 10, 2012)

i get the question about the name often, and honestly, i was thinking of names, then my mind wandered to gypsies for some reason (idk where i came up with that) then i thought of tarot cards, and i thought i liked the sound of that! tangents can be useful sometimes... sometimes lol.

and i hope he comes out tomorrow, i have to leave for something at college, and i want to get him fed before i go off for a couple days. it will give him some days to settle down, but i don't want to leave him to the mercy off my family, despite my explicit instructions on how to care for him while I'm away! o.o


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## m3s4 (Jul 10, 2012)

Awesome looking little 'gu! Love his name, too - very creative & quite original. 

He'll be back to normal after he forgets the run-in with your dog...

Make sure to keep us posted with some awesome pics as he grows! 

Enjoy your new companion and gratz on a great looking one at that.


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## HeatherN (Jul 11, 2012)

he came out as soon as the lights went on this morning, a little sluggish, but who wouldn't be with a belly as stuffed as his? he can barely stay awake lol


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## Dubya (Jul 11, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> i get the question about the name often, and honestly, i was thinking of names, then my mind wandered to gypsies for some reason (idk where i came up with that) then i thought of tarot cards, and i thought i liked the sound of that! tangents can be useful sometimes... sometimes lol.
> 
> and i hope he comes out tomorrow, i have to leave for something at college, and i want to get him fed before i go off for a couple days. it will give him some days to settle down, but i don't want to leave him to the mercy off my family, despite my explicit instructions on how to care for him while I'm away! o.o



Heather, I got mine yesterday. I requested a male too. Mine would not eat the wax worms that I gave it yesterday, so today I made the food mixture that Varnyard recommends. I gave it to him along with wax worms and plain ground turkey. He ignored the wax worms and plain turkey, but ate the Varnyard mixture. I wish he ate a little more, but at least he got something into his belly. BTW, his name is Gwanji, after the Allosaurus in "Valley of the Gwanji".


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## ragnew (Jul 11, 2012)

Very awesome pics of an awesome little tegu! It seems like just yesterday when Brahm was this size. It's truly amazing how fast these guys grow in just a year! Congrats on the newest addition!


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## HeatherN (Jul 11, 2012)

heh it seems like the first day was an outlier for Tarot, he was out this morning like i said, but has been even more scared of me all day. i didn't want to do it at a llll, but i had to chase him down to try to put him in his bin to feed him before i leave later today. of course he got loose on my room, chased him down there, loose in my bathroom, chase him down there, loose on my back, chase him down there... and after all that he won't eat! ahh the joys of the flighty tegu! 

so I'm right there with ya, dubya ( love the name, so perfect ), but eventually they'll get hungry enough to eat more. until then, I'm on a trip for a little bit, and it'll give mine a couple of days to recover from that trauma! then his training is going to go reeeaaaaalll sloooowww


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## Dubya (Jul 11, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> heh it seems like the first day was an outlier for Tarot, he was out this morning like i said, but has been even more scared of me all day. i didn't want to do it at a llll, but i had to chase him down to try to put him in his bin to feed him before i leave later today. of course he got loose on my room, chased him down there, loose in my bathroom, chase him down there, loose on my back, chase him down there... and after all that he won't eat! ahh the joys of the flighty tegu!
> 
> so I'm right there with ya, dubya ( love the name, so perfect ), but eventually they'll get hungry enough to eat more. until then, I'm on a trip for a little bit, and it'll give mine a couple of days to recover from that trauma! then his training is going to go reeeaaaaalll sloooowww



yeah, mine was more flighty than yesterday too. I am also going to go slow and build the little guy's trust. He likes Bobby's food mixture, so I'll stay with that. Dealing with liver, though, is rough. Liver smell in the kitchen. On my hands. In the sink. YAAACK! Brings back bad childhood memories. But that is for a different forum. I guess I'll have to do it for the little guy.


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## bmx3000max (Jul 11, 2012)

Dubya said:


> HeatherN said:
> 
> 
> > i get the question about the name often, and honestly, i was thinking of names, then my mind wandered to gypsies for some reason (idk where i came up with that) then i thought of tarot cards, and i thought i liked the sound of that! tangents can be useful sometimes... sometimes lol.
> ...



what is the varnyard mixture?


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## Dubya (Jul 11, 2012)

bmx3000max said:


> Dubya said:
> 
> 
> > HeatherN said:
> ...


Look on the Varnyard herps website in the care section. You just made me forget the mix. I think it was 3:1 ground turkey to beef liver with one tablespoon of cod liver oil per pound and also use Zoo Med calcium supplement without D3. When mine gets really huge, I intend to supplement his diet with the occasional hot dog end, which will be much to my dog's dismay. Good luck!


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## bonedoc (Jul 11, 2012)

We are awaiting our Extreme giant, Spoke to Bobby when they first hatched. We are also getting a high contrast red so once they hatch and are ready bobby will notify us and will ship both at the same time. Can't wait....their enclosures are all ready...just need to install the bulbs, ready the bedding and we are good to go.


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## HeatherN (Jul 11, 2012)

ground turkey, beef liver, and cod oil is what i believe he is referring to , a listed on Bobby's website. and Dubya, you took the words right outta my mouth. thats my plan with the trust, and i HATE the smell of liver. it reminds me of all the necropsies i've done, just in my kitchen! it's so gelatinous, you can't even pile it, it just spreads out like a smelly pancake. guess we know why i can get it so cheap lol.

i appreciate the compliments and support, everyone! all us freshies are going through interesting times for sure, it seems.


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## Dubya (Jul 11, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> ground turkey, beef liver, and cod oil is what i believe he is referring to , a listed on Bobby's website. and Dubya, you took the words right outta my mouth. thats my plan with the trust, and i HATE the smell of liver. it reminds me of all the necropsies i've done, just in my kitchen! it's so gelatinous, you can't even pile it, it just spreads out like a smelly pancake. guess we know why i can get it so cheap lol.
> 
> i appreciate the compliments and support, everyone! all us freshies are going through interesting times for sure, it seems.



YAAACK! HEAVE! I made it in my wife"s food processor, then cleaned it up really good. When he gets big, I'll make 10 lbs at a time so that I can do it less often. I swear I'd rather clean up cat puke than make the liver/turkey/cod oil mix. But I always put my animals before myself. (YAAACK).


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## reptastic (Jul 12, 2012)

Lol you know after a few years, the smell wont even bother you, i been doing it since '07 so now its like "odor? What odor?" Idk if thats bad lol


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## LEWIS (Jul 12, 2012)

Very nice!!! I put my deposit down on mine back in january and paid balance and i cant seem to get a responce from bobby. I've called and emailed him. Nothing back yet.


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## Rhetoric (Jul 12, 2012)

They were easier to handle because they were in boxes over night with no real heat. They'll calm back down as they get used to your presence. As for the smell, I'm with Chris haha I don't notice a smell but some people say it smells like lizard..? Others say theyre surprised there isn't a smell.


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## HeatherN (Jul 12, 2012)

idk maybe I'm just bad at getting used to smells (except formalin [sp?] for some reason). I've accidentally nicked intestines more than several times, and it gets worse every time! but i have a relatively sensitive nose too (lol prime of your life is find your mate time, women get the sniffers)


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## Dana C (Jul 13, 2012)

Heather, it sounds like you work in a mortuary or morgue?


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## apocalypse910 (Jul 13, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> heh it seems like the first day was an outlier for Tarot, he was out this morning like i said, but has been even more scared of me all day. i didn't want to do it at a llll, but i had to chase him down to try to put him in his bin to feed him before i leave later today. of course he got loose on my room, chased him down there, loose in my bathroom, chase him down there, loose on my back, chase him down there... and after all that he won't eat! ahh the joys of the flighty tegu!
> 
> so I'm right there with ya, dubya ( love the name, so perfect ), but eventually they'll get hungry enough to eat more. until then, I'm on a trip for a little bit, and it'll give mine a couple of days to recover from that trauma! then his training is going to go reeeaaaaalll sloooowww




Mine was the same way, super tame the first day, insane on the second. He is calming down quickly though. I'm just pissed that he seems to like my husband way more than me already. I already learned the hard way how fast they can be when all warmed up. Mine calmed down after feeding so I gently picked him up - he freaked for no apparent reason and ran half way across the room before I could blink. Got him back eventually but was not a fun night.


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## HeatherN (Jul 13, 2012)

sounds just like mine apo, ill keep this updated on his progress.

dana, im a bio student and also enjoy dissecting in my spare time, most of the bodies i deal with are animal ones.. most of them. (i didn't kill any of them lol)

as for tarot, my family said he was a ghost while i was gone, but i know he came out to poop in his litterbox, which he has picked up instantly, and i also see spots where he's been digging around. I'm not going to try to "force" him out again, but eventually he'll be hungry enough to come out and forage/interact.


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## HeatherN (Jul 14, 2012)

as an update, he somehow got out of his cage while i was gone or something, but i found him in a plant pot in my room. he was cold, but mad, i tried to feed him, but he wouldn't take, but i did make a tiny bit of handling progress, using his lethargy as a tool.

however, i guess i missed where he really got out from, because he's gone again today. so today is a sad day since i came home to find he wasn't anywhere, i tore my entire house apart multiple times, but nothing. i left the cage open so he can come back in to bask or hide or whatever if he wants to. just kinda weird that i can't find him anywhere at all, i even took everything out of every container i have lol. and the first thing i did when i realized he was gone was search the entire cage, to avoid freaking out over nothing, but alas... hope he shows up soon, or I'm gonna have an even bigger cow about it!


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## HeatherN (Jul 15, 2012)

update again, he's back, found him across the house, the poor little guy must be traumatized.


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## Carnicero (Jul 15, 2012)

what are you keeping him in Heather? Are these real crafty escapes? I bought an exo terra large terrarium and the doors and top on it seem very secure and locked down but I dont know how good of escape artists' a tegu can be. Guess I wont find out till I have him but im really not trying to find out the hard way.


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## apocalypse910 (Jul 15, 2012)

I'm glad to see you got him back. Mine bolted over my shoulder on the second day and that was not a good feeling. 

Loki has dedicated himself fully to the task of escaping. It is amazing to watch them work out possible escape routes. He's seen me open the windows so he's been vaulting up the the ledge and pushing at them to get them open. 

I made windows out of steel straps and lexan so they aren't 100% rigid. I made the mistake of bending the window out a bit to add some padding to it - he saw me and immediately jumped up the ledge and tried to bend the same corner out with his nose. Crafty, single minded, little adorable bastards.


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## HeatherN (Jul 15, 2012)

thats exactly my problem too lol, the rigidity of the door. I'm reenforcing it today, just adds to his trauma though, can't win can ya?


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## Dana C (Jul 15, 2012)

I will post here what I just posted in another thread.

"....After a week, you most likely don't have the complete trust of your tegu.
It will grow however and things will happen along the way that will impair it.
Awkward handling, too warm a bath, startling your baby all can create little set backs. Even later as he/she approaches one year of age, things happen.
The good news is that usually they "forgive and forget" fairly quickly. I have had it happen as have most Tegu owners. With Capt'n Jack, he usually gets a little stand offish for a day buy by day two, he either doesn't care or forgets. I still take him to the bathroom to eat and just leave him alone but sit with him on the floor. On day two, he usually comes up to my hand and tastes it and rubs his face against the side of my hand telling me, "Dear John, all is forgiven. Please come home"....a WWII phrase.

Having a Tegu peeved at you is not the end of the world and will pass. We tend to think of them like we do dogs, and the phrase, "Dog Tame", is grossly incorrect. When all is said and done, they are sill reptiles. They can like and seek attention but to expect the dependency, affection and mutual devotion that exists between dogs and other mammals and man really doesn't exist. 

You can tell that while I name my lizards and am fascinated by their observable behaviors and interaction with me, I don't anthropomorphize, (to attribute human form or personality to things not human), to them.

When questioned, my lizards were quoted as saying, "Dana, provides security, food, water and a warm place to lie on occasionally. We don't love him but will keep him around as needed".

Read more: http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=11952#ixzz20ibd30JQ


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## HeatherN (Jul 15, 2012)

they do remind me of dogs in the way that each experience overrides the other much more than in humans, as in they live in the now, not the past. 
i spent the day next to his cage, each time he passed, less afraid. eventually took him out to give him a bath, then took him forever, but after chilling on my chest for half an hour, he ate off of tongs. so I've returned him to his cage with a full belly.


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## Dana C (Jul 15, 2012)

Be careful. A while back, my tegus tried to sell me on Craigs List. ;-)


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## HeatherN (Jul 15, 2012)

"slightly used human, dog tame!"


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## Dana C (Jul 15, 2012)

HA HA HA.... ;-}

To ad insult to injury, they said in the ad that I answered to the name "Dana" and could be taught tricks. They also said that they would consider dead rodents in trade for me....


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 16, 2012)

Its good to know where you stand when it come to Tegus.


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## HeatherN (Jul 18, 2012)

tarots been doing good for the last couple of days. my dog got attacked and is hurt pretty bad, so i don't have time to sit around his cage because i have to sit around my dog! he eats daily from tongs while sitting in my hands (he won't do it any other way) but i don't mind. the hard part is chasing him down in his cage to get him out to eat and bathe. but once he comes out, he's calmer. a little. 

sometimes, when i look into my animals eyes, i feel like they are as interested in you as you are in them. like you just want to understand each other. i know they're animals, and we don't know what they're thinking or how they feel, but i like when i get that feeling. one reason why i love animals (especially reptiles) the way i do. obviously a plethora of reasons beyond that, but thats a list for a different time and place lol.


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## HeatherN (Jul 20, 2012)

here are some pictures i finally got off my lazy butt to get off my camera

[attachment=4613]

his coloration was stunning to me

[attachment=4614]

heres from today, he just went into shed (pardon the colors, it was taken through kinda dirty glass)

[attachment=4615]

[attachment=4616]


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## tam (Jul 22, 2012)

lovely pics tarot is gawjus nice name too. i still dont have a name for my b/w was thinking off tiny but im not sure on that name now . im sure something will come up that suits him


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## HeatherN (Jul 22, 2012)

thankyou! sometimes, when you spend some time with them, names will just come to you. doesn't hurt to have some lined up though lol. but he won't mind if he spends some time without a name.


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Jul 22, 2012)

I tried word association like you Heather, but all I came up with was Sushi & Twix.
Ill have to give that another go when Im not hungry...


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## HeatherN (Jul 22, 2012)

i suppose its like how you're not supposed to go to the grocery store when you're hungry... or something.


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## HeatherN (Aug 7, 2012)

its been awhile, but thats because i was off on vacation at Bass Lake, CA. (~30 mins from yosemite)

before the trip, tarot was making good progress on his taming and growth. i was nervous though, since i had to take him with me on the trip, and he wasnt leash trained or socialized well. to my surprise, he took to it very well. i transported him in a cat carrier with some of his cage's substrate and his hide. that is what he spent his nights in, and he spent the days in a large bin with his t shirt in it either under the basking lamp or the natural sun. at first he was jumpy around the new people and noise they made, but he quickly adjusted, and even let other people hold and pet him (gently with my supervision). he ate almost everyday, and towards the end of the week, i let him walk around of the sand and swim a bit since he was being so well behaved. he stayed close to me and didnt get into any trouble. he even would curl on my shoulder, arm, or leg to fall asleep, due to their warmth. i brought him back a sterile piece of driftwood from the lake that he really took a shining to.

now that were home, i dont have to chase him around the cage to get him out, and i trust him more to walk around on his own without running away. hes also much more calm in my presence, as well as just in general.

hes shed a couple times since my last post, including today. now hes around 14 - 14.5 inches long and losing most of the green on his head. even so young, the precursors of jowls are showing up; when hes in certain positions, he looks like a mini yearling starting to develop them, its quite funny to me.

being my worrying self, i am a tad distressed by what looks like the tegu equivalent to a "fat lip". its very mild, just a little swollen spot spanning maybe two lip scales. examining it (which he let me do without incident), there doesnt seem to be an open sore, or any type of debris. im hoping its just the equivalent of a little lizard canker sore and will heal up in time, especially when his mouth shed finishes.

thanks everyone for reading!


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## bmx3000max (Aug 8, 2012)

You should definatly get some pics since hes grown


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Aug 8, 2012)

Yes, we want to see Tarot in his brand new skin.


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## Quartzyellowjacket (Aug 8, 2012)

Semi-relevant http://www.eso-garden.com/images/uploads_bilder/8_bit_tarot.jpg


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Aug 8, 2012)

I see youre feeling gratuitous word the word semi...
Me too -


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## Quartzyellowjacket (Aug 8, 2012)

Thelegendofcharlie said:


> I see youre feeling gratuitous word the word semi...
> Me too -


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## HeatherN (Aug 8, 2012)

quartz, i love that gif, no joke, its beautiful. 

anyway, i fed him the last of the raw beef roast today, then let him bask outside in the intensely hot sun. he had some warm water to lay in though, so i wasnt worried about overheating. but for the first time since i got him, he actually preformed a behavior similar to seeking affection when he was basking. my hands were cooler than the surrounding area, and i had decided to give him some rubs on his back. and instead of sliding away or merely putting up with it, he slid towards me and fell asleep with i rubbed along his back and neck. i wont count it as actually enjoying or seeking affection, but its a step in the right direction as far as im concerned. i know that when he doesnt want to be around me, hes quite capable of walking away lol.
i took some pictures afterwards with my computer, but there was a cast in my room from a different enclosure, so please excuse the purple tint! his browns show up mostly right, but his head is barely green anymore. its really more splotchy than anything.

you can kinda see his little fat chin in some
[attachment=4765]

[attachment=4764]

[attachment=4762]

[attachment=4761]

[attachment=4760]

[attachment=4763]


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Aug 8, 2012)

He's starting to look like a big boy now!


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## Brink of Excess (Aug 9, 2012)

Great looking little guy there. love the name too.


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## HeatherN (Aug 9, 2012)

thank ya very much!


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## Brink of Excess (Aug 9, 2012)

is that your best elvis presley impression?
I bet you can do better


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## HeatherN (Aug 10, 2012)

i can, but thats privileged access only!


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## HeatherN (Aug 10, 2012)

update on Tarot: im afraid he has some early stages MBD signs, as in hard swelling of the gums and somewhat difficult recent sheds. other than that, hes been growing properly, but after researching, id like to nip the problem in the bud as early as possible. ive been feeding him ground turkey with beef liver and cod liver oil every day. ive been supplementing with calcium and "vitamin dust" but apparently its not enough. luckily, tomorrow im going to the reptile super show in LA, i can get a good deal on new powersun bulbs, vitamin supplements, and good whole prey items. plus i love the super shows lol. i believe i caught it early, but ill keep an eye on it very closely, thats for sure. 

if anyone has questions for me about the details of his symptoms or what have you, feel free to ask me anything and i will try to answer to the best of my abilities. thanks for reading!


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## bmx3000max (Aug 10, 2012)

Had the same problem...it was my mvb


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## HeatherN (Aug 10, 2012)

yep. one reason i was going to get new bulbs


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## Quartzyellowjacket (Aug 10, 2012)

Some guy at a pet store told me that you don't need to buy fancy powersun bulbs, just aquarium bulbs. Baragon has been doing fine and no shed problems.


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## HeatherN (Aug 11, 2012)

well i went to the show today (it was awesome! as usual) and got myself a power sun, which consolidates my UV and heat bulb into one bulb, which i like. got it for cheap too, gotta love shows. also brought home some 3/4" dubias, zoo-med calcium, and some frozen/thawed pinkies along with some live ones, as i wasnt sure which hed prefer.

however, my hunch was right that he wouldnt like em live. i had to dip them in codoil and vitamins to get him to try even biting them, but he just doesnt like live meat. then i had to be that person no one wants to be, had to crush their skulls and cut them in half, and then all the sudden they became super tasty to tarot, and he ate 2.5. then took a lovely after dinner poop on my carpet, gotta love my little guy.  

i hope he gets to feeling better soon, since hes been a bit lethargic lately for him. instead of basking and exploring, hes been spending maybe 65% of the day chilling right behind his hide in the soft sphagnum moss. but there was the reassuring crunching of bones in his meal today along with the supplements, so hopefully his swelling will go down and the last bit of shed on the underside of his tail will slough off soon.

i like the dubias so much i might start a colony soon. ive never worked with them before, i bred my own super worms so i never really need any. but with my superworms gone and me getting a nice little group of youngin's, i might see how tarot likes them and move from there.

thanks for reading!


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## apocalypse910 (Aug 11, 2012)

I've noticed my extreme is slowing down as well - It seems way too early to be hibernation but mine hasn't been getting up until dinner.


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## HeatherN (Aug 11, 2012)

hmm some say they go into hibernation as soon as late august. im not sure though.


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## HeatherN (Aug 13, 2012)

today i fed Tarot his second helping of pinky mouse, he loved it, and tried to feed him blueberries and egg yolk for the first time. he took the pinky first right away. then he took the blueberries surprisingly willingly, probably helps that they were coated in egg yolk and mouse innards juice. i only fed him one blueberry cut up into fourths since i honestly didnt think he was going to eat them. he probably wouldve taken more in his characteristically slow, distracted way. he liked to lick up the yolk, but would only do it from the tongs, would have nothing to do with the plate it was on.  so i fed him liquids with a tong, yes. in retrospect, shouldve used a dropper. then i took him outside for a bath in the sun. today he was more jumpy than usual when it came to me, so i took him in when he decided to burrow into my hair lol.

moral of the story: like most else when trying to feed your tegu new foods, it helps to associate them with yummies by dipping them or mixing them in with things they already love. in my case, its cod oil and meat juice. and now yolk.


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## agv0008 (Aug 13, 2012)

live or f/t pinky?


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## Thelegendofcharlie (Aug 13, 2012)

Trick question: Dont answer!


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## HeatherN (Aug 18, 2012)

he wont eat them live, so i have to crush their skulls for him. the rest ive been feeding him are f/t, agv.


Tarot is settling down lately for the big snooze. personally, id prefer him to stay awake, but he does what he wants, im just his slave. hes not tolerating me picking him up as well as he used to, part of his hibernation instinct i believe, as the behavior all correlates with all the other changes. he has been getting plenty of baths in the natural sun, both literally and figuratively. the other day, he was roaming on the grass, which seems to scar him less now, and he dug up a slug and ate it before i knew what was going on! im not worried about pesticides, we dont spray them around here, but there may be germs or other nasties on it. hes fine though. hes taken a liking to pooping on the carpeted part of his cage, lucky me  , and has forsaken his litter box. too mainstream i guess. 

i did end up starting a dubia colony, ordered some adults (10.25) for a teensy weeny colony for supplementary chinitous yummies. a day after they arrived i already have a bunch of bouncing baby blapticas, im so good at this! (im kidding, i know they arrived pregnant and ready to burst, i was afraid id pop some of them at some points)

we'll see if tarot does go down for the count any time soon, thanks for reading!


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## HeatherN (Aug 22, 2012)

yesterday, Tarot measured in at 16 inches. an inch longer since i last measured! hes heading into shed, but getting grumpier by the day, but i expected the reversal in training. especially when i find myself so busy with moving. he showed me his displeasure by peeing on my bed! what a lover.


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## bmx3000max (Aug 22, 2012)

Just wondering were did you ordrr the colonie from?


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## HeatherN (Aug 22, 2012)

dubideli.com


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## Dana C (Aug 22, 2012)

The "reversal" isn't really a reversal. They go through phases and if like you say he is moving toward a shed, he is uncomfortable, itchy and irritable. Just keep doing what you are doing. My yearling and adult are beginning to sleep more and want food every other day. It is what it is and just like last spring, they will wake up just as tame as they were before the big snooze.


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## chitodadon (Aug 23, 2012)

I'm.trying to keep Zeus from sleeping so far he is up when I come hone at night around 9pm.I wake him up to eat he only.eats pinkies but.wont touch the fuzzy such a brat lol he eats crickets so.now I'm.waiting on.my.shipment tomorrow from.hare today

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2


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## HeatherN (Aug 23, 2012)

are the fuzzys too big for him? or maybe he just wants you to skin them lol. perhaps cutting them into 3rds or 4ths could help. Tarot is not a big insect fan. ill kill some dubias and leave them in a bowl in his cage, but he only eats the big ol' males, none of the nymphs. and he only does it when im not looking!


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## apocalypse910 (Aug 23, 2012)

My extreme is also getting a bit testy lately. He is overall very well behaved but definitely moody, will bite me one second then jump on my lap, curl up, and fall asleep. 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Loki seemed to be getting ready to hibernate - up until this week he hasn't gotten out of his hide before 6 in the evening or so. I've been having huge problems with humidity so far and misting several times a day didn't seem to be doing the trick. I replaced his substrate and installed a misting system - brought the humidity way up to 70-80%. Since I installed it he has been as active as the day I got him. He was out all day yesterday, and got up before noon today and has been out basking or exploring every few minutes. It could just be the change in environment has him riled - but I suspect the humidity of the cage may have triggered more of the hibernation instinct than I thought. 

It is funny how weird they can be about food. Mine loves crickets, and hates superworms. He'll actually kill or maim every superworm he gets and then just sit there and stare at me - it is just slightly unsettling.


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## chitodadon (Aug 23, 2012)

Zeus is the same too he takes the worms and shakes them and stares but crickets he chases in the bath now he eats the fuzzies no.problem

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## HeatherN (Aug 23, 2012)

ive had a humidity issue too. i got a fogger but i need to get a timer, but it does get it up to like 90% sometimes. ive been spoiling him by feeding him in his cage though, and he gets too excited when i do that. borderline aggressive


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## bmx3000max (Aug 23, 2012)

If you tong train you wont have that problem


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## HeatherN (Aug 25, 2012)

hes very tong trained, chases it around, it was his feeding tool since day one. he just gets over-excited about the tongs when he's in the cage, almost jumps for them. usually hes smart enough not to though.

today, i fed him a new food item, garden snails ive been de-toxing since before i got him. they were a bit big for him, so i had to break the shells, but he LOVED them. i had just finished washing two, put one in the cage and he went straight to work cracking the shell like hed been doing it for years. i supplemented those snails with a lot of calcium though, so they had extra tough shells. tough enough to give me problems when i was cracking them with the flat side of wire cutters! his stomach was stretched taught after eating two large ones, and i had to stop him there. he was jumping for more though!  he went over all the left over shells, taking them up in his mouth and licking/chewing them to turn them over looking for more meat. i removed them so he doesnt cut his mouth. now hes sleeping on his big ol' gut. once i run out of de-toxed garden snails, ill probably go with the traditional apple snails from the asian market. 

i do not suggest feeding snails unless theyve been thoroughly cleaned inside and out, and dont even bother if there are pesticides in the area. garden snails are the kind escargot is made from, it is important you make sure the snails are safe enough for you to eat before you give them to your 'gu, wild insects can carry disease and parasites. im too texture oriented to try and cook them myself, i know id mess up (and id hate tsking some of Tarots new favorite food away from him!), but im told theyre quite tasty, feel free to indulge with them!


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## kinggill (Aug 25, 2012)

Great thread...This is a good read for my wife on what to expect ,she will be the care taker for until I return from Afghanistan in January to meet my new addition to the household,In chat conversations she tries referring to him as "her" little guy..lol...
Hopefully he is shipped soon, but I guess there is Bad weather down there right now.

Oh and by the way...we named ours "Tator"


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## HeatherN (Aug 25, 2012)

i love the name! it reminds me of something... hmmm  but it is the perfect for a little fat tegu. and a big fat tegu. really tegus in general!

i have a lot of friends who've done multiple tours out there, its a hell hole in every sense. itll be great to come back to something as wonderful as a tegu. even when theyre being frustrating, you cant help but feel so attached to them. im not trying to throw a pity-party, but i live with some stressful stuff, and my animals have always been an escape. tegus seem to take that to a new level with their interaction, and tarots doing me a great service. sometimes i watch him sleep for hours, then wonder how i could possibly not get bored.

you might have to fight your wife to get to Tator though, i end up treating Tarot like a baby and dont like when people try to grab at him lol. comes naturally when you bathe them, warm up their food for them, wake them up in the morning, cut up their meat for them...


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## armywife (Aug 26, 2012)

Hi guys! I am kinggill's wife who is not so patiently waiting my lil guys arrival. I am so interested in what you all have to say and I appreciate any advice. My husband has always been a reptile guy and has taught me alot, but as he said, I am gonna go it alone for a couple months. And Heather you are right I have a feeling I am gonna be a little protective of Tator by the time he gets home


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## HeatherN (Aug 26, 2012)

nice to meet you! as you can see, it can be nerve-wracking for a worry-wart, but so worth it. they arrive so tiny compared to the monsters they grow into. word of advice though... potty-train that sucker ASAP!


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## HeatherN (Aug 26, 2012)

earlier i made a post about pre-MBD/early MBD symptoms with Tarot, such as swollen gums. i am wondering though if that might just be him teething! it didnt occur to me until i saw him chewing on the snail. his gums have remained swollen, but dont seem to be causing discomfort. i often see him move his jaw around, then yawn repeatedly. perhaps it is the discomfort associated with teething. adult skeletons have teeth that are all pretty much the same length, but Tarot has only these two vampire-like fangs, the rest seem to be just gums. perhaps i could offer him something to chew on, like a small breed dog toy. anyone have similar experience?


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## Dana C (Aug 27, 2012)

I am almost 100% sure he won't touch a dog chew toy. Try giving him a chicken drum stick, a large one too big to swallow or a beef rib. Both will be to large to try and swallow but with the flavor an scent of the meat, he may chew them.


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## HeatherN (Aug 27, 2012)

ok, thanks for the advice! i have plenty of those two things around.


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## Logie_Bear (Aug 29, 2012)

Heya Heather. Have you noticed any changes in Tarot's swollen gums? Today I noticed that Esmeralda is beginning to show the same thing.


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## HeatherN (Aug 29, 2012)

ive been dosing him with large amounts (not too large) of calcium. and now he gets probably more whole prey than he should, even changed his uvb and give him natural sunlight every day. yet his gums are STILL the same amount of swollen. its caused the hypothesis to switch to the fact that he may be teething. he likes to chew on his tougher food, and he has more teeth than he used to. he used to only have these two vampire fangs, now he has a whole set in the front. 

the characteristics of his swelling include firmness, a "grey-ish" color, and no apparent pain or discomfort when i examine them. he lets me open his mouth relatively easily to look at his teeth, but the swelling seems to be on the outer edge of his teeth only, not on the inner. it seems to be a little more prominent on the left as well. if i could get pictures, i would! 

i hope ezzy is just teething! if its the same type of swelling, i think ive ruled out husbandry -at least the parts I've addressed- at this point.


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## Logie_Bear (Aug 31, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> the characteristics of his swelling include firmness, a "grey-ish" color, and no apparent pain or discomfort when i examine them. he lets me open his mouth relatively easily to look at his teeth, but the swelling seems to be on the outer edge of his teeth only, not on the inner. it seems to be a little more prominent on the left as well. if i could get pictures, i would!
> 
> i hope ezzy is just teething! if its the same type of swelling, i think ive ruled out husbandry -at least the parts I've addressed- at this point.



Hmm, its more prominent on her left side as well, ill try and take some pics and start a new thread about it. Lemme know if it looks like Tarots lips.


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## HeatherN (Aug 31, 2012)

thats rather strange, youve inspired me to try and get any pictures i can. if i can get some, ill post them to your thread


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## HeatherN (Aug 31, 2012)

here are some pics of my young tegu setup.

the entire DIY enclosure
[attachment=4980]


the left side. hes semi-potty trained (when he wants to be rofl) i use a small dog self-waterer as a water bowl/bath. he doesnt like water but its there if he wants it!
[attachment=4981]

heres the humid area with eco earth and sphagnum moss. he likes to hang out where he is in the pic.
[attachment=4982]

this is basking spot, theres usually a flannel shirt balled up on the end, but he pooped on it so im washing it lol. he likes to slide off the platform onto the moss. the repticarpet lining the platform is velcro'd on for easy cleaning.
[attachment=4983]


average basking temp is around 105 degrees F, with a fogger, the humidity fluctuates between 50% and 80% but usually around 70%. when he sheds, i let peak at 90%


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## HeatherN (Sep 4, 2012)

as of today, Tarots around 17 inches long. hes really hard to measure! his scales are looking so vibrant and healthy after i bought a zoomed reptifogger. it can keep the humidity up better than me spraying occasionally. unfortunately, he has been kind of shy lately, but hes much more tolerant of strangers. in a week or so, ill be moving, and i anticipate some stress-induced set backs, but it marks the start of a new chapter in training him while free roaming, eating, outside, and with people.


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## HeatherN (Sep 6, 2012)

Tarots been surprising me lately with his intelligence. i decided to try to get him to come when i tap my finger on the ground and say "comere', Tarot". i wanted to start off the positive association with food, as i have a strong trust in his innate ability to tell my hands from food. at first, he came running for the food, but when i tapped, he became hesitant, and walked away. he kept retreating when i tapped. so i put the food away and got on my computer to work. i noticed he started foraging a bit later, and banging on the glass, obviously hungry. curious, i opened the cage and tapped on the wooden lip. to my surprise, he came running to it. thinking a coincidence, i moved it away and tapped again. he followed! after repeating the cycle several times, i rushed to get his food and reenforce it. he hesitated again, but came to my hand maybe 5-7 more times before his hunger no longer overrode his caution. i tried feeding him without the tapping, but he was too full. i had never tried any of that before with him, and that all happened in one day! im going to continue to associate the tapping and phrases with food, as there is no sense of praise for tegus other than food.

one problem i do have with him is that he is afraid of my feet when he's on the ground. ive been trying to show they mean him no harm, but hes having a real tough time. understandably though, since he's a little hatchling, and when a looming giant is soaring towards you, it can be scary! 

despite my business, hes also getting better about being pulled out of his cage (not litarally pulled, more scooped really) im amazed at his progress when i look at how little time its actually taking.


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## HeatherN (Sep 11, 2012)

Tarot has not been really interested in food lately, but i think its been due to all the commotion around here. since ive been getting ready to move, things have been getting put in front of his cage and he's been dying to snoop around. today i was trying to feed him with tongs, but instead he insisted on pushing against my hand with his head and digging into my palm. so i opened my palm, he cautiously climbed on, then proceeded to use my arm as a bridge to the piles o' junk. i let him look around for a bit, but he couldve very easily gotten lost from me, so i put him back in after a few minutes.

tomorrow ill be driving up the coast for about 5 hours, then have several days to move in. its going to be hectic, and itll probably stress him out a bit. when i travel with him, i put him in a cat carrier with some of his substrate and a hide. it serves as a good temporary holding space for car rides and in strange places.


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## HeatherN (Sep 17, 2012)

so i moved into my new apartment and just finally am getting settled. Tarot was amazing this trip. he had to stay colder than normal a couple days, but still pooped in his baths i could give him in my hotel. now that he's in the apartment, instead of hiding 24/7, he's really been hassling me to get out and explore. i havent let him go far yet, as i still need to block the areas under the fridge and stove. otherwise, hes been eating like a pig, but his schedules obviously messed up. though so is mine, so we'll both have to settle into routine soon. hopefully my classes wont get in the way too much while i try to get things back on track for him.

when i was feeding him today, he kept doing this one motion where he would press either of his front legs forward, as if he were pushing around substrate when making a den. it almost looked like a spasm due to its sheer randomness, but after he was done eating, he would just sit there and do that on his carpeted basking spot, while pausing to rub his head on things. ive never seen him do anything like it. i hope its not some sort of indicator for an issue i caused with the move. could be just a little thing he does though now, idk.


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## HeatherN (Sep 21, 2012)

i took tarot outside for the first time yesterday since i moved. he was not at all happy with me walking around with him. i think the smells and sounds bothered him. i don't particularly enjoy the smells/sounds of college kids either.  he was much calmer (abliet still understandably stress) when i put him on a sunny picnic table. he sat around for awhile then decided hed had enough of me fawning over him and went to explore the table top. when he wanted to get out of the sun, i offered my arm and he climbed down it to my lap. he wanted to drop from there to the floor, but i took him elsewhere in the grass so i would keep better track of him. 

he took a nice big poop (better in the grass than on my carpet) and proceeded to act normal, sticking his head in depressions in the grass, looking for foods. he discovered a bush with a large bit of space under its canopy-like base and proceeded to make my life difficult. i stuck my hand in to go get him, and he did the whole song and dance with the hissing and the standing, but ultimately was retrieved without any chasing. then the interesting part happened where he insisted on climbing all over me at an alarmingly fast pace, almost scrambling, which hes never done for me. he was obviously stressed and i took him back to his cage. now he hides very quickly if i dont have food with me, but he still eats eagerly.

its quite a few steps back, but im sure he'll come around when the stress from moving has settled more.


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## HeatherN (Sep 28, 2012)

Tarots been good since last update, but ive been a busy little bee. he doesnt mind since hes heading into shed again (finally!). this is the first time ive seen him rub and scratch his branch so early into a shed. he hasnt even started peeling and he looks like a bear with a bad case of fleas going to town on a log. its cute, but i know hes uncomfortable. ive been keeping the humidity extra high, but hes still grumpin' it up.


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## Logie_Bear (Sep 28, 2012)

I want pics when he is done shedding!


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## HeatherN (Oct 4, 2012)

just an update, besides his gum problem ( http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=12630#axzz28HNnQoVy ), Tarot has been doing fairly well considering. i can get the silly one to eat anything new i got him from hare today, only ground turkey. i think soon ill try putting some cod liver oil in it. he can tell when i mix up different types of meat!

today he was being rather interesting. i was watching him, just seeing how he's doing, and he kept going under his driftwood and lifting his tail/butt to scratch it. i dont think it was doing the trick, as it's lightweight wood. so at the risk of making him mad, i reached over and rubbed the base of his tail a bit with my index finger. when he didnt move away and lifted his tail to press against it, i started scratching. he then used his back legs to raise his butt up further, but stayed in one place as i scratched him. he knows quite well he can just move to avoid me, but he chose to stay and let me scratch his butt. i stopped, since i didnt want to hurt/bug him (even though my nails are very short). he then proceeded to turn around and stare at me for several minutes. i held my hand for him to lick, and he proceeded to rub his face on it like a cat, which could be due to his shed or gum thingy. but i scratched him again and he eventually walked away this time. just an overall really weird interaction. he then proceeded to do normal stuff, i.e. digging.

his shed is not moving along that quickly, but its moving. not close to popping for awhile though. thanks all!


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## HeatherN (Oct 7, 2012)

measured Tarot this weekend. 19 inches! the shed on his tail is starting to slough, but very slowly. actually got him to eat some rabbit today when i mixed it with turkey and doused it in cod liver oil. he's weird like that.


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## HeatherN (Oct 18, 2012)

My little guy still hasnt shed! its just not wanting to pop, but i bet when it does, hell come out 5 inches longer or something lol.

i took him to my hero department the other day to ask one of the head grad students about his swollen jaw. he seemed to agree with me, that he might just be teething. i was very proud of Tarot though, as everyone wanted to pet him, and he let them without issues. he also let the grad student hold him and even squeeze his jaw to palpate and he was a perfect little patient. its amazing how much he has tamed down since i first got him, and i havent been working with him in small increments. now i am usually forced to hang out with him a lot on weekends as opposed to everyday like i prefer. my break is coming up, and im going to spoil the little fool rotten!


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## Dana C (Oct 18, 2012)

HeatherN said:


> measured Tarot this weekend. 19 inches! the shed on his tail is starting to slough, but very slowly. actually got him to eat some rabbit today when i mixed it with turkey and doused it in cod liver oil. he's weird like that.



Hi Heather,
You may want to try feeding skinless chicken breast cut into chunks which is what I have moved to. Naturally I add liver, fish sometimes, gizzards. Because my boys are adults, they also get sectioned chicken wings as their source of calcium. Every other day the get a mouse or two as well.

What is funny about chunk'd food , is watching them eat. They root through the pieces, the liver etc. until they find the one they want. After that they sniff around looking for the chunk they want second and so on. Funny to watch.


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## HeatherN (Oct 18, 2012)

i might just do that. he's finally starting to eat his rabbit and whatnot without me having to alter it. he much prefers to eat off of the tongs that out of a dish though.


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## TeguBlake (Jan 31, 2013)

Lets get some new pictures


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