# Baby tegu keeps hiding



## Michael Descant (Jun 9, 2018)

I'm a new tegu owner. I got a columbian tegu baby 6 weeks ago, it was about 9 inches counting the tail at the time. I'm unsure of the sex but call him Charles. 
Basic info: Right now he lives in a 40 gallon breeder tank with coconut fiber base, a baking rock under a ceramic heat emitter, a pool of water I change weekly or sooner if needed and a small dish or water I change daily. He has 2 pieces of mopani wood that make a hide and a ceramic log sitting on top of wet sphagnum moss. I must the enclosure once a day and the humidity is usually in the 70s but fluctuates some. The damp hide is are is pretty consistently 75-78 degrees, basking area is about 110 and the ambient temp is 80s to 90s. He has a straight florescent uvb light on a timer that comes on in the late morning and is on for 12 hrs. He has a fantastic appetite and eats readily. He gets crickets, cooked chicken, feeder fish, kiwi, and apple. I'm still experimenting with what else he likes. I dust his crickets and chicken with calcium. He had his first shed with me 2 weeks ago and had no problems with it. 
Problem: I almost never see him out. I've only seen him out in the open 3 or 4 times in the 6 weeks I've had him. Everything I read said don't disturb tegus while they're hiding because it damages trust, but I don't like not being able to feed him. I don't want to leave food in his tank during the day because he does still get some live food and I also don't want the other food to spoil and have him get sick from eating it. Since he is pretty young, I reasoned that it's more important for him to eat than to worry about trust so I've actually been getting him out of wherever he is hiding to feed him. Occasionally I'll let him go a few days with out eating to see if he comes out and usually he doesn't. When I have him out he shows no sign of aggression towards me and rarely runs away. 90% of the time I can just scoop him up. He does not bolt from my hand or try to bite and often smells me repeatedly while I hold him.
Should I keep going like I am? Or am I just shooting myself in the foot and going to wind up with a wild tegu? I know I shouldn't dig him out of hiding but I'm afraid of him losing weight and developing health problems. I also know that each animal is an individual so might this just be the normal for my tegu since he always seems so easy going around me? He is active and alert when he's out, watching him go after crickets is really fun.

Thanks in advance to all you more experienced tegu owners and I'm sorry if this is over the top information.


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## Walter1 (Jun 10, 2018)

I think your doing just fine.


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## grapebasil (Jun 21, 2018)

Our Columbian is usually out 12-4. Don’t know if you could pop back home for your lunch break?


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## grapebasil (Jun 21, 2018)

Also I’ve found that mealworms will usually stay in their little bowl; we use a quiche dish. Maybe finding some food source that is slightly less tasty but can be left in there and saving fun things for hand feeding?


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## Zyn (Jun 21, 2018)

Try some thawed pinky mice he’ll go crazy for them and full his dietary needs much more than crickets or mealworms which are fine for small sized liazards like geckos


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## AlphaAlpha (Jun 22, 2018)

As long as he's not grumpy with you when you dig him out I'd carry on as you are, as it sounds like you are doing a fantastic job.... I dig Alpha out just about every day and he's about a year old, cause hes a little s*#t tending to only come out in his viv for a quick bask if I'm there.


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## grapebasil (Jun 22, 2018)

Zyn said:


> Try some thawed pinky mice he’ll go crazy for them and full his dietary needs much more than crickets or mealworms which are fine for small sized liazards like geckos


question: are frozen safer than live in terms of parasites? or just easier to buy in bulk?


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## Zyn (Jun 22, 2018)

I have a small rat colony, so I know my feeders, but frozen does kill off any parasites. It’s easier because you don’t have a bunch of mice to take care of. Also pretty cost effective. I prekill all my feeders prior to giving them to my Tegu. For the Tegus safety and it’s just more humane.


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## EnjoysWine (Jun 22, 2018)

Zyn said:


> I have a small rat colony, so I know my feeders, but frozen does kill off any parasites. It’s easier because you don’t have a bunch of mice to take care of. Also pretty cost effective. I prekill all my feeders prior to giving them to my Tegu. For the Tegus safety and it’s just more humane.



How do you pre-kill them?


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## Walter1 (Jun 22, 2018)

I do not know how Zyn dispatches/euthanizes his rodents. Typically, rodents are euthanized en masse with CO2. Individually, a mouse on a flat surface has a pencil resting crosswise over the neck firmly. A quick pull of the tail breaks the neck, and the mouse is dead immediately. 

A tegu MUST eat whole prey. I do not say this lightly. It is an impossibility that the trauma associated with the method described above comes anywhere near that of it being fed while alive.


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## Zyn (Jun 22, 2018)

Like Walter said once I have 20 or so babies at the correct size I buy a 1lb block of dry ice from tractor supply. Then put it in a cup, put that in a small rubbermaid with the small rats. They slowly fall asleep and soon after stop breathing. Cheap easy and humane. If I have none frozen at the right size since he’s growing so fast I use the pencil method to break the neck.


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## grapebasil (Jun 22, 2018)

Are tegus in danger of being attacked by prey the way bps are? Curious as to the live vs. frozen argument as it pertains to safety. And has anyone had trouble transitioning from live to frozen?


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## VenusAndSaturn (Jun 23, 2018)

I'd say most animals when fed live are always in danger of potentially getting hurt. Unless of course, it's something like a pinky mouse that can't fight back. 

As far as transitioning from live to frozen/prekilled I've never had a problem.


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## Kre8sioN (Jun 23, 2018)

my chacoan is about that age. im able to pop home for lunch / only work a few blocks away. but when I get home at the end of the day lately hes borrowed. when I make breakfast I make him a soft boiled only cutting up a little egg white and drizzle some yolk on it. he love the yolk. anyway at lunch he is still out and I give him a few small horned worms. someone on this site said a heathy tegu wont starve and I believe that. but as you say I will not dig him out of his borrow. btw horned worms are slow and easily dipped in calcium or vitamins. as for the above I have no idea. just posting my experience so far  good luck keep us posted


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## Largelizards (Jan 28, 2019)

Michael Descant said:


> I'm a new tegu owner. I got a columbian tegu baby 6 weeks ago, it was about 9 inches counting the tail at the time. I'm unsure of the sex but call him Charles.
> Basic info: Right now he lives in a 40 gallon breeder tank with coconut fiber base, a baking rock under a ceramic heat emitter, a pool of water I change weekly or sooner if needed and a small dish or water I change daily. He has 2 pieces of mopani wood that make a hide and a ceramic log sitting on top of wet sphagnum moss. I must the enclosure once a day and the humidity is usually in the 70s but fluctuates some. The damp hide is are is pretty consistently 75-78 degrees, basking area is about 110 and the ambient temp is 80s to 90s. He has a straight florescent uvb light on a timer that comes on in the late morning and is on for 12 hrs. He has a fantastic appetite and eats readily. He gets crickets, cooked chicken, feeder fish, kiwi, and apple. I'm still experimenting with what else he likes. I dust his crickets and chicken with calcium. He had his first shed with me 2 weeks ago and had no problems with it.
> Problem: I almost never see him out. I've only seen him out in the open 3 or 4 times in the 6 weeks I've had him. Everything I read said don't disturb tegus while they're hiding because it damages trust, but I don't like not being able to feed him. I don't want to leave food in his tank during the day because he does still get some live food and I also don't want the other food to spoil and have him get sick from eating it. Since he is pretty young, I reasoned that it's more important for him to eat than to worry about trust so I've actually been getting him out of wherever he is hiding to feed him. Occasionally I'll let him go a few days with out eating to see if he comes out and usually he doesn't. When I have him out he shows no sign of aggression towards me and rarely runs away. 90% of the time I can just scoop him up. He does not bolt from my hand or try to bite and often smells me repeatedly while I hold him.
> Should I keep going like I am? Or am I just shooting myself in the foot and going to wind up with a wild tegu? I know I shouldn't dig him out of hiding but I'm afraid of him losing weight and developing health problems. I also know that each animal is an individual so might this just be the normal for my tegu since he always seems so easy going around me? He is active and alert when he's out, watching him go after crickets is really fun.
> ...


I am basically in the same situation as you except I haven’t had him that long as I brought home my new red tegu that’s about 13 in long, 2days ago. He stays buried and I’m worried it will continue and I will be in your previous situation,so I’m wondering, what did you do, did you continue to keep digging him out or not? And in hindsight do you think you did the right thing, how are the results with your tegu?


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## Largelizards (Jan 31, 2019)

Michael Descant said:


> I'm a new tegu owner. I got a columbian tegu baby 6 weeks ago, it was about 9 inches counting the tail at the time. I'm unsure of the sex but call him Charles.
> Basic info: Right now he lives in a 40 gallon breeder tank with coconut fiber base, a baking rock under a ceramic heat emitter, a pool of water I change weekly or sooner if needed and a small dish or water I change daily. He has 2 pieces of mopani wood that make a hide and a ceramic log sitting on top of wet sphagnum moss. I must the enclosure once a day and the humidity is usually in the 70s but fluctuates some. The damp hide is are is pretty consistently 75-78 degrees, basking area is about 110 and the ambient temp is 80s to 90s. He has a straight florescent uvb light on a timer that comes on in the late morning and is on for 12 hrs. He has a fantastic appetite and eats readily. He gets crickets, cooked chicken, feeder fish, kiwi, and apple. I'm still experimenting with what else he likes. I dust his crickets and chicken with calcium. He had his first shed with me 2 weeks ago and had no problems with it.
> Problem: I almost never see him out. I've only seen him out in the open 3 or 4 times in the 6 weeks I've had him. Everything I read said don't disturb tegus while they're hiding because it damages trust, but I don't like not being able to feed him. I don't want to leave food in his tank during the day because he does still get some live food and I also don't want the other food to spoil and have him get sick from eating it. Since he is pretty young, I reasoned that it's more important for him to eat than to worry about trust so I've actually been getting him out of wherever he is hiding to feed him. Occasionally I'll let him go a few days with out eating to see if he comes out and usually he doesn't. When I have him out he shows no sign of aggression towards me and rarely runs away. 90% of the time I can just scoop him up. He does not bolt from my hand or try to bite and often smells me repeatedly while I hold him.
> Should I keep going like I am? Or am I just shooting myself in the foot and going to wind up with a wild tegu? I know I shouldn't dig him out of hiding but I'm afraid of him losing weight and developing health problems. I also know that each animal is an individual so might this just be the normal for my tegu since he always seems so easy going around me? He is active and alert when he's out, watching him go after crickets is really fun.
> ...



Can you please give a response to my questions in last message? Short and sweet works too, thanks!


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## Walter1 (Jan 31, 2019)

Unsure. Coyld be in 1-2 weeks he's settled/acclimated and begins daily active routine. Or coyld be after settling hin its brumation/overwintering time and activity decreases some to alot to completely for 1-4 mo.


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## BigRed78 (Feb 5, 2019)

Largelizards said:


> I am basically in the same situation as you except I haven’t had him that long as I brought home my new red tegu that’s about 13 in long, 2days ago. He stays buried and I’m worried it will continue and I will be in your previous situation,so I’m wondering, what did you do, did you continue to keep digging him out or not? And in hindsight do you think you did the right thing, how are the results with your tegu?



Hi I’ve been reading a lot of your post on here, and I feel like I can really relate with your situation. My baby tegu is about 12 inches long, I got him at a reptile show. I’ve been doing so much research but for some reason I’m so nervous that he’s not really eating. The first day I got him home he ate like 2 small piece of chicken breast. It’s been 4 days all he ate are couple crickets and he’s been hiding in his hide pretty much all day long. I have him in a 4 feet x 4 feet kiddie pool, I have his hide next to the basking light with 100 watt bulb and reptisun 5.0 uvb.What would you suggest? Today marks 5 days and he ate like 6 crickets total and 2 pieces of small chicken breast.


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## Walter1 (Feb 5, 2019)

BigRed78 said:


> Hi I’ve been reading a lot of your post on here, and I feel like I can really relate with your situation. My baby tegu is about 12 inches long, I got him at a reptile show. I’ve been doing so much research but for some reason I’m so nervous that he’s not really eating. The first day I got him home he ate like 2 small piece of chicken breast. It’s been 4 days all he ate are couple crickets and he’s been hiding in his hide pretty much all day long. I have him in a 4 feet x 4 feet kiddie pool, I have his hide next to the basking light with 100 watt bulb and reptisun 5.0 uvb.What would you suggest? Today marks 5 days and he ate like 6 crickets total and 2 pieces of small chicken breast.


Does he have good form? Not skinny?


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## Largelizards (Feb 5, 2019)

BigRed78 said:


> Hi I’ve been reading a lot of your post on here, and I feel like I can really relate with your situation. My baby tegu is about 12 inches long, I got him at a reptile show. I’ve been doing so much research but for some reason I’m so nervous that he’s not really eating. The first day I got him home he ate like 2 small piece of chicken breast. It’s been 4 days all he ate are couple crickets and he’s been hiding in his hide pretty much all day long. I have him in a 4 feet x 4 feet kiddie pool, I have his hide next to the basking light with 100 watt bulb and reptisun 5.0 uvb.What would you suggest? Today marks 5 days and he ate like 6 crickets total and 2 pieces of small chicken breast.



Greetings BigRed. I’m not one to give a lot of advice since I’m new to owning Tegu, but since you asked I’ll share what I’ve learned and if I’m wrong someone can point that out.

First, answer Walters question as unless he looks emancipated, dehydrated, or Physically unfit, you don’t have much to worry about as far as not eating a lot yet, it’s only been 4 days.

Some people say to just leave them alone for a week and not even feed them because they’re not gonna want to take food from you. The fact that he already ate some food from you is a good sign. They can and will go long periods without eating periodically. especially in winter time they can go into brumation and not eat for months.

Also they love to hide all day this is very normal, Especially at first. They should have a deep substrate, I like to give at least 6 inches. Tegus love to borough and shouldn’t be deprived of this.

Pictures of setup would help, if you’re have a screen between UVB source it will be cut in half and if it’s too far away you’re not gonna get enough. You could get 10.0 uvb instead, or keep the one you have add another. Watch the temps with a temp gun, You can get a good one on Amazon for like around $15 or so. I have Etekcity brand. Make sure basking spot is 110 F -100. And cool side is mid 70s to 85. You want to create a temperature gradient but also a UVB gradient . Also make Sure there is a humidity gradient, The substrate shouldn’t be soaking wet but should have at least a 75% or so humidity, But I also have some less humid for different option.


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## Walter1 (Feb 5, 2019)

Largelizards said:


> Greetings BigRed. I’m not one to give a lot of advice since I’m new to owning Tegu, but since you asked I’ll share what I’ve learned and if I’m wrong someone can point that out.
> 
> First, answer Walters question as unless he looks emancipated, dehydrated, or Physically unfit, you don’t have much to worry about as far as not eating a lot yet, it’s only been 4 days.
> 
> ...


Exactly.


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## BigRed78 (Feb 5, 2019)

Thanks you so much for the detail response! I have called so many pet stores but there knowledge on tegu is little to none. 

I have attached a photo of my set up, the UVB light is a t5 reptisun I have 2 bulbs of 5.0 and 10.0. Since there is a glass I want to make sure he gets enough uvb in him. But ever since I set it up I haven’t notice him going under it. But I know it’s fairly new and he is still getting use to his setup. Do you think it’s okay for me to put his hide right under the basking light? It’s a 100w bulb. 

Again thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!


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## Largelizards (Feb 5, 2019)

Your welcome! Here’s the best source that puts together all the information you need to know as far as basics in one place. I was referred here by that site, so in return...
https://www.reptifiles.com/colombian-argentine-tegu-care/

The glass is going to block almost all of the UVB. Also, with a 4 x4 ft you’ll need A basking light and the UVB bulb light heating up the same place, that way tegu you will bask in the heat while getting the UVB too. Also, the longer 24” or so strip Is Good for covering more areas but with less UVB , which is good to replicate shaded areas. Your set up looks like it might need to be secured a little better as far as preventing escapes. Also, A good option for a substrate for you that will help hold humidity and be easy to clean and maintain is 50 % ecoearth, 50 % cypress mulch that is pure cypress and is double milled so it’s not to thick. You can get it at a tractor farm supply store or somewhere else probably. Or for now, just use “ forest floor by zoo med I believe”. I use that plus some organic topsoil without perlite or manure (can be hard to find)along with silica free play sand and leaf litter, but you can keep it simple with the first two ingredients, as it’s less mess


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## Largelizards (Feb 5, 2019)

Also, 100w incandescent, halogen, floodlight will all have different heat output. But The light you use is going to depend on the heat that you need which depends on your location which is different for everybody. A lot savy tegu owners and reptile keepers in general use a cluster of low wattage floodlights for heat source and save money on bulbs and electricity, plus safer, and then buy the expensive UVB bulbs that you still have to get overpriced from pet brands until technology improves. Megaray is brand that sells half price of other uvb bulbs like powersun and last longer, speaking of which don’t forget to replace your UV lights every six months even if they appear to work, unless u get that brand I mentioned. As far as hides, I have a half log hide under one of my basking lights, but under other heat source that is uvb, I have a stone (a tile is what most use). As long as tegu can bask atop the hide and the hide doesn’t heat up to hot inside it shouldn’t be a problem. It should have more than one hide, You can make some out of Tupperware if you have to. Also with a deep substrate with a good consistency, your tegu will be able to make his own hide in addition to the ones you give give him. He may need an additional humid hide, filled with something like sphagnum moss. Or a fogger is a great option too. You really need to provide enough humidity so they shed properly and thrive.


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## Largelizards (Feb 5, 2019)

BigRed78 said:


> Thanks you so much for the detail response! I have called so many pet stores but there knowledge on tegu is little to none.
> 
> I have attached a photo of my set up, the UVB light is a t5 reptisun I have 2 bulbs of 5.0 and 10.0. Since there is a glass I want to make sure he gets enough uvb in him. But ever since I set it up I haven’t notice him going under it. But I know it’s fairly new and he is still getting use to his setup. Do you think it’s okay for me to put his hide right under the basking light? It’s a 100w bulb.
> 
> Again thank you so much for sharing your knowledge





BigRed78 said:


> Thanks you so much for the detail response! I have called so many pet stores but there knowledge on tegu is little to none.
> 
> I have attached a photo of my set up, the UVB light is a t5 reptisun I have 2 bulbs of 5.0 and 10.0. Since there is a glass I want to make sure he gets enough uvb in him. But ever since I set it up I haven’t notice him going under it. But I know it’s fairly new and he is still getting use to his setup. Do you think it’s okay for me to put his hide right under the basking light? It’s a 100w bulb.
> 
> ...


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