# This has been the longest four months.



## ccole93 (Mar 9, 2013)

My Argentine is STILL hibernating!  He went down literally on the first day of November and has never come up on his own. I dig him out once a month to make sure everything is running smoothly and give him a bit of water. His tail is really fat and he doesn't look sick. I'm getting so impatient, lol. What temps should I start out at to wake him up? Will raising humidity help? Jeez, I was hoping the little bugger would've woken up by now.


----------



## Steven. (Mar 9, 2013)

I feel you.. My guy is still down as well.. He's been down since November. I miss him. What makes it worst is that his cage is rite infront of my bed... Every morning i wake up to an empty enclosure.. He doesn't even get up to see if the world ended lol.. I hope he gets up soon

sent from my phone to your eyes


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 10, 2013)

I got niles sept 11, 2012 ... went down in oct... he's still asleep.  it is very hard to wait. Indeed


----------



## ccole93 (Mar 10, 2013)

It's kinda depressing seeing the empty cage. Oh well, when it heats up he'll be running around like crazy in the sunshine.


----------



## Steven. (Mar 11, 2013)

Yep.. Sunshine is no issue here in Florida... Most of the time i don't even run the powersun.. I just bring him outside for the day..lol. Gotta love our 100 degree days

sent from my phone to your eyes


----------



## Diablo (Mar 12, 2013)

Right there with you man. Empty cage by my bed, I've had the lights running for about a month now. A waste I guess but oh well he should be up soon. I woke him up two days ago to see if he would stay up and of course he didn't. Still waiting patiently...I miss the little guy. I want to start the taming process asap


----------



## ccole93 (Mar 15, 2013)

So will he just wake up according to his internal clock or does his cage have something to do with it? I've been leaving the lights on like Diablo and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Should I just turn them off and wait?


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 15, 2013)

Mine is still hibernating, too.  Lights are on, he's by the sliding glass door. I even pick him up a few times to check on him....nothing but zzzzzzz.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 17, 2013)

Omg yes i do the same. :/ niles just tolerates me snuggling him then buries himself again. And laura, you are in fla so warm and light really does make no difference. Internal clocks better get ringing!!! Grrrr....


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 19, 2013)

Well about an hour maybe ago niles was up 'basking ' under the red night heat light. Omg. He doesn't come out all day but digs himself out at like 9pm??? Haha. Well i petted him and tried a waxworm but he just went back under his hide again. :/


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 20, 2013)

I came home yesterday afternoon and Kolby was up basking and looks to be shedding. Thank goodness because his little front legs are really stiff. Then he saw me and buried, lol.


----------



## ccole93 (Mar 20, 2013)

Bleh, I'm gonna do everything in my power to stop his hibernation this coming fall. On the bright side it slowed down his growth so I could work on building a cage.


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 20, 2013)

Got a little more basking action today! Maybe it is coming to an end.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 20, 2013)

[attachment=6667][attachment=6668]Omg laura!!! Me too! Second NIGHT for niles! He's up now... 7pm / 7:30pm now... he dug himself out and just wants to bask with dirt on his back. Haha. Won't touch food or water. Just sleeps under the heat. Last time it was under the night bulb. This time it's the floods because I try to go by the 'natural ' daylight... omg now he's walking around! Yaaaay!


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 20, 2013)

That'd good can't wait for zikla to wake

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 20, 2013)

Ok... so he went back to bed... now he's up again at 9:21pm! Basking under his nightlight... weirdo. He likes the "moonlight " or... ?


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 20, 2013)

He is a party animal

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## ccole93 (Mar 20, 2013)

Oh man, congrats guys! That's great that they're waking up.  I'm working on cranking up the heat for my guy.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 21, 2013)

So last night I was talking to dubya and he saved me yet again... ( before when my spider wouldn't eat he gave me advice that worked). Niles had been refusing anything I gave him so I was worrying that since he started 'waking up ' he was going to deplete his reserves ... well dubya suggested 'kick-starting ' his appetite with just simple egg yolk. BAM! He loved it!!! I'm soooo happy that he finally ate! Maybe now he'll 'really ' start waking up! By the way, although we still have snow, the day before yesterday was 'technically ' the first day of spring. That is when niles started waking up. How friggin weird is that??? Something to think about...


----------



## psychocircus91 (Mar 21, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> So last night I was talking to dubya and he saved me yet again... ( before when my spider wouldn't eat he gave me advice that worked). Niles had been refusing anything I gave him so I was worrying that since he started 'waking up ' he was going to deplete his reserves ... well dubya suggested 'kick-starting ' his appetite with just simple egg yolk. BAM! He loved it!!! I'm soooo happy that he finally ate! Maybe now he'll 'really ' start waking up! By the way, although we still have snow, the day before yesterday was 'technically ' the first day of spring. That is when niles started waking up. How friggin weird is that??? Something to think about...




was it raw egg yolk?


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 21, 2013)

Yes. I took the white out because it is only the white that contains the avidin(did i spell it right? ) which i was told is harmful to them.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 21, 2013)

Omg he's up again!!! Day 3! It was 6:15 approx when I noticed him basking  he is, it seems, a night owl <3


----------



## psychocircus91 (Mar 21, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> Yes. I took the white out because it is only the white that contains the avidin(did i spell it right? ) which i was told is harmful to them.



just curious. i haven't gotten my guy to eat yet either.


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 21, 2013)

*Re: RE: This has been the longest four months.*



BatGirl1 said:


> Omg he's up again!!! Day 3! It was 6:15 approx when I noticed him basking  he is, it seems, a night owl <3



U lucky zilla still down also have u heardv from dubya

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 21, 2013)

The avidin isn't that harmful. That info is totally overrated.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 21, 2013)

Oh really laura? I was told by several people not to give raw egg. Then told it was only the white that could not be given raw. I guess just like everything else, we live and we learn. Right?  and you are a smart lady, so I trust you <3


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 21, 2013)

It takes a lot of avidin from raw eggs to break down the biotin. That's the concern with avidin....that it would cause a biotin deficiency. But if you supplement with multivitamins and aren't feeding a predominantly raw egg diet, then you are good.


OH, my little teeny baby is up and ate today! yaaaay


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 22, 2013)

Awesome laura!!! Yaaaay!  niles keeps waking up at night. Weirdo. Basking on his rock last night with the flood lights OFF... eh. Strange one. And I don't think he touched the egg yolk last night. But at least he's getting up now 3 nights in a row. I'm thankful for that :/


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 22, 2013)

He's up again! Hasn't eaten but basking a lot. Oh and does hibernation do something to them? Because he seems less like his old self.meaning i petted him and he ran under his hide  he's never done that to me before


----------



## Diablo (Mar 22, 2013)

Yoshi came up a day ago ate and hasn't been back up since 

Sent from my DROID RAZR


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 23, 2013)

Sometimes it's like starting over with a little one.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 23, 2013)

He's 18 in. Is that considered little? :/ i miss my snuggly niles <3


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 23, 2013)

I mean if they go down young


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 23, 2013)

Yeah. He's acting sooo weird. Today i tried to feed him. Refused.and instead of snuggling with me he acted like he didn't trust me. Kept trying to run, like I literally had to grab his tail a couple times to keep him from landing on the floor. He has never acted this way before


----------



## Raicardoso (Mar 23, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> Yeah. He's acting sooo weird. Today i tried to feed him. Refused.and instead of snuggling with me he acted like he didn't trust me. Kept trying to run, like I literally had to grab his tail a couple times to keep him from landing on the floor. He has never acted this way before



Try to avoid grabbing him by his tail


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 23, 2013)

Ok wiseguy...haha  and yes i never do.i always let him walk onto my hand, never grab him. However, he shot like a little rocket off my palm and almost landed on the floor so i used his tail to slow him down then put him back in his enclosure. Oh! Good news! Today he did eat some chicken dipped in yolk for me! I tong fed it to him  and he's been up snuggling with his alligator a lot today <3 cutest ever. [attachment=6682][attachment=6683]


----------



## Skeetzy (Mar 24, 2013)

Ink popped his head out today for the first time in almost 7 months. I offered him some water which he sat drinking for awhile. Didn't explore too far from his cave before disappearing. I have all day off tomorrow, so I'll be keeping an eye out for him


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 24, 2013)

Mine has been eating and I've been handling him again. He's soooo tiny.


----------



## Deac77 (Mar 24, 2013)

Kirby's still up and going! Also Laura he's waiting on pics of his brother/sister


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 25, 2013)

Yaaay you guys  that's great! Niles has been up every day too! I'm so happy <3


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 25, 2013)

Godzilla is up too

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 25, 2013)

Yay! Is godzilla little like niles? Was 18in last I measured.


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 25, 2013)

No zilla is anout 3ft

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 25, 2013)

Damn this hibernation.haha.niles has a lot of "catching up " to do... :/


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 25, 2013)

Yea Godzilla is eating a lil by a lil

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## Skeetzy (Mar 25, 2013)

Ink is barely a foot I'd say. Just got him to eat two pinkies drizzled in yolk. He's a little shaky still. But he's out basking and gaining confidence.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 25, 2013)

Yaaay! So happy to hear all the babies waking up for spring


----------



## Skeetzy (Mar 25, 2013)

Quick pic of him basking. He's so tiny.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 25, 2013)

Awwww  cutie.


Niles ate chicken dipped in egg for me again today. So far wants nothing to do with beef liver or ground turkey. And he will only lick egg yolk out of the dish if I put it right under his nose. He won't touch the meat. I have to tong feed it to him. Little spoiled brat. Haha.


----------



## chelvis (Mar 25, 2013)

Glad to hear everyone is waking up. Keep it mind it takes a few days/weeks to get them back to eating normally. Their gut "shuts down" during hibernation and also needs time to wake up.


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 25, 2013)

I've been feeding mine dusted pinkies.


----------



## Skeetzy (Mar 25, 2013)

I plan on feeding a mixture of dusted pinkies, and have some fresh meat coming in Wednesday from Hare-Today. Went with the coarse ground rabbit and turkey for this batch. 

For those who order pinkies/rodents online, whats a good site? I was going to order off Rodent Pro, but not sure if there's a better site. Paying $1.25 each at my local store isn't going to fly for long. Especially with my cat trying to get a pinky to snack on whenever I thaw them out now.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 26, 2013)

Laura, are dusted pinkies more readily accepted than chicken in egg yolk when waking from hibernation? Will this trigger niles to gain back his appetite? The first acceptance of food was just plain egg yolk. Then chicken dipped in yolk. The other day he ate pretty much all of it but then refused anything then yesterday ate only a couple pieces. He really seems more interested in just licking the yolk off it. :/ also he never comes to dish to eat. I have to put it under his nose. Then he just licks the yolk. Any meat i have to dangle in front of him with tongs. I'm wondering about size too... i don't have pinkies but do have some frozen hoppers. I have fed these to my bearded dragon and cuban knights anole. I'm wondering if niles could eat one (would he?) Or if that's too big. He was 18in last I measured...before hibernation. I suppose I could try a hopper then if he's like "no way " could just give to someone else so it's not wasted...


----------



## Diablo (Mar 26, 2013)

Yoshi is doing the same thing, just licking the yolk off of whatever I offer to him. He did eat one super worm today but that was it. I'm just going to keep offering food everyday. Not sure what else to do besides maybe not offer anything for a while and wait till he is hungry. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR


----------



## Dubya (Mar 26, 2013)

D, try a little Ox-Bow Carnivore Care mixed in with Niles egg yolk for a week or so.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 26, 2013)

Ok dubya, you've never steered me wrong yet  today i cut a f/t hopper in half and drenched in egg yolk. We'll see what happens...


----------



## chelvis (Mar 26, 2013)

Like I said before it will take some time before they get hungry again.


----------



## chitodadon (Mar 26, 2013)

Godzilla hunger is building up good

from Samsung Galaxy S3


----------



## psychocircus91 (Mar 26, 2013)

How long is too long for them to not eat? Or is there really no concern at all? It's been a week for me so far and this is my first tegu (17 months old)


----------



## Dubya (Mar 26, 2013)

chitodadon said:


> Godzilla hunger is building up good
> 
> from Samsung Galaxy S3



Well, feed him then. He did get kind of skinny. But from the pics his tail is still sort of fat.



psychocircus91 said:


> How long is too long for them to not eat? Or is there really no concern at all? It's been a week for me so far and this is my first tegu (17 months old)



As I told Batgirl1, try some raw egg yolk and maybe add a little Ox-Bow Carnivore Care to it. It should give a little jump start.


----------



## psychocircus91 (Mar 26, 2013)

Dubya said:


> chitodadon said:
> 
> 
> > Godzilla hunger is building up good
> ...



Thanks for the tip. I tried some raw egg yolk a couple days ago and he did lick it a little. Can you usually pick up that oxbow carnivore care at big name pet stores?


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 26, 2013)

I need to buy some too. I don't have any


----------



## laurarfl (Mar 26, 2013)

It is usually a vet sold product but may be found at pet boutique pet pantry type stores. I don't care for the carb content of it, but that's just me. If I can avoid it, I will. I'd rather go for pinkies dipped in egg yolk first...then brained pinkies.


----------



## Dubya (Mar 26, 2013)

You can get it online. Do a google product search. Price varies greatly. It has extra carbs to give sick animals some more energy.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 27, 2013)

I tried a hopper cut in half dipped in yolk. Niles licked it but was uninterested in eating the mouse. It was nasty, i don't blame him. Haha. But I'll get some to try because it may be good as dubya said to kick start appetite and in case my other reptiles should need some ( i have a very old cuban knights anole who may benefit from it).


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 28, 2013)

Niles ate all of his chicken today! It didn't even have yolk on it! 


And I've been holding him almost every day (so he won't be stressed) and today he fell asleep on my arm when I was scratching his cheeks, 'ears', and under his chin. Mmmm <3 my niles is getting back to normal


----------



## Diablo (Mar 29, 2013)

Has anyone ever had a problem getting a tegu fully out of hibernation? It seems like Yoshi is just going right back into it. Hasn't been out the past two days. I really don't want to have to dig him up or wake him up but if I have to I will.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Mar 29, 2013)

This is my first tegu/first hibernation. Niles does spend a lot of time buried. He will only eat if I tong feed him. And doesn't want to eat every day. Although he has been up basking at some point each day. I think maybe they all come out of it differently. Dubya suggested oxbow carnivore care. If you tried that could it maybe give the energy boost needed to want to wake up?


----------



## Dubya (Mar 29, 2013)

Oxbow mixed with egg yolk.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 1, 2013)

Just an update on niles  he has been eating well for me. Pretty much daily. If you can remember his wrinkly appearance when first up, he is really filling out now. I measured him and he is still 18in from nose to tail, (the length he was when he went down in october.) However, I have noticed some scales on his nose coming loose and, again, his belly is rounding out nicely. I'm very pleased with his progress!!! Yaaay! [attachment=6752]before...[attachment=6753]today


----------



## Diablo (Apr 4, 2013)

Nice! Yoshi has started eating not daily but about every other day. Does Niles poop every day? I've heard others tegus go every day but Yoshi doesn't seem to do that. Unless he is going in places I can't find... Another thing that I'm happy about is he ate a piece of strawberry today! 

Sent from my DROID RAZR


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 4, 2013)

I don't see him go every day since up... at first nasty squirting. Now it seems yes just about once a day now.usually when holding him or when he warms up from sleep. He ate cherries for me today with his meat!  still has me tong feeding on the dirt though...weirdo


----------



## anelk002 (Apr 4, 2013)

Is anyones Tegu still hibernating????


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 4, 2013)

*Re: RE: This has been the longest four months.*



anelk002 said:


> Is anyones Tegu still hibernating????



Is yours not waking at all?


----------



## anelk002 (Apr 4, 2013)

No. He came out beginning March for a day or so and went back down and I can wake him up and he'll be extremely active but won't eat and go back down after a couple hours and wont come out unless i wake him . Temps are 115 basking 85-90 warm side and 75-79 cool idk what to do it did go down late like round November if I can remember. He even are a few super wormd and a picky the few days he was out


----------



## Diablo (Apr 4, 2013)

anelk002 said:


> No. He came out beginning March for a day or so and went back down and I can wake him up and he'll be extremely active but won't eat and go back down after a couple hours and wont come out unless i wake him . Temps are 115 basking 85-90 warm side and 75-79 cool idk what to do it did go down late like round November if I can remember. He even are a few super wormd and a picky the few days he was out




Yeah that's what Yoshi has been doing the past two weeks. I was waking him up for a day or two and then he would sleep for a day and then come out by himself and sleep for another day. It's gradual but he will come out soon but slowly


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 5, 2013)

Niles was down since october, so maybe give him another month. Laura had said, if i remember correctly, some come out of it in april.


----------



## Skeetzy (Apr 5, 2013)

Mine was in hibernation for 6 months and 12 days. Sept 11 till March 23rd I believe


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 5, 2013)

I got niles on sept 11, 2012


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 20, 2013)

Is everybody up now? Just checking.


----------



## anelk002 (Apr 21, 2013)

Mine came out the other day ate a small hopper but has been down for two days again but at least he ate on his own.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 21, 2013)

yaay!


----------



## Steven. (Apr 21, 2013)

I just seen bans today for the first time since October... I jumped outta my bed and he ran back in his hide... Sigh.. At least he's awake..lol.. Hopefully i get to see him more often..

sent from my phone to your eyes


----------



## laurarfl (Apr 21, 2013)

So if I told you mine woke up, is eating, and shed three times, would you all be jelly?  sorry


----------



## Steven. (Apr 21, 2013)

laurarfl said:


> So if I told you mine woke up, is eating, and shed three times, would you all be jelly?  sorry



Lol.. Laura your awesome.. Its amazing how these our tegu are about an hour away from each other and yet operate on different tires regardless of weather.. Crazy weather we had so far uh?.. Hot then cold then hot again lol

sent from my phone to your eyes


----------



## laurarfl (Apr 22, 2013)

I know, right??? My animals are so confused


----------



## Steven. (Apr 22, 2013)

Bans comes out his hide.. But just lays in front of it... He doesn't go over in the hot area at all.. No basking... Eating.. Or drinking water...

sent from my phone to your eyes


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 22, 2013)

Egg yolk on a dish maybe will encourage him to start waking up to eat. It worked for niles


----------



## Steven. (Apr 22, 2013)

BatGirl1 said:


> Egg yolk on a dish maybe will encourage him to start waking up to eat. It worked for niles



Raw egg yolk?..

sent from my phone to your eyes


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 22, 2013)

Yes raw. It has been debated but it is actually fine for them to eat the raw yolk. Just scoop it out of the white. Some people actually give both yolk and white. I do not


----------



## Skeetzy (Apr 22, 2013)

laurarfl said:


> So if I told you mine woke up, is eating, and shed three times, would you all be jelly?  sorry


Mines up, eating since day 1 with no fuss, even fruits, and shed twice. Too bad he still wants nothing to do with me except when I'm tong feeding.


----------



## laurarfl (Apr 22, 2013)

Yeah, mine's a bit reserved after hibernation. I just keep working with him.


----------



## BatGirl1 (Apr 23, 2013)

Niles is definitely 'different ' since up from hibernation. Now he goes in his hide instead of coming to me to come out. Also now all of a sudden when sitting on table or my lap he'll suddenly be like "omg I have to run over there! " and twice he ended up on the floor. Weird. But he has already shed twice now since up in march! I'm so happy he's growing!


----------



## Steven. (Apr 26, 2013)

So folks, i lied to you all. Bans is not out of hibernation..lol. I think he just came out to see if the world ended and then went back down. I havent seen him in the last three days. The first couple of days i seen him for couple minutes and then he's back in his hole. Now i dont see him at all... this sucks... Hey laura i'm coming to your house to remember what a tegu feels like lol


----------



## anelk002 (Apr 27, 2013)

Mine has been up for about a week now. He's going through his first shed of the year right now


----------



## Diablo (Apr 27, 2013)

Dang that sucks Steven. Yoshi has been up for me for about two to three weeks now. He's shed once so far and hasn't been too curious to come out of the cage to be held but he did once the other day. I'm just glad he isn't freaking out and running from me anymore. It's funny though he only likes me feeding him. I had my mom feed him one day while I worked a double and she said he huffed at her and buried himself lol

Sent from my DROID RAZR


----------

