# When to feed?



## joseywaleshhh (Jun 13, 2011)

Hi All,
I just got a two and half year old Red Tegu off of craigslist. I did read the only book on tegus I could find before I got him, but a question has already come up.

When I brought him home I have him a big plate of strawberrys, grapes and hard boiled eggs. He ate everthing on the plate.

When I came home from work today he had burried himself in his bedding, so I uncovered him and took him out to feed him. He was not too happy about this and refused the food. If he is burried should I leave him burried? Will he come out if he is hungry?

Everything I have read says that they will want a rodent one or two times a week. I kinda assumed I was supose to feed him fruit everyday, is this incorrect?


----------



## herpgirl2510 (Jun 13, 2011)

If he is hiding leave him alone. He may do this alot for awhile in the beginning.


----------



## james.w (Jun 13, 2011)

Like herpgirl said, if he is buried or in his hide, leave him be. As far as feeding, a varied diet is best. Raw ground turkey, mice/rats, chicks, tilapia, shrimp, chicken gizzards/hearts/liver, roaches, greens (collard, mustard, dandelion), fruits (strawberries, blueberries, grapes, raspberries), eggs (hard boiled, scrambled). I feed once daily.


----------



## Strange_Evil (Jun 13, 2011)

Yeah i read it is not a good idea to disturb the burrow, you will destroy all trust already established and stress him. Its good to just not try and rush to handle him, give him time to get use to you and approach you.

As far as i know fruits are to help vary the diet and promote good sheds. They don't need to be feed everyday. Try other things like Ground turkey and fresh tilapia fillets, its good to vary the diet as much as possible.

Try and get in tune with his basking habits, see when he comes up and decides to go down, so you can set your lights accordingly or just to know he's coming up..

Two really helpful threads,
http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=6452#axzz1P7Q6IZGB
http://www.tegutalk.com/showthread.php?tid=7712#axzz1P7Q6IZGB

That's about as far as i can help with research only.... And welcome to the forum!


----------



## jntann (Jun 13, 2011)

joseywaleshhh said:


> Hi All,
> I just got a two and half year old Red Tegu off of craigslist. I did read the only book on tegus I could find before I got him, but a question has already come up.
> 
> When I brought him home I have him a big plate of strawberrys, grapes and hard boiled eggs. He ate everthing on the plate.
> ...



Hi I feed my tegu every other day but if you feed him alot maybe every few days. if he refuses the food than he probably is not hunger, I have a agentine b/w and when it gets closer to hibernation time it goes longer inbetween feeding mine is 3 years old and i feed two big mice or three smaller ones every other day
and every once in awhile a quail egg. nine won't eat fruit or veg. but it will eat anything that is alive...


----------



## Toby_H (Jun 13, 2011)

Great advice so far...

I deeply agree with the notion that we should avoid pulling our Tegu out of his hide or borrow. In the even that I 'need' to do so my method is to pour warm water on him and walk away. The warm water wakes him up in a good mood (better than me pulling him out) and allows him to come out at his own pace. It also allows me to walk away so he doesn't directly relate me as the cause of his disturbance.

Young Tegus need to eat daily as it requires a lot of calories for the amazing growth rates they experience, but adults can sustain themselves very happily eating every other day or less. 

My Tegu seem to most prefer his meals 2~3 hours after he has woken up. This is early in his day yet after he has had time to stretch his legs and warm up (literally, after his metabolism has sped up). 

If you are keepign your Tegu indoors then feel free to flip his lighting hours so that his wakened hours match your available hours. In the winter when mine is inside he wakes up around 4~6pm and goes to sleep between 11~1am. Which coincides with the hours I am home from work and awake...


----------



## Rhetoric (Jun 13, 2011)

I'd leave him if hes in his burrow. Thats his safe zone, it could break any trust you've managed to establish.

One of my tegus (Gary) gets fed right before his lights come on, he can be kind of a stinker around meal time. The other two tegus eat an hour or so after the lights come on. 

Two of my tegus are eating daily, they are about 2 years old but are just a tad smaller than average for their age. My third tegu is about a year old and he only eats every other day. If I try to feed him daily he will refuse food. 

Variety is a must. Offer as varied of a diet as you can. Summer is great for picking up various fruits! You can offer fruit every day, be careful which fruit you are offering every day. Some fruits (bananas) are only occasional fruits because of the phosphorus level.
I tend to stock up on meats when they go on sale. chicken, turkey and seafood are great. Beef is just ok, IMO, because of the higher fat content.


----------

