# Is it possbile?



## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm interested in tegus... but there is no way I would ever buy any "feeder" animals. At one point, I was considering a vegetarian diet with eggs, but I'm not sure how fair that would be to the animal. I gave up on the idea of getting a tegu for awhile, until something "clicked" the other day. 

One of my cats brings home dead animals all the time. Mice, rats, snakes, birds, you name it. She leaves them completely untouched, and dog and other cats show no interest in them - something I consider it a complete waste. Would it be plausible to feed a tegu on a largely vegetarian diet, with eggs and the occasional rodent/snake/bird that the cat leaves? 

I've read a few places that in the wild, they are largely vegetarian, with meat eating mostly in the form of scavenging. I've also heard their eating habits described as them being a "garbage disposal". Both of those things make me think it could work, am I wrong?


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## White_Lotus (Aug 1, 2009)

that is a bad idea...those animals can be the carrier of all sorts of bad things that could seriously injure or evil kill a tegu...yes Adult tegus eat a little bit of everything(or a lot bit)...but as babies these guys will eat manly meat..they eat mice for the vitamins in the liver and the calcium bones...but to feed them something the cat dragged in just simply isnt safe


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## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

White_Lotus said:


> that is a bad idea...those animals can be the carrier of all sorts of bad things that could seriously injure or evil kill a tegu...yes Adult tegus eat a little bit of everything(or a lot bit)...but as babies these guys will eat manly meat..they eat mice for the vitamins in the liver and the calcium bones...but to feed them something the cat dragged in just simply isnt safe




Yet I saw on another thread that _roadkill_ seems to be an option? Bit of a contradiction there. From my understanding, are they not still basically the same as a wild tegu would be? I'm sure, being wild, they could eat things far more harmful than a rodent that has been "tested as safe" by a cat. 

I was actually considering getting an adult tegu, so the huge meat consumption of a baby really isn't an issue. 

So, what is the difference between a feeder mouse that has been exposed to god-knows-what, and a mouse that is much closer to something that a wild tegu would eat?


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## Red Earth Exotics (Aug 1, 2009)

Care said:


> White_Lotus said:
> 
> 
> > that is a bad idea...those animals can be the carrier of all sorts of bad things that could seriously injure or evil kill a tegu...yes Adult tegus eat a little bit of everything(or a lot bit)...but as babies these guys will eat manly meat..they eat mice for the vitamins in the liver and the calcium bones...but to feed them something the cat dragged in just simply isnt safe
> ...




first of all, i'm sure most wild tegus have parasites and other issues from eating the crap that they have to eat. if you want a healthy thriving animal, you don't feed it roadkill and wild mice that cats kill. you mentioned that the meat consumption of an adult wouldn't be as much as a baby. they eat FAR more than babies. all of it should be MEAT. what is the issue with buying feeder rats and mice???


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## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

I asked the exact same question on another forum, and got a very helpful, _logical_ reply that wild animals, especially rodents and insects, are likely to have been exposed to pesticides. Makes sense. 

All I've gotten here is contradictions and comments about "what the cat dragged in". Thanks anyway.


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## Red Earth Exotics (Aug 1, 2009)

i don't see any contradictions. i'm pretty sure that it was mentioned that those wild feeders would be exposed to all sorts of bad and injurious things that could harm your tegu. you just didn't get the response you wanted. 

you also don't mention why you can't or won't get live feeders. if you can't supply the proper food source for a meat eating animal, you should try an herbivorous one. green iguana's don't eat meat.


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## Lovestegus (Aug 1, 2009)

A well cared for feeder mouse would be healthy and pose very low risk for carrying disease. Especially frozen captive bred mice, which can be bought online from breeders with great reviews to ensure the health of the mice are top shape. A feeder that has been kept in "who knows what" conditions, say how petco takes care of their's, well that is a risk as well. Wild mice generally carry all sorts of bad things that your tegu could catch. Never feed wild mice to a captive pet reptile, that is a big no no. 

I think the term garbage disposal when used with tegus means, they will eat a ton and a ton... and from what I've seem it's mostly meat that they will devour. Some Tegus will not even touch vegetables and solely eat meat.

There are insects you can buy if you're not against that as well. Meal worms, super worms, crickets, locusts, **** roaches, silk worms, and so on... But be prepared to feed tons of them all the time.


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## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

Red Earth Exotics said:


> i don't see any contradictions. i'm pretty sure that it was mentioned that those wild feeders would be exposed to all sorts of bad and injurious things that could harm your tegu. you just didn't get the response you wanted.
> 
> you also don't mention why you can't or won't get live feeders. if you can't supply the proper food source for a meat eating animal, you should try an herbivorous one. green iguana's don't eat meat.



There is another thread on this forum where roadkill was discussed as food. There is also information from other sources that wild adult tegus are primarily vegetarian animals. 

As I said, I had considered a tegu in the past and then decided it would not be fair to the animal. I only reconsidered it because of the wild rodents. I don't have a problem with the answer I got, I have a problem with how it was said. Again, I asked this on another forum, got the same "end result", but it was explained logically and politely, and so I appreciated it. 

I won't get feeders because I disagree with animals being raised for food when there are other alternatives. I feed my cats and dog meat, as they need it, but I'm not about to keep animals in my freezer for a lizard, so I was looking into whether or not that was really necessary. Turns out it is, and a tegu isn't for me. _That_ is the answer I was looking for.


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## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

Lovestegus said:


> A well cared for feeder mouse would be healthy and pose very low risk for carrying disease. Especially frozen captive bred mice, which can be bought online from breeders with great reviews to ensure the health of the mice are top shape. A feeder that has been kept in "who knows what" conditions, say how petco takes care of their's, well that is a risk as well. Wild mice generally carry all sorts of bad things that your tegu could catch. Never feed wild mice to a captive pet reptile, that is a big no no.
> 
> I think the term garbage disposal when used with tegus means, they will eat a ton and a ton... and from what I've seem it's mostly meat that they will devour. Some Tegus will not even touch vegetables and solely eat meat.
> 
> There are insects you can buy if you're not against that as well. Meal worms, super worms, crickets, locusts, worm roaches, silk worms, and so on... But be prepared to feed tons of them all the time.



Exactly what I was looking for. :-D Thank you.


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## MIKE-ZILLA (Aug 1, 2009)

> Yet I saw on another thread that roadkill seems to be an option? Bit of a contradiction there.


 I wrote something about roadkill previously, and I was talking about tegus in the wild ,not pet tegus. I was also being a bit sarcastic because it was suggested that live chickens were as safe as frozen mice. frozen mice are the best option. it seems logical that the freezing process might kill parasites as well. also mice that your cat catches may have injested rat poison which is most likely to harm a tegu.


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## Jefroka (Aug 1, 2009)

Care, the main staple, depending on what type of tegu you consider is discussed in Bobby Hill's care sheet, click on care and breeding tegus, on his site: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.varnyard-herps-inc.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.varnyard-herps-inc.com/</a><!-- m -->

I feed mine 1 part turkey to 1/3 beef liver w/ cod liver mixed in as his main staple. I also dust with repti-calcium w/out D3.

I make up one big batch and separate into 2-3 day portions in small snack bags and place the whole thing in a gallon ziplock and freeze.

I feed thawed mice, one time a week/week and a 1/2.

Remember that cats taste their food where dogs gulp down their food, this is why dogs are poisoned and cats rarely.

Those dead rats your cat is dragging in could have eaten rat poison and also probably have fleas, maybe even ticks.

I think you can be a tegu owner and keep dead mice out of your freezer if you stick with the above proposed diet.

Hope to see you as a proud tegu owner very soon. Please post pics here if you do.


...Jefroka


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## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

Jefroka said:


> Care, the main staple, depending on what type of tegu you consider is discussed in Bobby Hill's care sheet, click on care and breeding tegus, on his site: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.varnyard-herps-inc.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.varnyard-herps-inc.com/</a><!-- m -->
> 
> I feed mine 1 part turkey to 1/3 beef liver w/ cod liver mixed in as his main staple. I also dust with repti-calcium w/out D3.
> 
> ...



It's the dead animals in general that I don't like handling. Scooping it out of a can for cats/dogs is about as far as I'm willing to go, I'm not really willing to be handling raw meat. I was wondering whether or not it was really necessary, turns out it is, and for that reason a tegu isn't for me. 

Thanks for all the information, but I think an iguana may indeed be a better choice. :-D 

I didn't even think of the fact that the reason she's leaving them untouched could be that there's something "wrong" with them. :bang Thanks for pointing that out.


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## Jefroka (Aug 1, 2009)

Care, are you a vegan or vegetarian?


...Jefroka


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## Beasty (Aug 1, 2009)

Care said:


> Thanks for all the information, but I think an iguana may indeed be a better choice. :-D



In that case, I would suggest a Rock Iguana of any species versus a green iguana. I've had both and Rocks are by far and away the better selection of critter. I recently had 2 but I only have so much room and tegus are more easily tamed and more of what I'm looking for and breeding my own food and/or handling of flesh doesn't bother me in the slightest. I now only have tegus.
Find yourself an awesome baby from David Blair or Robert Ehrig. The latter is THE best of the best stock imaginable. Blue rock iguana hybrids from Ehrig are insanely expensive but you can get really nice Rhino Iguanas(some are blue too) from him for a good price. He even sells yearlings that are acclimated to people somewhat already. Rocks usually seem to take a couple years to chill out and realize you aren't interested in eating them. :lol: Once you've worked through that, you could have a great animal for the next 40-50 years! SO, in retrospect, if I had to do it over, I might try a yearling to get the head start on that taming process.
Hope that helps you further. Good luck finding your next housemate!


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## Care (Aug 1, 2009)

Jefroka said:


> Care, are you a vegan or vegetarian?
> 
> 
> ...Jefroka



Yes, I'm vegan.


Beasty, thanks for the recommendation. I'm more into adopting from rescues/shelters as opposed to buying animals, but it's amazing what ends up in those places. I will look into that. :-D


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## cornking4 (Aug 1, 2009)

I am also a vegetarian, but I bite the bullet and feed meat anyway. Plus, my snakes only eat prekilled rats, so I really don't have a choice. My logic is this: these animals would kill rodents in the wild anyway. By keeping them in our care, we owe it to them to provide them with clean, quality food. As long as I'm not eating it, I'm fine with feeding it to my little reptile friends.


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