# his first mouse ever!!!



## johnlebel (Sep 2, 2010)

so my tegu took his first mouse ever today! so happy!!!! he wasnt very into it so i fresh killed it an put a tiny bit of calcium supplement on it an he loved it!!! not i gotta get him to eat live ones!!! will add pics in a few


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## eddyjack (Sep 2, 2010)

Are you not affraid of making him agressive by feeding live mice?


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## Nessie (Sep 3, 2010)

Yeah I agree with e.j, if you got a Tegu that preferes pre killed mice then why change that. You can have some serious issues down the road if you encourage him to have to kill his prey. Not only that, right now it is a mouse but when he gets bigger so will the prey and they can fight back! There have been so many cases of injured reptiles due to rodent bites and not to mention the possible infections to follow. I would look at is as a good think and just start getting him used to FT rodents from the hop.


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

Not worried at all... he feeds in different tank an is not aggressive in anyway... he was very interested in a live one anyways.... plus it is a wild animal he has the instinct he wouldn't eat prekill in the wild.... an he is almost full grown now


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

none of my snakes are aggresive an they feed in the same tank the stay in.. an all eat live... the more handling and interaction the get the less they respond to humans with aggression


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## slideaboot (Sep 3, 2010)

You are only asking for trouble...


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

We shall see.... if he get bad I go back to fk big deal no worse then a 5ft savanah that eats live rabbits... an was handlable


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2010)

Well, you're the one feeding your animal, so you're going to do the way you want to. If I might make a suggestion that no one has yet to touch on though... you actually don't need to put any calcium powder on the whole prey items (whether they're live or pre-killed); your little guy is going to get all of the calcium and nutrients he needs from the bones. It's like a complete balanced meal wrapped in a ball of fuzziness.


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

I appreciate input an not bashing any opinions by any means... I only put some powder because he has nvr seen a mouse before kid I got him from refuse to give any thing live or fresh just ground meats... an he like the calcium powder an the second I sprinkled a little on it he was all over the mouse so now that he has the scent an taste of mice there will be no more powder on them....


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## eddyjack (Sep 3, 2010)

It is not a wild animal unless it is in the wild. We are taming to prevent accidental injury to both our animals and ourselves and create a great experience for the same. I simply enjoy watching my little girls and my other pets interact with each other in a very peaceful environment. None of us eat live food in our home. Just my thoughts
Enjoy your wonderful pets in good health.
Sincerely,


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

all my animals get along fine! still has wild instinct just like snakes do just like cats do.... if it wants to kill then let it kill im not afraid of any of my animals never worried about taking a bite because i handle my animals every day an i can hand feed my snakes ft mice then i can take them out without worry... no point in trying to take away the animals natural instinct!!! that just my opinion tho.


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## JohnMatthew (Sep 3, 2010)

I don't feed live, but I'm not offended by those who do to be honest. Some people don't want to fill their freezer with frozen rodents and live is their only option if they're too squeemish to euthanize themselves. I think a fair question to ask yourself would be whether you're doing it for your tegu's benefit or for your own; you might be confusing instincts with pleasure. There are plenty of ways to enrich the life of your GU without offering live rodents which could(slight though the chances may be) injure your pet. That's my main concern with feeding live rodents anyway. In most cases the animal is killed so fast it's quite humane, but those rare times the GU gets a bad hold that mouse/rat can do surprising damage with a well placed bite. I just can't think of any reasons "I" would offer live, but to each his own. :-D


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

he wont get to rats ever he to small... an its not for pleasure cuz i have snakes for that! i throw big rats to my boa an he makes them scream an pop..


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## JohnMatthew (Sep 3, 2010)

I used to feed live as well back in the day, but didn't get the enjoyment out of it that you seem to, kudos.


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

well this tegu had nvr seen a mouse before so i had to try it.... m ouse was for my blood python but he had enough so i threw it to the gu an he finally wanted it after about 20min...


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

idk i just dont like the idea of not allowing the animal to feed the way it has evolved to feed... when my gu has a fork an knife he can eat like a human haha


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2010)

I also don't have a problem with people feeding live prey to their animals, so long as it's done smartly, and with the reptile's safety in mind. The only thing I *do* have a problem with, is people feeding live prey to their animals simply because they want to watch something being killed before their eyes.


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## johnlebel (Sep 3, 2010)

Tegu not for pleasure just to keep it closer to natural for him... still gets chicken an such


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## Orion (Sep 4, 2010)

Some people forget what a Tegu is. It is an animal. They hunt for food. I am an animal. I dont like going to the grocer and buying my meat. Tegus may not enjoy eating off a plate. They may like trying to find thier own food as an activity. They may like to do things other than get stared at in a cage. I hunt/fish for almost everything I eat. When I cant hunt I feel that something is missing in my life so I can entirely understand your point of view. I think your Tegu may appreciate it also.


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## johnlebel (Sep 4, 2010)

Thanks atleast some people can understand its not a dog that is dependent on an owner for food to be served to it.... hell I even make my dog work for her food!


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## DavidRosi (Jun 13, 2012)

Interesting discussion... There's obviously the Pros and Cons of both, but then it all comes down to owner preference at the end of the day. 

If the Tegu is near enough adult size and has been owned or a decent amount of time, I couldn't see a drastic change in behavior from occasional live feeding, good exercise and keeps them stimulated... 

Personally not a fan myself, with previous reptiles they've always seemed happy enough to stalk a locust around the viv and chase after them when they jump sky high in a bit for freedom. 

This however; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g5gQUKTIFw I'm not in agreement with in the slightest ! You can clearly see the hamster getting well involved with it's teeth in a desperate bid for freedom. Where-as it may have been entertaining for the owner; it won't be for either the hamster or the Tegu with it's new extra nose holes.

Rant over. Love from over the pond.


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## got10 (Jun 13, 2012)

johnlebel said:


> Not worried at all... he feeds in different tank an is not aggressive in anyway... he was very interested in a live one anyways.... plus it is a wild animal he has the instinct he wouldn't eat prekill in the wild.... an he is almost full grown now



You have to check out the ways tegus feed in the wild and they are not eating mice and rats trapped in a cage in the wild. They are opportunistic feeders . They scavenge on dead matter and eat massive amounts of veggies and fruit as adults in the wild although they will eat just about anything they can fit into their mouths. 
I have lost a snake due to live feeding and that was it , and have a blind rescue from live feeding . And once the lizard is f8cked up they end up in a rescue because " who wants a messed up animal" as they say . 
JUst watch your fingers dude. plus frozen thawed are always tons cheaper that picking live every week


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