# Cold Tolerance Query



## Zelandeth (Dec 7, 2008)

Likely to be quite some time yet until I'm able to truly look into finding a tegu for myself - thus far have yet to encounter one of these fascinating creatures in person too.

Space and money however dictate that the waiting game must be played in the interrim.

This doesn't mean that I can't get questions raised in my head answered though.

Namely one about temperature.

Anyone who's done their homework will know the sort of temperature gradient that a tegu needs in their enclosure - however my query is, how long can they happily deal with a temperature at all below that without trouble? As it is, I'm a creature who likes the warm, as such my house will usually be in the mid 70s anyway, so I'd think that when roaming outside the enclosure, my tegu will not likely be seeing temperatures too far below the cool side of their enclosure anyway. ...Plus there's always in the summer going to be nice sunny areas by the windows to sprawl in - assuming the tegu gets to them before I do of course. Certainly no worries if I'm still here about things being too cold in the summer - in this crazy place where people don't believe in air conditioning...

On the same topic - how cold is TOO cold? I don't know about the folks down south - but up here, power cuts aren't unknown. If I'm in, that's no big problem really - I've always got non-electricity reliant heating devices around for that very reason, and could easily ensure that one was directed appropriately for the tegu. If however it were to go off when I was out - that's more of a worry.

Am I just being needlessly paranoid here? Or is this a valid question? 

I'm one who tends to work on the basis that the only stupid question is one that you don't ask...

In the interrim however...I don't have space for a tegu...I do however also have a crested gecko obsession...


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## VARNYARD (Dec 10, 2008)

My dens get down to 53*F during winter hibernation. I have talked to Bert about this a few years back, he said that tegus can handle several days at 35*F, however I would not risk that myself.


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## Zelandeth (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks for the info there. It doesn't really get all that cold here, even with the heating off for a full day, if it drops to 50, that'll be dropping to 50 on a really horrendous freezing, windy day. 

Was mainly the "What happens if the power goes off when I'm at work or something?" and the worry of coming home to a frozen tegu - seems from the sound of things that they're resilient enough for that not really to be too much of a worry though.

No doubt I'll have a million other questions in the future - but that's one checked off at least. Thanks!


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