# Would this harm my tegu?



## thomasjg23 (Jan 15, 2011)

I'm thinking I am just being selfish but I was just curious if slightly raising the temps and photocycle each week to speed up the hibernation period would my at all harmful to my Argentine red. Just a thought I had and I thought I'd run it by the experts.


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## Strange_Evil (Jan 15, 2011)

I believe that raising the temps will speed up his metabolism while he is still in hibernation. From what i read tegus will still hibernate no matter the temps because ounce there mines are set on hibernating there is no changing it. So if he does not wake up he will he will starve to death while sleeping. 

But I also read that They will not starve to death while sleeping unless they sleep for an extremely long period of time (something like over half a year)

So i really don't know but if i were you i would just wait until he naturally choses to come out of hibernation which is not to far from now, but perhaps some one who gain there knowledge of tegus from experience rather than reading can give you a more detailed and accurate answer.Hope i helped though.


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## Guest (Jan 15, 2011)

I don`t think it would hurt anything In fact It may even work to some degree .Keep the humidity up .. Chances are best that you will just run the light and he will stay in hibernation..


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## Toby_H (Jan 15, 2011)

Keep in mind this is in regard to a cold blooded animal...

metabolism is directly dependant upon body temperature. The higher the metabolism, the faster the animals bodily process will act. The slower the metabolism, the slower the animals bodily process will act...

So a hibernating Tegu can last a lot longer at 55*F without food, water, etc than a hibernating Tegu at 75*F will last...

Increasing the temperature will increase the metabolism, thus causing it to "run out of fuel" faster. In most cases this will cause the hibernating animal to wake up and seek nurishment. In rarer cases this can cause the animal to "run out of fuel" and thus starve to death. 

Thus, for those of us with Tegus in full hibernation, I suggest cooling the hide in order to slow the metabolism...

I understand the concept of raising the temperature to mimic spring like conditions in order to cause the Tegu to wake up. In many cases I believe this will work as projected and the Tegu will simply begin waking up.

Though keep in mind if the Tegu doesn't wake up and "refuel", it will "run out of fuel" and risk starvation.


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## thomasjg23 (Jan 15, 2011)

I'm taking away from this...no let the poor guy sleep. Thanks for the replies guys!


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## brutus13 (Jan 15, 2011)

I have one tegu hibernating and one not. My temps are at the normal high and my hibernating tegu could careless. There is really nothing you can do to shorten/stop that process. I wish I could because the size difference on my are going to require me to separate them


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