# Tegu Growth



## Miles Gardner (Apr 12, 2018)

Hello,

I got my Argentine red tegu about a year ago/year and a half ago, and I feel like he hasn't grown much. We had a lot of trouble with him eating when we first got him but he began to start eating steadily and then began to hide away and not come out much. He has probably only grown 2-3 inches since I got him, and I know that's not close to what his growth should be for a young tegu. Should I begin feeding him and taking him out every day to make sure he gets plenty of food? Because he doesn't seem to come out on his own.

Thanks


----------



## EnjoysWine (Apr 12, 2018)

Hi Miles. I'm not an expert like some of the others here, but I had this problem in the past, with slow growth rate. It turned out that the issue was that my basking temperature was not hot enough. Low temperature causes lower activity and lower appetite. Make sure that the basking spot is around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a temperature gun of possible for an accurate measurement.


----------



## Walter1 (Apr 12, 2018)

Miles, How big is he? Could you provide a photo? What, how much, and how often is he fed? What Enjoyswine says could be a factor.


----------



## beardeddragon111 (Apr 12, 2018)

My tegu had stunted growth for a while. When I got him, he had parasites, which were hard to get rid of. When I got rid of them, he started eating and growing normally. He is now only slightly under the size a average male tegu is.

But it would be important to know exactly how big your tegu is.


----------



## Miles Gardner (Apr 29, 2018)

Hey Guys. Thanks so much for the help! I took EnjoysWine's advice and made a hotter basking spot and it has made a huge difference! He is eating and basking now, hopefully, I will notice a big difference in his growth. Not sure if his lack of growth in the past year will stunt his growth for the future.

Thanks


----------



## EnjoysWine (Apr 29, 2018)

That's great to hear!


----------

