# this is why we cant have nice things.



## Neeko (Aug 16, 2012)

It so nice to see everyone's pics of their tegus in decor n such. I know If I put anything other then a rock in my enclosures it is stomped on, dug up, pulled down etc. It's basically Godzilla is Tokyo scene. Anyone else with this issue or are your guys good with decor?


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## HeatherN (Aug 16, 2012)

mine has no issue with decor, but i havent really done much with the cage at all. he does like to stick his nose in things though, so i dont put in things that he could get stuck in or pull apart


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## Josh (Aug 16, 2012)

Hahaha - I love when people say that 'this is why we can't have nice things!'
Tegus are definitely culprits for disaster - as are sulcata tortoises and any kind of puppy


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## Dirtydmc (Aug 17, 2012)

Had fake plants in dexters old tank. Along with some drift wood. He moved all of them around. Couldn't keep it nice. Planning on trying again. Have a bunch of wood for him that won't hurt him if it falls over on him.


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## bmx3000max (Aug 17, 2012)

I got my two boys and they dont move or destroy thier decor....only go to the bathroom on it somtimes
-_-


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## laurarfl (Aug 17, 2012)

My tegus enclosures are all plain. They are in 8ft enclosures with a water bowl and a hide box. One cage doesn't even have a hide because she poops on it every time. People say, "I want to see pictures of your enclosures." I reply, "No, you don't....not really." lol But for stimulation and excitement, they get to do on the back porch and climb on stuff and knock things over. On especially nice days they can go outside with me for a bit. So it's not too boring.


Josh, lol about Sulcatas. Mine is such a bulldozer. He's small enough to think he can fit in odd places, but big enough to drag around chairs and stuff in the back yard. He has picked up a new habit of coming to the back sliding glass door for food/attention every day at 5pm.


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## Murkve (Aug 17, 2012)

Mine won't destroy yet. She usually digs up everything - creating new tunnels and digging under things and such. However, I have some plastic plants mounted in styrofoam pieces, and she leaves them alone. 

As of late she spends the bulk of her time trying to escape. Heh.


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## Scott Hogge (Aug 17, 2012)

MacGyver doesn't seem interested in re-arranging his enclosure, but that might just be because he has been spending lots of time free roaming. I have three plastic plants and 2 pieces of driftwood in his enclosure that he likes to climb [while trying to escape,] but he hasn't moved them around at all yet.

He does however, like to re-decorate the rest of the house:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWCYxh2iiHo

In this vid he decided he didn't like the shower drain cover where I had left it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GITNsVoT-0

This vid (also in the official macgyver thread) is him trying to dig into the wood floors. He has a few favorite spots in the house that he like to dig at.


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## Neeko (Aug 17, 2012)

Lol just watched the vids, maybe tegus are like truffle pigs. I'll start digging when ever they try to get under something.


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## frost (Aug 18, 2012)

the only tegu i have a problem with destroying stuff is rosy. she just stopped digging all her substrate in her enclosure in her water bowl. i usually had to scowl at her while i was digging all her substrate out of the water bowl and putting in fresh water every morning...i have a baby sulcata right now so the cage destruction is low for now. i have heard that they can be pains.


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## new2tegus (Aug 22, 2012)

Same with Jekyll, he lives up to his name. It's amazing how strong they are. I have to get a hide box, and a single large basking rock, if anyone has suggestions on a rock or place to get one, that would be great. I am using a 12x12 paver which is to small, and it's on smaller pavers to bring it up some. He knocks that around, he tossed the water dish against the door. He's destroyed about 7 lamps,so I need to figure something out.


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## chitodadon (Aug 22, 2012)

Wow I.hope.Zeus doesn't.do.that when he grows u have your hands full

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## laurarfl (Aug 22, 2012)

It is natural behavior. They dig burrows and dig under logs and debris looking for food.


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## chitodadon (Aug 23, 2012)

They sure do dig I though he would only sleep in his hide I was wrong he sleeps everywhere in the holes of the cinder block he dragged some moss too. And under his water dish he sleeps he is to funny especially when he eats he does the wiggle

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## chelvis (Aug 23, 2012)

I use to have real plants inside Bosco's cage and I was changing them out daily at one point. I find the large light weight PVC and drainage pipe are some good toys for tegus, they can knock them around sleep in them tunnel in them. Sadly I cannot even use these now for Bosco as he has used them as leverage to pop the glass off the runners, freaking smart tegu. His cage now is just a hid box, one cinder block (although he had that up against the glass the other night so that might be removed too) and his water dish. Anything else is seen as an item that can aid in his escape. I do make the reptile room more interesting, there are tunnels and cat climbing things and outside time is at least twice or more a week. He does not like the cage much anymore so he free roams the house more now.


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## Murkve (Aug 23, 2012)

chelvis said:


> I use to have real plants inside Bosco's cage and I was changing them out daily at one point. I find the large light weight PVC and drainage pipe are some good toys for tegus, they can knock them around sleep in them tunnel in them. Sadly I cannot even use these now for Bosco as he has used them as leverage to pop the glass off the runners, freaking smart tegu. His cage now is just a hid box, one cinder block (although he had that up against the glass the other night so that might be removed too) and his water dish. Anything else is seen as an item that can aid in his escape. I do make the reptile room more interesting, there are tunnels and cat climbing things and outside time is at least twice or more a week. He does not like the cage much anymore so he free roams the house more now.



I find it amazing that an adult Tegu can move a freaking cinder block. It's twice their weight! It'd be like me moving a 300 lb. brick.

Before I was pretty stoked about when Sigourney would get big. I still am, but I am going to have to think her enclosure through. Geez.


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## chelvis (Aug 23, 2012)

The strength is impressive, but the intelligence is almost too much to handle. I have seen him take logs/sticks and get them stuck between the glass and side of the cage and use it to slide the glass open. Super tricky.


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## chitodadon (Aug 23, 2012)

I'm nervous on how Zeus will be soon

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