a rodent only diet??

[Jolio]

Over the past week or two my 2.5 year old male B/W argentine seems to have become a lot more picky and somewhat disinterested in food.

We have a good relationship now, where i can offer him food in his enclosure in a bowl and he will generally wander over and feed - no real charging or gaping at me. And he will happily let me take him from his viv, so the food association seems to have disappeared now.
He will often allow my to tong feed.

last weekend he refused locusts and roaches.

he refused his turkey and liver mix mid week

and salmon yesterday. All of these were offered with fruits.

I feed alternate days because of his age, activity levels, and no-hibernation (as per care sheet), and meat is offered every other time, so its fruits and veg one feed, then fruits/veg/meat the next, then back to just fruits and veg etc etc.

At one point he almost shunned his rodent day too, until i showed him it with the tongs and then he smiled and took it from me.

My worry is he has taken a shine to the rodents. and would love me to feed him these everytime.
Is it fundementally bad to offer rodenst/chicks as his only meat/protein source?

Thanks in advance

 

[chelvis]

Rodents are an ok food source but they simply don't have everything a tegu needs. At 2 1/2 years old your tegu might just be getting full not be hungery as much anymore, especially if he didn't hibernate. My tegu is, holly smokes his 4 now, but two years back when he didn't hibernate he kept a good wieght on durning the winter and his appitite and feeding response never picked up. Mainly becuase he was always full. So i cut back his meat feedings to twice a week, but still ofered fuits everyother day. He would graze on the fruits everynow and then, and even with the cut back in meat he would still only take about half his meals. This winter he hibernated and boy o boy did that feeding response kick back. His now eating 2 rats a week, tilapia, chicken and ground turkey and liver like no other.

Tegus are smart and will try not to over eat, but they will sometimes eat to please their owners. As long as his not losing wieght try cutting back on how often you're feeding them.

The only other thing that comes to mind in UV lighting. Very important in growing tegus but people often think once thier tegu is done growing switching to a different less UVB/UVA bulb is fine. I've notice a big increase in energy and feeding response when i first switch Bosco from the tube 10.0 bulbs to the UV Reptile mvb a few years back.

If cutting back on the meals doesn't get him to go off just rodents, try not offering them for awhile. Its like when people give thier dogs table scraps and then they wonder why thier dog won't eat its dog food. Stop with the table scraps for a bit and when that dog gets hungery enough they will eat their dog food. Just remember varitiy is key in a good tegu diet. Yes they can survive well on a rodent only diet, but is it best or recomened... not really.

 

[Jolio]

Thank you, thats a very informative reply.

The reason i have cut down the meat is for that reason. And just because he hasn't touched his other meat i havn't started to only feed him rodents.
I just wanted clarification that i was doing the right thing by contiuning to offer a variety, and it wasn't the norm that once into adulthood their tastes change again.

I'll keep doing what i'm doing, everyother day feeds, and meat only with the second meal.
I'm also gonna cut down the portion size too.

My sentiments exactly when it comes to them feeding when they want. if he was hungry he'd eat, if not he wont. Rodents are and will only be a weekly/ and now possibly fortnightly affair as i'll just up the calcium supplements to compensate.

He's a so and so cas he makes me worry, but i wouldn't change him for the world - especially those savage nails!!