Activity level when out of cage

[reptileszz]

Hi there, I dont know if this is the right place to post this but... My tegu is 7 months old and very tame. So this isnt a taming question. Its about activity level. I have heard people say their tegus hang out on their lap and stuff and I have also seen vids of tegus walking around outside slowly. When my tegu is out the last thing he wants to do is sit still. He trots around the room like he is looking for something. Sit on my lap? No way. If I sit down with him he is all over the place. Do they calm down as they get older or is this a normal level of activity?

Thanks,
Carole

 

[Lexi]

Well all 3 of mine will "search" for somthing.. They dont sit still and mine are grown...they are always walking around my room like they have never seen it befor.

 

[ApriliaRufo]

I will get jumped on for my honest opinion so I will just say that you two are doing fine.

 

[Lexi]

I will get jumped on for my honest opinion so I will just say that you two are doing fine.

I have a feeling you where gonna say "you dont let them out enough" Which would be horribly wrong on your part.

 

[gebris353]

Mine likes to walk a lot specially when he doesnt know the place, but at home, he uses to walk to the places he likes, then he just stays there unless he is hungry.

 

[ApriliaRufo]

I will get jumped on for my honest opinion so I will just say that you two are doing fine.

I have a feeling you where gonna say "you dont let them out enough" Which would be horribly wrong on your part.

Not in the slightest. Couldn't be more wrong. I believe that you and reptilesz are in the right. Ugh.. ok I'll go for it, but I'm blaming you later....

I believe that it is pure stress or poor body temperature that would cause your animal to be still. My tegus are out 4-5 hours a day, and only sit still when they are visibly tired. They are naturally curious and should remain so unless something wrong. It is the same in my opinion as when people pet their newly acquired iguana and it closes an eye and they think it loves them. Iguanas and other lizards do learn to accept and enjoy human interaction. I believe that some adult iguanas enjoy being petted, they enjoy being scratched and held if they're handled very often, but the juvie that closes it's right eye is not happy, he's stressed. In tegus I think that young ones will sit still if they are stressed. Adults mellow out and will act similar to cats, but in general, they accept you and tolerate you, but never want to be taken away from their natural instinct to hunt. People who's tegus are very active have taken proper husbandry procedures, their temperatures are good, and the animal feels safe to go off on his own, not to escape, but to explore. So yes Lexi you are doing great, and no I was not trying to say you don't handle them enough, completely the opposite.

Great, here comes 30 posts of pictures and BS. Ugh.

 

[Tails]

Mine likes to search for something, too. I have a spare room in my house set up for my Tegu to be out. Plenty of room to search around, and a basking area and water bowl. I even keep extra superworms in there in case he gets hungry while he's out (he loves to eat, lol, but he's still growing). I sit in there and read or play on my laptop and sit on a pillow. He runs around the room checking everything out and gets a kick out of running back and forth over my legs. I let him do his thing and pet him sometimes when he's nearby, but for the most part just let him enjoy being out. When he finally feels he's discovered everything and that it's time to chill he ends up either sitting right behind me or on my lap and taking a nap. That's what seems to work for me. Maybe just let them explore and see where they decide to nap.

~Tails :-D

 

[ApriliaRufo]

Mine likes to search for something, too. I have a spare room in my house set up for my Tegu to be out. Plenty of room to search around, and a basking area and water bowl. I even keep extra superworms in there in case he gets hungry while he's out (he loves to eat, lol, but he's still growing). I sit in there and read or play on my laptop and sit on a pillow. He runs around the room checking everything out and gets a kick out of running back and forth over my legs. I let him do his thing and pet him sometimes when he's nearby, but for the most part just let him enjoy being out. When he finally feels he's discovered everything and that it's time to chill he ends up either sitting right behind me or on my lap and taking a nap. That's what seems to work for me. Maybe just let them explore and see where they decide to nap.

~Tails :-D

That's the way to do it! I completely agree that this is a method that will give them the least amount of stress and they will decide when they are ready if they want some direct attention. Love it Tails.

 

[Swtbrat]

ApriliaRufo

Great, here comes 30 posts of pictures and BS. Ugh.

I wonder sometimes why you even bother to post anything when you feel that way.

Brat!

 

[Aranha]

ApriliaRufo

Great, here comes 30 posts of pictures and BS. Ugh.

I wonder sometimes why you even bother to post anything when you feel that way.

Brat!

Im starting to think that its a part of his nature to write such things.

 

[nat]

my tegu has her own bedroom for the entire summer (well she had constant access to a room) and she never came over and just chilled out with me, she was always checking things out and exploring... she might come over to me, chill a minute and then off she went again.

 

[reptileszz]

Hey thanks guys. Sounds like this is about normal then. Good. I will continue to just let him out to run around and lick everything in his path. My guess is that when they slow down towards the end maybe its cause their core temperature has dropped down to where they might just go take a nap.

Thanks again!
Carole

 

[ApriliaRufo]

I believe in that whole freedom of speech thing, and I think I have a right to post information and/or opinions without having to put up with worthless banter, opinions are fine, but it's the posts like those two that I was in reference too. I don't mind if people say they disagree. I just don't like posts that say "he's an idiot, stop it, why do you post, etc..."

 

[Lexi]

oh Aprilia my apologize for some reason i thought you where going to bad mouth us kinda. But i agree with you completly!!!!

 

[VARNYARD]

Guys, please try to get along, life is to short for this snipping at each other.

As for tegus being active, I don;t think they can ever be still for too long, well maybe while they are hibernating. But tegus are active animals, they love to explore and roam, regardless of the age. My tegus will sit with me a bit, explore and then come back, they will do this all day long if given the chance.

 

[ColdThirst]

mine is 6months old, and his cage is set up where he can go in and out as he pleases while me and my roommate are home. While were on the couch, he will come out, search everything everywhere for about 3 min, then go back into his cage in his basking spot for about 3 min. and repeat all night until we put him to bed, its really funny, also today he threw mouse organs and blood all over our living room, so he was having a ball trying to find where all the other mice were he was smelling when it was actually the big mess he made everywhere, and he didnt stop untill the entire living room was thoroughly searched.

 

[reptileszz]

Yikes, I have heard about the flinging of the mouse parts which is why I feed Jasper in the cage out of his dish. If he wants to get mouse parts on the interior of the cage thats fine. I dont think I could stomach cleaning mouse bits off the living room carpet and ceiling. LOL!

Carole

 

[VARNYARD]

Thats why it is best to feed in a large tub on news paper. Then it is easy to clean and much better then soiling the house or his cage.

 

[ColdThirst]

I know, but we dont mind, its the first time hes went after one like that with such enthusiasm. haha

 

[Nero]

Mine loves to hang out on by the window in my room and just look outside he'll sit there forever. Sometimes he chills out on my shoulder. Owning my first tegu is probably one of the best experiences I ever had with any animal. When this one gets older I might buy an Argentine.