arg. black and white tegu expelling mucus from mouth!!!

[ApriliaRufo]

Wow the heat comes quick don't it? My tegu doesn't like to bathe but, sorry Kevin, my iguana demands it. He waits til about 7 o clock when I take my shower and starts running around in his cage. I take his big climb branch and put it in the shower and he loves the steam and will crawl down to the water that I now plug, swim abit, and go back up. I don't hink Cowher meant that his animal displays human emotion, it was simply put that he gets the impression that his teg displays signs of comfort and enjoyment. I think the shed ease and oil must have been ingested with some water and he got rid of it.

 

[COWHER]

Cowher do what you think your tegu LOVES. I put mine in the bath tub like every other day and it's cool. Actually whaen I stopped putting her in the bath shedding problems started. Do you man.

Well, In my opinion if you have had problems then something isnt right in your housing conditions (probably a burrow that is too dry)
things like baths are only fixing signs of something that isnt right.
Kind of like people saying "sand cause impactations" in beardies and leos
so they use tile,slate or other things and not realizing that improper temperatures would play a large part in the animal not being able to pass what was ingested. It should be the keepers goal to fix the primary issues instead on concentrating on the secondary.

I agree with this 100% i have a enviroment that was too wet thus the foot soars that i previously posted about and Bobby suggested

It looks like he might have what is seen in snakes a belly rot. I don't think he done this by jumping into the tub. I would not worry about the vet just yet, see if it starts clearing up with the neosporin, and make his cage a little dryer. As for the stretch marks, you got me on that one.

so I over compensated and made it way to dry witch in turn caused more problems ie with his shed.

Wow the heat comes quick don't it? My tegu doesn't like to bathe but, sorry Kevin, my iguana demands it. He waits til about 7 o clock when I take my shower and starts running around in his cage. I take his big climb branch and put it in the shower and he loves the steam and will crawl down to the water that I now plug, swim abit, and go back up. I don't hink Cowher meant that his animal displays human emotion, it was simply put that he gets the impression that his teg displays signs of comfort and enjoyment. I think the shed ease and oil must have been ingested with some water and he got rid of it.

Again i have to agree 100% with this i will never use the shed ease stuff again! the oil wasn't even applied near the head so i know that that was not a problem. but i do think he drank the water with the shed ease in it BTW shed ease contains Deionized Water, Aloe Vera, Salt, Glycerol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate. i think seeing that it had salt water as its base as mike put it

I can picture him stranded on an island telling his friends to drink the saltwater, its good for you, swim in it too. :lol:

well have you ever drank sea water i almost drown in it and in the process drank a bit of it, what happened about 1 minute after i regained consciousness???? i puked clear snot like fluid!!!!
going on to the thought that animals can not feel human emotions i disagree!!!! <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.keepersofthewild.org/Pages/eduation/emotion.html">http://www.keepersofthewild.org/Pages/e ... otion.html</a><!-- m -->

 

[AB^]

going on to the thought that animals can not feel human emotions i disagree!!!! <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.keepersofthewild.org/Pages/eduation/emotion.html">http://www.keepersofthewild.org/Pages/e ... otion.html</a><!-- m -->

I dont think your article is a fair comparison to the topic of reptiles.
It was talking about higher forms of life (mammalians) and with in that some of the more intelligent species.

There's no question in my mind that mammalians can form attachments to people or other animals.
Though IMO the same can not be seen (or proven) in reptiles
(somebody shoot me if ricks video gets brought up)

 

[AB^]

Wow the heat comes quick don't it? My tegu doesn't like to bathe but, sorry Kevin, my iguana demands it. He waits til about 7 o clock when I take my shower and starts running around in his cage. I take his big climb branch and put it in the shower and he loves the steam and will crawl down to the water that I now plug, swim abit, and go back up. I don't hink Cowher meant that his animal displays human emotion, it was simply put that he gets the impression that his teg displays signs of comfort and enjoyment. I think the shed ease and oil must have been ingested with some water and he got rid of it.

I have no issue with an animal choosing to take a swim at it's own accord, tossing an animal in a bathtub is something completely different. I have offered both my species of tupinambis water vessels large enough to emerse themselves in and they were ignored.

 

[COWHER]

I have no issue with an animal choosing to take a swim at it's own accord, tossing an animal in a bathtub is something completely different. I have offered both my species of tupinambis water vessels large enough to emerse themselves in and they were ignored.

does this mean that no tegus like water, because yours do not? when i had a pool in his enclosure he would soak in it and climb up the cliff i made and jump into the water repeatedly!
also i understand that most reptiles do not have the intelligence to be likened with animals like the elephant but with what i have seen don't Argentine tegus display a higher intelligence than most other reptiles? Isn't this one of the reasons why people like me and Bobby keep them?
And flip the coin, has it ever been proven or even studied if tegus display some emotion? not that I know of. Yet what i do know is that tegus like Bobby's actually crave attention from humans isn't that an emotional thing?

 

[AB^]

does this mean that no tegus like water, because yours do not? when i had a pool in his enclosure he would soak in it and climb up the cliff i made and jump into the water repeatedly!
also i understand that most reptiles do not have the intelligence to be likened with animals like the elephant but with what i have seen don't Argentine tegus display a higher intelligence than most other reptiles? Isn't this one of the reasons why people like me and Bobby keep them?
And flip the coin, has it ever been proven or even studied if tegus display some emotion? not that I know of. Yet what i do know is that tegus like Bobby's actually crave attention from humans isn't that an emotional thing?

Tegus are NOT semi aquatic plain and simple, sure they might swim from time to time but this is by no means the standard. Many reptiles that are not naturally known to soak will to do if other conditions are not right. Take Varanus exanthematicus for example, about a decade ago many people suggested having something for them to soak in even though this is not a natural behaviour. Animals will soak when (including but not limited to( Overheated,Dehydrated and infested with external parasites such as mites.
Tegu are among the smartest reptiles in my opinion But many argue that they do not exceed the intelligence of varanids who are more well known as the "smartest" group of saurians on the planet. No studies have been done on them and there are far many more species of varanidae than tupinambis.
Tegus are curious creatures, they will investigate their surroundings and objects in them (whether it be animal,vegetable or mineral) simply because a tegu does not consider one a threat and will come and investigate you, or associates you with food does not mean that it has formed an emotional connection with you or anyone else for that matter.

as far as assuming bobbys tegus crave his attention (no offense bobby) that is being anthropomorphic

 

[COWHER]

http://www.petstation.com/reptame.html

Questions and Answers
Q: Can reptiles become tame ?

Short answer: YES.

Long answer: Most will, some won't. Reptiles have not been domesticated and bred for gentle temperament, even though some heavily captive-bred species, like corn snakes, seem mellower than wild caught specimens.

Some species/individuals are more likely to get used to you than others. Some species/individuals will get non-shy and eat from your hand but will never let you touch them. Some species/individuals will tolerate handling in return for food; others will hate it. Some species/individuals will run; others will bite. But some will be really tame and develop a taste for having their neck scratched.

When buying a reptile, if you want it to become tame, buy an animal that seems calm and friendly. Unless you are prepared to invest a lot of time and effort without promise of success, don't go for the more "challenging" animal.

Some species start out friendly as babies and will develop a rotten temper when they get older. Reticulated Pythons have that reputation. But several people state, that some reticulated pythons are very well-tempered, and that may be they become less mellow not so much as a character trait, but because they are handled less when they get large.

Some species, no matter how tame, can become dangerous when they get bigger. They can hurt you, when they get angry or scared. And they can potentially kill you, if they mistake you for food.

No matter how tame your animal gets, expect to get bitten or scratched, occasionally, if the animal is upset or scared. Use tongs and gloves for biters.

Remember: ALL REPTILES ARE WILD ANIMALS. Treat them as such, and you can avoid trouble.

Q: Do reptiles like to be petted ?

Some do, some don't. I know several boas who love to be petted, even on their head, after they develop a taste for it. And that is the key: many reptiles don't take naturally to being petted. But once they get used to it, they often start to like it.

Many snakes will like to cuddle in warm, dark places, like T-shirts. If your idea of petting is an animal curled up on your stomach inside your shirt while you are reading a book, then a snake is a good pet for you.

Turtles and tortoises are not cuddly, but many like their their belly scratched, i.e. the bottom of their plastron, and they will definitey express their pleasure. I had a chance to pet some young Galopagoes tortoises in June. They go off to Never-Never Land if you scratch the jaws and neck.

Q: How do I know, my animal likes to be petted ?

Your animal likes to be petted if:

* it does not run away given the option
* does not try to avoid your touch
* goes to sleep in your arms
* stays around for more if you stop
* visibly relaxes as you go
* doesn`t hiss or bite
Q: How smart are lizards ?

It depends on the species. Anoles and most geckos are not very smart at all. Others, such as some iguanas, are quite intelligent, and some monitors are very smart

Igs seem to be reasonably intelligent. de Vosjoli, in the Green Iguana Manual, relates the story of a herpetologist for a major zoo who once saw an iguana hit a tree with its tail, and two pieces of fruit fell off. Then another iguana ran up and ate both pieces. The first iguana bit the second on the foot, and the second ig ran away. This, he said, was the most intelligent thing he'd ever seen an iguana do.

Iguanas can definitely learn through experience and recognize simple cause and effect relationships. It takes time and patience, but several people have reported success with leash training and potty training (always put the iguana in the same spot to do it, and eventually it'll do it when put in that spot).
Q: How do I know, the animal likes me or what I am doing ?

The Hypothalamus is the part of the brain where most of our emotions come from. All reptiles have one, so they likely have feelings. Since they cannot talk, we don't know for sure, what feelings they have beyond the most basic ones.

The most basic emotions are fear, aggression, and pleasure. Reptiles have these feelings and express them. They avoid what they fear, attack what makes them angry, and seek out what is pleasurable.

If you create an environment that is comfortable and pleasant, and you do things to your pet that make it feel comfortable and pleased, then the reptile will "like"you in the sense that good things come from you, and therefore it wants to be with you.

In general, you will know quickly, if you do something your reptile does not like: it will try to get away or even bite.

Whether reptiles have more complex feelings, like "liking", is a hard question, and I would give a guarded "yes" for chelonians, but I don't know about others. In order to like someone, the animal has to distinguish between people and clearly prefer some over others. Chelonians do tell people apart, and they prefer some people over others. I noticed to my surprise, that there are people my friendly snake does not like for no reason I can make out.

One person relates that he has a very social turtle: When he reads a book on the floor, the turtle comes by and climbs on his back. He'll sit there for up to 15 minutes.

Make up your own mind, and you are probably right ...

http://www.crystalinks.com/reptilianbrain.html

The brain stem is the oldest and smallest region in the evolving human brain. It evolved hundreds of millions of years ago and is more like the entire brain of present-day reptiles. For this reason, it is often called the 'reptilian brain'. Various clumps of cells in the brain stem determine the brain's general level of alertness and regulate the vegetative processes of the body such as breathing and heartbeat.

It's similar to the brain possessed by the hardy reptiles that preceded mammals, roughly 200 million years ago. It's 'preverbal', but controls life functions such as autonomic brain, breathing, heart rate and the fight or flight mechanism. Lacking language, its impulses are instinctual and ritualistic. It's concerned with fundamental needs such as survival, physical maintenance, hoarding, dominance, preening and mating. It is also found in lower life forms such as lizards, crocodiles and birds. It is at the base of your skull emerging from your spinal column.

The basic ruling emotions of love, hate, fear, lust, and contentment emanate from this first stage of the brain. Over millions of years of evolution, layers of more sophisticated reasoning have been added upon this foundation.

Our intellectual capacity for complex rational thought which has made us theoretically smarter than the rest of the animal kingdom.

When we are out of control with rage, it is our reptilian brain overriding our rational brain components. If someone says that they reacted with their heart instead of their head. What they really mean is that they conceded to their primative emotions (the reptilian brain based) as opposed to the calculations of the rational part of the brain.