Calcium

[Michael Soto]

So question that I have had for a while and tried to do some research but couldnt find anything of use. So the question is: Do you have to use the calcium power made for reptiles or could you go out and get pure calcium pills and grind them up into a powered and use those to add to ur tegu food.

 

[Roadkill]

There should be nothing wrong with using calcium pills unless there are additives used in them that could be harmful. Always read the contents of anything you plan on using with your pets, look up their data on the internet.

 

[Michael Soto]

Thanks, im trying to broaden my tegus menu, and have a list of things that they can eat but the list isnt very spacific, like I heard its good for them to eat snails but online i cant find like what spacific snail they can eat. Do you have any good food items that are high in calcium that you feed?

 

[Roadkill]

While I hate to turn people away from an acceptable food item that can add variety to their tegu's diet, snails are something that should be used with caution. Snails aren't in and of themselves a bad food item, however they tend to be excellent vectors for parasites. I wouldn't say there's any specific snail that tegus would eat, there are many different species in their natural habitat. If you wanted to add snails to your tegu's diet, I'd either recommend culturing your own, or looking to some of your local ethnic foodstores to see if anyone carries live snails for food.

As for high calcium food sources, whole prey is hard to beat. For supplementation, I try to stick to bone meal and washed egg shell when I can.

 

[Michael Soto]

Thank you,

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

I used to breed my own snails. but I also feed apple snails from asian food markets.

 

[tommylee22]

I would highly suggest https://www.hare-today.com/ as a food source, they do whole ground animal foods and with that you wouldn't need to supplement.

 

[tommylee22]

With usaing whole animal I feel this is why Biggin is so huge so fast. very good diet makes for a really healthy Tegu

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

I would STILL supplement when using ground whole prey because the grinding process you do loose a lot of important enzymes and body fluids. Also since its large batches ground up and mixed together you have no way of knowing what amount of what part of the animal you are giving in each meal.

 

[The 1 2 Die 4]

How about other pet store products? Feeder fish? Large worms and other live fishing bait's? I feel like Night Crawlers would be a tasty snack and provide some good nutrition. I understand the calcium and am separating that from this question, being these things obviously don't have much bone structure. I also would like to know how much is too much Calcium, for humans 1,000mg/day is 100% value and 2,000 can be harmful.

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

No on any feeder fish, especially goldfish. Convict cichlids are okay if you want to breed them but so much easier just to go with already frozen fish for human consumption. Nightcrawlers are great, no red wigglers though.

 

[maxxdout]

I actually have a question for you, Michael Soto...I see your pic with a small child. Does your child interact with you tegu? I have a 10 yr old son that wants to be on board with the raising and care of our tegu. Thoughts???

 

[Michael Soto]

No, I'd Love to have my daughter learn and get used to reptiles ingeneral but her mother is against reptiles and doesnt really like the fact of me owning ball pythons. (We are no longer together.)
My thought though if I full custody of my daughter and she lived with me yes I would start teaching her about handling and caring. I think it is a good thing to get your children involved while they are young. As long as you are around while ur child will be handling and do some of the basic care for the tegu that should be fine.

Guess it just comes down to how tame your tegu is and if you trust it not to bite/attack your child and if you trust your child not to harm the tegu.

 

[Justin Friedman]

No, I'd Love to have my daughter learn and get used to reptiles ingeneral but her mother is against reptiles and doesnt really like the fact of me owning ball pythons. (We are no longer together.)
My thought though if I full custody of my daughter and she lived with me yes I would start teaching her about handling and caring. I think it is a good thing to get your children involved while they are young. As long as you are around while ur child will be handling and do some of the basic care for the tegu that should be fine.

Guess it just comes down to how tame your tegu is and if you trust it not to bite/attack your child and if you trust your child not to harm the tegu.

I have a ten year old who loves handling all my reptiles including my Tegu. Teach her the proper way to hold them and make sure she has the right clothes on so the child doesn't get accidentally scratched and Id say go for it.