Can a tegu do fine without whole prey?

[jtrux]

We'll see how it goes, I haven't noticed anything negative from it. He gets lots of other stuff but his diet is probably 40% Mazuri and he's done well so far. It's an excellent vehicle for calcium powder, i'll mix it in and he eats every bit of it.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Tegus can be fed other whole prey besides rats and quail. If it's just those you have an issue with then no problem but if it's actually feeding whole prey that's the problem then I would advise against getting an animal you don't fell comfortable providing a proper diet for.

 

[Tannaros]

I'd considered getting a blue tongue or something you don't need whole prey on?

Because they totally don't need it either.

 

[Raicardoso]

I just have a problem with LIVE prey like mice and quail. I'd be fine with F/T mice/rats. I'd also be fine with fish. What else classifies as whole prey?

 

[Deac77]

Any whole animal is whole prey lol

I feed crawfish, baby rabbits, quail, chicken, cichlids, rats, mice, catfish, talapia, soft shell crab, hamster, Guinea pigs, gerbils, baby finchs, whole adult finchs, ect ect, all are dead/frozen never anything alive

All the "pet animals" are excess from Friends breeding stock.

 

[Tannaros]

I just have a problem with LIVE prey like mice and quail. I'd be fine with F/T mice/rats. I'd also be fine with fish. What else classifies as whole prey?

"Whole prey" a term that I'm beginning to become fed up with - is essentially any meal that consists of ALL components of an animal, ie. bones, organs, liver, etc.

 

[Deac77]

Because they totally don't need it either.

Whole mammalian prey isn't recommended for bts, I don't think the op of a problem with insects

 

[Tannaros]

Whole mammalian prey isn't recommended for bts, I don't think the op of a problem with insects

Annnnd that's because mice are highly fatty. The same reason many enthusiasts prefer to avoid rodents. BTS can certainly eat them with no real ill effects, if given in moderation just the same as any other diet.

It's a large error to simply say they do not require whole foods when compared to tegus.

 

[Deac77]

Not really many do just fine on it, mine have never had a whole item other than inverts and earth worms

 

[Tannaros]

Not really many do just fine on it, mine have never had a whole item other than inverts and earth worms

Yeah, and many tegus do just fine without whole prey. Same as Savannah monitors, they like it nice and dry with plenty of rodents coming their way.

I should note that the last statement there was completely sarcastic. However, your mentality seems similar to many hobbyists around the world - and just because something is alive does not mean it's thriving.

The major caveat here being that blue tongues are notable scavengers.

 

[Deac77]

Haha sure thing killer you know nothing about my mentality on animals obviously.

I've even around to many bts thy were over weight to the point of being sick, most with gout, because keepers fed more whole prey than anything else.

You obviously know everything about everything and are 100xs better than every keeper, should I bow now?

 

[Tannaros]

Haha sure thing killer you know nothing about my mentality on animals obviously.

You obviously know everything about everything and are 100xs better than every keeper, should I bow now?

Right, because that's exactly what I was saying?

I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong, and I frequently ask others for their own experiences - and often find out I was wrong about something. More than once I've been corrected on this very board. I just get tired of people literally regurgitating information and preaching it to others with no factual documentation on their own behalf supporting it, or not even knowing where the initial notion came from and how it's grown into the idea it is now.

Not really many do just fine on it, mine have never had a whole item other than inverts and earth worms

Anecdotal evidence is the only evidence worth looking at!

I've even around to many bts thy were over weight to the point of being sick, most with gout, because keepers fed more whole prey than anything else.

Because feeding their animal a variety of mammalian, aves, ichthyes, crustacea, and insects most assuredly led to their pet's health condition...Yeah, uh-huh, and it's so easy to manually balance a diet consisting of various ground meats and cat food!...yep.

You just pidgeon-holed feeding a varied diet of organisms in their entirety to non-stop feeding a lizard mice, with subpar husbandry to boot.

My point is your view seems very eerily similar to that of the mass mentality of reptile owners all over.

 

[Deac77]

Right, because that's exactly what I was saying?

I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong, and I frequently ask others for their own experiences - and often find out I was wrong about something. More than once I've been corrected on this very board. I just get tired of people literally regurgitating information and preaching it to others with no factual documentation on their own behalf supporting it, or not even knowing where the initial notion came from and how it's grown into the idea it is now.



Anecdotal evidence is the only evidence worth looking at!



Because feeding their animal a variety of mammalian, aves, ichthyes, crustacea, and insects most assuredly led to their pet's health condition...Yeah, uh-huh, and it's so easy to manually balance a diet consisting of various ground meats and cat food!...yep.

You just pidgeon-holed feeding a varied diet of organisms in their entirety to non-stop feeding a lizard mice, with subpar husbandry to boot.

My point is your view seems very eerily similar to that of the mass mentality of reptile owners all over.

Think what you want, my info, not that I have to explain myself to you, is from case studies, text books, internships, and personal research on different food items items nutritional content in collegiate studies. You know nothing of my education. I can assure my view on reptile husbandry isn't even remotely similar to the mass.

 

[Tannaros]

Think what you want, my info, not that I have to explain myself to you, is from case studies, text books, internships, and personal research on different food items items nutritional content in collegiate studies. You know nothing of my education. I can assure my view on reptile husbandry isn't even remotely similar to the mass.

Ha. Okay, sure thing.

I suppose I will agree to disagree.

 

[Skeetzy]

Skeetzy- How much ( in terms of weight) does your tegu eat of that hare-today meat? And do you have it prepared before? Like you said you have 1 tbsp of calcium powder without d3 per pound, do you have it already all prepared in a bag or something and then when it's feeding time you take it out or you just prepare it when you need it?

I realize I'm late on this, but just now seeing it. Someone might have answered you too.

I use the Zip lock portion freezer bags, and the zip lock air tight freezer bags. I portion a small fistful of meat with the portion bags, roll the bag, and put between 8-12 in the bigger bag. The gallon bags use a little hand pump to get them airtight, so much less freezer burn.

I buy the 5lb packages of meat, so what I do is put the whole package in a pot, add 5 tbsp of calcium, and 5 tbsp of cod liver oil, and mix it all up. Then I portion everything, and freeze it. I take one bag out every morning and thaw it in the fridge. By the time I'm home it's thawed and ready to serve.

 

[Renske]

I do not feed whole pray at all. I never feed rats, mice or chicks. I buy sausage of cut meat, bones or meat and bones. I buy it at a zoo food website for zoo animals but you can also buy it for dogs.
It looks like this:

But i feed also this:

All kind of fruit

Fresh water fish

Frog legs

I also feed them eggs.

I think my animals are realy healty and happy. I also breed them.

If you feed them wrong the eggs look crap.

Also good uvb is extreemly important. Not an 10.0 or other energy saving crap but the real sun or a uvb like bright sun uv, powersun or megaray.