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Can Shipping Trigger Brumation?

Tucker

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40
Location
East Tennessee
Hey y'all, just got my first Tegu from Rodney Irwin/TegusOnly.com. When I opened up the bag this morning he was pretty cold and not moving, I was almost worried he was dead but then I saw him breathing.
I took him to his enclosure and put him under the lamps, locked the door, and walked a way for a minute. When I came back he had gone to the cool side of his house and burrowed under his hide. Worried about his body temperature I uncovered him and put him in a bath of warm water. His eyes stay closed most of the time and he barely flicks his tongue. Doesn't seem interested in food or water either. All he wants to do is either rest on my shoulder or burrow under something. He's in his hide now burrowed under some mulch and an old stinky t-shirt of mine.

Could the drop in core temperature during shipping have caused him to go into brumation?
 

Tucker

Member
Messages
40
Location
East Tennessee
I doubt it might just be stressed from travel
Ok, I just want to make sure he doesn't start hibernating in July, winters here in TN can get cold and if he started now I don't think it would be good. Then again I'm new to this so I'm just spitballing.

I did let him rest on my shoulder sitting on the back porch so he could get a little natural UV since he won't bask on his own in his house.
 

Walter1

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Ok, I just want to make sure he doesn't start hibernating in July, winters here in TN can get cold and if he started now I don't think it would be good. Then again I'm new to this so I'm just spitballing.

I did let him rest on my shoulder sitting on the back porch so he could get a little natural UV since he won't bask on his own in his house.
It's to be expected of newly-moved tegus to hide for a while 1-2weeks as the tegu adjusts to new olace and routine. Place worn shirt with sweat in its hide for familiarity with you.
 

Tucker

Member
Messages
40
Location
East Tennessee
Good to go, I stuck a super stinky sweaty undershirt from my last 8hr shift in there. I'll try to leave him be for now. I know people say to avoid feeding in the cage, how about for these first two weeks?
 

Walter1

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Good to go, I stuck a super stinky sweaty undershirt from my last 8hr shift in there. I'll try to leave him be for now. I know people say to avoid feeding in the cage, how about for these first two weeks?
Very good. He may or may not eat for the week. I would place food but not much in the enclosure before he wakes up. Even if he avoids coming out for a few days, no healthy tegu will starve itself.
 

Tucker

Member
Messages
40
Location
East Tennessee
Ok sounds good, I was gonna feed him venison sausage and mango but that'll go bad pretty quick if he doesn't eat it. Any recommendations on a longer lasting food? I'm about to make a pet store/local reptile guy run.
 

Walter1

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Ok sounds good, I was gonna feed him venison sausage and mango but that'll go bad pretty quick if he doesn't eat it. Any recommendations on a longer lasting food? I'm about to make a pet store/local reptile guy run.
High quality wet dog food or a thawed mouse.
 

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