Health issues due to handling outside of enclosure?

[E_M]

Some people claims that handling you tegus (or any other reptile that needs a higher humidity) outside of their enclosures can cause health issues, due to breathing dry air.

I wanna state that i have NO experience or knowledge of this, but I wanna get your opinions on this. False or true? Is letting your tegu roam free from time, or handling it outside of it's enclosure on a daily basis a health hazard? In one forum a person claims that feeding your tegu outside of it's enclosure (in other words just a few minutes a day) is enough to cause damage on your tegus health.

What do you think about this?

Edit: You should probably keep in mind that this was pointed out to a tegu keeper in Sweden, a country with a low natural humidity level compared to the tegus natural habitat.

 

[Teg]

Although I'm no expert, but I'm sure they would be fine for an hour o'r two a day !

 

[chelvis]

I have heard about this and all the vets I have talked to say that this is not the case.

Look at the way the respiratory system is set up, the lungs are moist and they stay moist. There is no issue from a respiratory standpoint that handling in a dry environment will cause. In there native environment there was dry season and wet seasons, if they always get respiratory issues from dry environments then tegus would never survive. That being said there is an issue with too much humidity and no air circulation causing fungal, mold or bacterial respiratory infections.

 

[E_M]

Thanks chelvis, that was really helpful. I have more knowledge of savannah monitors than tegus when it comes to natural habitat (feel like I have some reading up to do, got any literature recommendations?) The natural habitat of the savannah monitor also has wet seasons and dry seasons. One thing I would like to know is how the tegu handles the dry seasons? The savannah monitor is known to hide away in humid burrows during the hottest/driest part of the season, sometimes for weeks, to avoid dehydration.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

If that were the case I wouldn‘t be able to keep any of mine out of their enclosure here in Vegas... let alone outside for hours a day in the summer time. South America has dry seasons just like every where else, tegus require humidity but not constantly high humidity. If or when needed ( just like anything else) they would deal with the dry season and less humidity pretty much by seeking water or shelter from it. Letting your tegu free roam or handling them outside of their enclosure from time to time, is not a health hazard. In reference to humidity and breathing dry air anyway, that‘s a consistant husbandry issue. Free roaming has its hazards but when tegus are properly cared for humidity is not one of them.

 

[Dubya]

Just let it bend. Your tegu will be fine. They are not so delicate.