Help! I don’t know what this is.

[Tyler Bevers]

My tegu was exploring my room when I saw him starting to lift his tail to poop but only a little bit came out. Then I saw him wiping his butt which he does every time after a poop, but I noticed he was doing it for longer then normal. That’s when I saw it. I long pink tube coming out of his vent. After him dragging it on the floor for a little bit, it slowly went back in. I have not seen it since. What was the cause of this? Also, could it help determine the sex of the animal?

 

[TripleTegus]

Looks like he dropped a hemipene. That would make him male for sure. I'm guessing he's about 2 or 3 years old and would say he's reached sexual maturity.

 

[Tyler Bevers]

Looks like he dropped a hemipene. That would make him male for sure. I'm guessing he's about 2 or 3 years old and would say he's reached sexual maturity.

He’s 11 months old and just over 3 feet long while growing about 2 inches a week.

 

[TripleTegus]

11 months huh seems kinda early for a hemipene drop but he could be an early bloomer. Maybe some one with a little more insight will chime in.

 

[Walter1]

11 months huh seems kinda early for a hemipene drop but he could be an early bloomer. Maybe some one with a little more insight will chime in.

I agree.

 

[rantology]

Forgive my ignorance, can yall explain what a dropped hemipene means? Is it different than a prolapse? Normal?

 

[TripleTegus]

Forgive my ignorance, can yall explain what a dropped hemipene means? Is it different than a prolapse? Normal?

From what I understand as males become sexually mature their hemipenes just kind of pop out. I don't know the reasoning behind it, I've just heard of it happening from a few breeders. And apparently it is normal.

 

[Britty]

My tegu was exploring my room when I saw him starting to lift his tail to poop but only a little bit came out. Then I saw him wiping his butt which he does every time after a poop, but I noticed he was doing it for longer then normal. That’s when I saw it. I long pink tube coming out of his vent. After him dragging it on the floor for a little bit, it slowly went back in. I have not seen it since. What was the cause of this? Also, could it help determine the sex of the animal?View attachment 14875

This looks like a prolapse :Treatment. If your tegu has prolapsed, soak him/her in a cool bath of water mixed with plenty of sugar. High concentrations of sugar in water encourage swollen tissue (ie: theprolapsed tissue) to shrink back into the body. ... Some tegus may prolapse repeatedly for no clear reason.

 

[RareDragonkeeper]

Forgive my ignorance, can yall explain what a dropped hemipene means? Is it different than a prolapse? Normal?

A hemipene is basically a reptiles penis. They have 2 penises attached to their own separate testicle. So it coming out means that it was getting engorged... kinda like a mammal penis. So basically what we're looking at is a reptile bone, I guess?

 

[Debita]

From what I understand as males become sexually mature their hemipenes just kind of pop out. I don't know the reasoning behind it, I've just heard of it happening from a few breeders. And apparently it is normal.

Seems young at 11 months. I would be worried that there might also be an impaction which can cause the hemipenes to be pushed out as they strain. The only problem with that is they can dry out and/or get infected if they don't retract properly, or have a hard time going back where they belong. So - gotta watch that close. I had that issue with my male, but was able to assist with gently tucking (like tucking a pair of socks) the hemipene back into the vent. Best if it goes (or retracts) on it's own, but my male was having probs with impaction, and it wasn't returning on it's own. It shouldn't stay out very long. I read about this before helping with it....it wasn't hard to achieve. My male hasn't had the prob at all since then. So, just that one time.

Owning Tegus is not for sissies.

 

[Wickedtactical]

Morning wood is all!

 

[Debita]

Btw, Rantology....(notice how I jumped over the guy jokes? ).....I'm thinking that the prolapse is a more severe case where different tissue is also protruding out of the vent. Not just the hemipene, which can happen occasionally without problems. It's usually because of straining due to impaction. I believe the remedy is the same though....better to get it back in instead of leaving it out. (This would be the tissue inside the cloaca.)

I think the Tegus are amazingly tolerant when it comes to being treated. I got some weird looks that's for sure, but all in all...it wasn't a fight. Do they sense they're getting help? I think so. I'm sure that my male that had the impaction understood how relief came after days and days of straining to go.

 

[Debita]

Anybody hear from @gone_awry about her Tegu that she was taking to the vet?

 

[rantology]

I'd never really heard it called "dropped" hemipene before, though I guess I have occasionally seen it in other reptiles over the years. Good to know though, that sure would have freaked me out and I would instantly have thought it was a prolapse.

 

[Debita]

Yeah, I can see where the confusion is too....but the hemipene is a much larger protrusion when it happens. (Here comes the guy jokes...) The tissue prolapse is usually right up around the vent. I've seen pics and I think it could be compared to hemorrhoids in humans, but more serious in Tegus.

 

[TripleTegus]

I'd never really heard it called "dropped" hemipene before, though I guess I have occasionally seen it in other reptiles over the years. Good to know though, that sure would have freaked me out and I would instantly have thought it was a prolapse.

I'm sure there's a more technical term for it but that's just what I've heard it referred to by a couple local breeders here in Central Florida

 

[Amy Broxham]

Looks like he dropped a hemipene. That would make him male for sure. I'm guessing he's about 2 or 3 years old and would say he's reached sexual maturity.

Yep! Mine does that every time he poops!

 

[TripleTegus]

Yep! Mine does that every time he poops!

Yeah it seems no matter the species them things have a mind of their own.

 

[DrGonzoB&W]

My tegu was exploring my room when I saw him starting to lift his tail to poop but only a little bit came out. Then I saw him wiping his butt which he does every time after a poop, but I noticed he was doing it for longer then normal. That’s when I saw it. I long pink tube coming out of his vent. After him dragging it on the floor for a little bit, it slowly went back in. I have not seen it since. What was the cause of this? Also, could it help determine the sex of the animal?View attachment 14875

Yeah it seems no matter the species them things have a mind of their own.

Might take him for an exam just to make sure its not a prolapse. Plus, its never a bad idea to have him checked out from time to time to make sure he is on track with growth and healthy.

 

[RareDragonkeeper]

I'd never really heard it called "dropped" hemipene before, though I guess I have occasionally seen it in other reptiles over the years. Good to know though, that sure would have freaked me out and I would instantly have thought it was a prolapse.

I'm sure would've thought the same thing, especially with less experience than you, I'm 85% sure I would've freaked out and assumed it was a prolapse. I only know the textbook terms and all that jazz. But I wouldn't know what to do about it other than take them to the vet... but if this is ever to happen to me, it's possible to help them get it back in? And then take them to the vet?