Help

[Adambomb]

Hi I have a columbian black and white tegu and he doesnt want to eat he hasn't eaten in four days he just smells the food and walks over it. Any ideas how I can encourage him to eat?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Hi welcome to the site and congratulations on the new tegu. More info about what you feed, how much, how often and your tegus enclosure (lights, temps the usual stuff) will help us better help you.

How long have you had it?
The last time it pooped and peed?
Is it still drinking?

The more info the better.

 

[Adambomb]

I've had the tegu for about a month now when I got him all he would eat was eggs nothing else I tried pinky mice meal worms crickets and some ham.
I have two heat lamps and a UVB bulb even though he's by my window so he gets direct sunlight everyday
He poops and pees everyday and every time I take him out and he drinks just fine.

 

[james.w]

What size tank is he in? How big is he? What are the temps? Eggs often cause picky eaters

By the way UVB does not penetrate glass, so having him by the window does nothing. What type of UVB bulb are you using?

 

[Adambomb]

The top of the tank is a mesh and his basking spot is 105 the cool side is 85 to 89 i don't know the the type of uvb the guy gave it to me
It is a large tank he has space to walk and burrow in i don't know the exact measurements
He is about a foot and a half
The guy who had him before me made the tegus diet up of only egg and calcium dust is there a way I can change his diet? Cus now he wont eat anything. Could it be parasites?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

It'll take time to introduce him to new foods since he's not use to them. You can try mixing new things with what he already eats. Or tough love an not feed him for a few days then offer it again. It's the winter time so Colombians may brumate which is to slow down, sleep a little more and not eat as much but that doesn't always happen.

It doesn't hurt to have a fecal done and rule out parasites.

 

[Adambomb]

I tried coating the other foods with a little egg to try an coax him to eat but he's just not interested at all. And in Miami we really don't have winter it's hot al year round pretty much i don't know why he would begin to brumate he hasn't felt any weather change.

 

[james.w]

Brumation/hibernation is based on an "internal clock", the weather doesn't really matter. I agree with Bubblz, try mixing other foods in with the egg.

 

[dragonmetalhead]

I have a Colombian black and white as well. Sounds like yours is a very finicky eater. Bubblz' advice is the same I would give. I have Kodo on a diet of silversides, mice, rats, shrimp, snails, stew beef, gizzards, and liver; they'll take most meats.

 

[Adambomb]

Alrite thanx alot

 

[Leo93]

I had the same problem with mine. I starved him for a week then started him on frozen thawed mice. It worked beautifully!!

 

[Adambomb]

I tried mice frown and live he didn't even touch it today I'm going to buy ground turkey and some gizzards I'm trying that today

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I tried mice frozen and live he didn't even touch it today I'm going to buy ground turkey and some gizzards I'm trying that today

 

[Adambomb]

I tried the chicken gizzards and the ground turkey Rango didn't seem interested at all he smelled them and walked away.

 

[laurarfl]

Colombians can be picky eaters and have a tendency to prefer only eggs. Try a little bit of ground turkey covered in raw egg. Use just enough to cover it and disguise it, yet he still gets turkey to eat. You can also dip thawed rodents in raw egg, too. For ground turkey and pinkies, you'll want to keep up with the calcium supplements at each meal.

 

[Adambomb]

Thank you for the help he has eaten today and yesterday for the 1st time in almost two weeks he ate chicken gizzard and egg

 

[Orion]

Brumation/hibernation is brought on by the amount on sunlight during the day. So even being in a tropical climate you will still have winter ie less sunlight during the day. But experience with Colombians is that mine would prefer scrambled egg. No matter what they would hold out for eggs, sometimes for a week. So I just stopped giving them eggs. Eventually they started eating a varied diet and I would give them eggs as a treat and they would devour them like lizards possessed.