G
Guest
Guest
Hello I was wondering if it is nesscesary for a Argentine Tegu red or black and white to hibernate? I plan on getting a red. A housing it in a 8x4x4 outdoor cage in maimi where the climate is perfect
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- Messages
- 1,083
It's not necessary, but I don't think you have to worry about it. I'm a bit north of you but my GU would go into hibernation with temps still reaching low-mid 90s during the day... If they get it in their heads they want to hibernate that year, they will regardless of the temperatures. I'd make sure your GU has a nice, cool retreat so if it does hibernate its metabolism is able to slow enough so as not to lose too much bodyweight.
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- 4,285
- Location
- Connecticut
Our Blues don't hibernate, they slow down. Our Red is gone for a few months. He seams to be getting ready now, he's huge and less active.
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My Tegu hibernated a very solid hibernation from Octover to May it's first winter... it was in a fishroom with a constant 80*F ambient temp, very high humidity and a basking light...
His second winter my Tegu slowed down a lot, but he only truly hibernated for a couple of weeks at best. I doubt he went 5 days without coming out to bask for a few hours. That winter I very systematically reduced his heat/light to simulate natural seasonal change...
This year he spends time in a 8' x 3' indoor enclosure that is 80*F at night, 86*F during the day with a basking spot. He also spends a good bit of time in his 12' x 6' outdoor enclosure here in North Carolina where we are still having 90+*F highs just about every day of the week. In the last week or so he's stopped coming out every day and has been much lazier than normal... I suspect he is begining his hibernation early...
My best conclusion is... Tegus are weird and unpredictable. We can create the environment that we suspect will promote certain behavior, but in the end the tegu will do what it is inclined to do.
My new approach is to provide optimal summer conditions when he is awake and active, and then change the light/temps only when his behavior changes. I really hat eto see him go into hibernation right now, but as he is no longer coming out every day I've turned off the basking light and will not force him to wake up or go outside.
His second winter my Tegu slowed down a lot, but he only truly hibernated for a couple of weeks at best. I doubt he went 5 days without coming out to bask for a few hours. That winter I very systematically reduced his heat/light to simulate natural seasonal change...
This year he spends time in a 8' x 3' indoor enclosure that is 80*F at night, 86*F during the day with a basking spot. He also spends a good bit of time in his 12' x 6' outdoor enclosure here in North Carolina where we are still having 90+*F highs just about every day of the week. In the last week or so he's stopped coming out every day and has been much lazier than normal... I suspect he is begining his hibernation early...
My best conclusion is... Tegus are weird and unpredictable. We can create the environment that we suspect will promote certain behavior, but in the end the tegu will do what it is inclined to do.
My new approach is to provide optimal summer conditions when he is awake and active, and then change the light/temps only when his behavior changes. I really hat eto see him go into hibernation right now, but as he is no longer coming out every day I've turned off the basking light and will not force him to wake up or go outside.
