How Often Should I Feed My Tegu

[Ash_fable]

I would like to know how often I should feed my tegu.

I've been reading on here that you should feed them every day. But if they're fed daily, how do they not get overweight? Obesity is a real problem for these lizards. Even with the proper basking spot (120) and humidity (60-70), I think a tegu would still get overweight being fed that often. Am I wrong?

In the wild tegus don't get food every day, and that's one of the ways they stay lean.

Over this past year my big boy gained 3 pounds... and that's a LOT for an adult tegu to put on... So needless to say, he's been put on a diet, and I feed him a little less often.

Is feeding every other day acceptable? What about when he's off his diet?

Thank you in advance.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Ever 2-3 days is fine for an adult sized tegu in my opinion......

 

[Zyn]

Everyday as a baby, yes

But as an adult I only feed every 2-4 days depending on activity and body language.

As an explain I’ll mash some turkey, beef liver, and turkey hearts into a big meatball. He’ll eat it and be ready to eat again in twoish days.

He gets whole prey 2-3 times a week. For this example let’s say I give him two small rats. Those rats are going to take longer to digest. So most of the time he won’t even show signs of hunger for 3-4 days.

I just try and go by what his body language is telling me.

 

[Ash_fable]

Thank you, both of you. That's great to know that every day is for a baby, not an adult. I guess I've been feeding him right, I just might have to cut back on the portions.

 

[nightanole]

Id like to highjack this thread. So we have discovered that ours REALLY likes sous vide chicken eggs. We were wondering how much is too much. Is one a week too much?

 

[Guman]

Even as a little gu mine has refused to eat every day. However, as a baby he was offered food everyday.

 

[Christa]

I adopted a male about a year and a half who only will come out and eat once a week.

 

[Zyn]

Once sev went on food as a baby he’s always hungry. Eats atleast every other day, he’d eat everyday if I let him some days he does. He’s about a year and a half old blue. Loves whole F/T small rats eats 2-3 a week.