New Red Tegu help!

[stingray3]

I purchased a Red Tegu last thursday at a local pet store. He appeared to be healthy, not aggressive, and used to people (The staff in the store had spent time holding him). Since bringing him home, he wont eat, baricades himself up in his hide box and wont come out. When I first got him, I would let him out and let him roam around and investigate (supervised), but now im just leaving him alone, thinking he is possibly stressed. I got him out this morning to make sure he was still alive, and I had put a chopped up boiled egg in his tank to see if he will eat. Do i need to just leave him alone till he gets comfortable enough to come out, or should continue to get him out and try to get him to eat?? The temp and humidity seem to be fine. I have had other lizards before and also snakes and Ive never had this much trouble, especially from something already used to people (supposedly). This has been very frustrating!! Is this normal behavior for a new tegu?? Thanks for any advice

 

[james.w]

Welcome, can you describe your housing setup for him? Size, temps, humidity, substrate, etc? Also what was the shop feeding and what are you feeding?

 

[TeguBuzz]

Provide him/her with food everyday and leave him/her be until it chooses to come out on its own. Removing them forcefully will only cause them more stress. It could be that he is acclimating or continuing some sort od late hibernation. Give it a few weeks and it should be out and about.

 

[stingray3]

Thanks! He is young, so I currently have him in a 40 breeder, with a 100watt daylight basking light on one side and a 26watt 5.0 uvb on the other. I also have a heat pad stuck on the bottom on the side with the uvb. I have him in my basement where it is alittle more humid, but also cooler, so thats why I added the heat pad. The temp is around 70ish on the side with the uvb and around 90 - 100 under the heat lamp. My substrate is rounded off wood chips that are supposed to be good. I mist the tank in the morning and in the evening. The humidity is about 50, but goes up alittle at night. The pet store was feeding him canned "Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lovers Soul" and some fruit. Hope this helps!!

 

[droopster]

And is everything ok now with your tegu? what have you done, and how long it took to get him ok? because i'm facing the same problem. i have a red tegu for 4 days (is almost 1 year old). when i purchased him or her. he was very tame, you can take him without trying to escape, don't bite, very courious, tong likking. But he wont eat anything. pinkies, eggs, chicken, beef, crickets, worms... now the last two days i dont handle him anymore and just let him be. only provide him with food and water. he digged himself in the substrate under his cave and won't come out.
the housing is 2.20m*0.80m (7'*2.5')
he have 2 caves. one on the right under solar glo exo terra 125watt (40° or 105F), and one cave in the middle and a reptisun 10.0 (30° or 85F), and left a big waterpool and 26W repti glo 2.0 and there the temp is (25° 75F). humidity is about 60-70%.
subsrate is a moisterholding substrate for digging reptiles that i also use for my ackie's (Varanus acanthurus)

 

[Gandhi]

I had the same problem. It took my red tegu over a week a acclimate. Just leave different food every day in the tank and leave him alone. He will come out eventually. Only time when You should put hands in tank is when you give him food and fresh water.

 

[droopster]

yeah thanks, just now he came out of the cave and eat 1 worm. and he is now walking around and exploring. he us out of is cave for 1 hour now. but i goiong to leave him alone few more day's. but For the food, is it best to leave it ther al day, or do take it away and put it back after some time or next day?

 

[Gandhi]

I gave him fresh food twice a day and leave it there. Don't leave there anything thats alive, it will spread all over your terrarium before your tegu will even consider eating it.

 

[droopster]

now 5days later, still providing him all kinds of food every day, leave him alone so much as possible only change food and water. buy some expensive instrument for temperature and humidity to constantly check all is ok. but still hasn't eat. he came out of is cave sometimes but not much. most of the time he digs himself in the substrate and stays there allmost all day. now i have him almost 2 weeks now and he look verry good and healty but im starting to worrie. And its not so fun that i never see him. Wat must i do???!!!

 

[droopster]

now after one month still no eating. one time he ate 5worms and thats it. still leaving him alone. tried every kind of food 2 times a day. he is curouis and go see what the food is. likking but no eating. drinking and swimming no problem, he likes it. he has he's own swimmingpool. 80cm by 50cm. but how long can he go without eating? for now he still looks and act healty. can someone give me some help. humidity and temparatures are fine. i have been home three weeks and check it all day long. the thing is maybe the ventilation. do they need much ventilation? before the terrarium was for my varanus and he did fine in there.

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here is a pic of the terrarium.
250*80 in centimeters en the temperature is in celcius.
the nightlamp is with termostate for 22-24degrees celsius becouse the room is only 15 in the night.

 

[Chris23039]

I'm no expert but could it be the size of your tank making him stressed a bit ??

 

[droopster]

I'm no expert but could it be the size of your tank making him stressed a bit ??

do you think its to big then? Because they told me they like to walk a lot. and he uses all the space he has. and the left side about 70*80cm is all swimming pool.

 

[Chris23039]

Well I'm starting mine off in a 4ft by 2ft for 6 months, I've seen that to big of an enclosure can cause problems but like I said I'm no expert this is my first one aswell I'm sure someone with more experience will know if it's to big good luck tho how's he/she doing??

 

[droopster]

Well I'm starting mine off in a 4ft by 2ft for 6 months, I've seen that to big of an enclosure can cause problems but like I said I'm no expert this is my first one aswell I'm sure someone with more experience will know if it's to big good luck tho how's he/she doing??

for the rest he is pretty good. you can handle him with no problems, loves to take a bath in is enclosure, likes to dig, verry allert, wants to know everything thats going on, inside and outside, but just won't eat thats the only problem.