New Tegu Owner, Needing Some Reassurances.

[Cossamaximus]

Hello all, my names Timothy and I am a new and very proud owner of my first B&W Tegu, called McGee.

I brought McGee home 9 days ago. I do not have an accurate age for McGee, but the store believed about 4/5 months old.

I had a 6x3x3 vivarium waiting at home, with a deep substrate (of top soil, sand Coco Coir mix 1x1x1), a water bowl, humid hide, a basking platform with a cave beneath etc etc, and although I did my best to set up the vivarium accurately, it did seem a bit baron. And the McGee did seem so small inside.

I introduced the McGee into he/she's new home, I had temps at warm side: 33 - 35c, Cool Side 27 - 29c and the basking surface at around 42c (107f).
Little McGee went off and hid straight away, I saw McGee briefly at one point, as the littlun explored briefly, then went of to sleep somewhere.

The next day, the McGee emerged about 4 hours after lights on, I offered some locust, which the store said they were eating, yet the McGee had zero interest.
McGee did some exploring, and then hid, came out a bit more later on but one thing I noticed was I could not approach the vivarium without McGee darting off to hide.

Day three, and pretty much the same thing, the little McGee emerged around 4 hours after lights on, at which point I left McGee with some turkey mince, butternut squash and carrot mushed all together. At first McGee had not intertest, but I left it in there, and later on some eating took place.

Now this is where things took a turn, I read up about socializing Tegu's early on, and I kept reading on how they should be handled from day one. So I took that as I should just go in there and grab them, which I tried to do, yet McGee ran off and hid, and did so for nearly 24 hours. I worried myself, so spent the following morning searching for McGee, and when found, I put on some gloves and picked McGee up, McGee thrashed about a little, tried to bite me and what not, so I placed McGee in a smaller bulk bucket and removed my gloves, just placed my hand next to McGee. McGee tail whipped me and tried to scale the sides of the tub, I thought enough was enough, and scooped McGee up and placed him back into the vivarium, which now looking at it, may have enforced his actions, but I felt I had stressed McGee out enough.

After this, which I now saw to be negative approach, I decided to read some more into the socializing aspect of Tegu care. I then came to conclusion, McGee is hiding so much because the vivarium is so large. McGee must be feeling vulnerable coming from a smaller vivarium with loads of décor to what I see now as a setup for a 1 year plus Tegu, when obviously they would be much larger. So, I made the decision to set up a smaller temporary home, using more décor, helping with protentional issues of McGee feeling Vulnerable.

At this point I made the decision, as we are a busy household, to put the smaller vivarium in our living room, rather than my bedroom. Help McGee adapt to the level of sounds he will be accustomed to in time, better now, than his first free roam experience. I also made this decision as my partner currently works nights, getting into the bedroom during the main part of the day is an issue, so this for now made more sense.

When introduced to the smaller vivarium it was only the second time I had held McGee since arriving home. I kept it short but McGee remained still in my hands loose grip for a while whilst I stroked it's head, McGee would occasionally close there eyes as I stroked above there brow. Anyway, I put him in the smaller vivarium, McGee had a look around, crawled into the cave, shut the door with dirt, and I haven't seen McGee now for about 4 days. I haven't seen any movement etc, I have supplied water, and food, but nothing has been taken. I have once or twice, poked a hole in the caves dirt door, but within about an hour, McGee has closed it back up.

My approach now, is to leave alone, supply water/food, heat and light, and wait till McGee emerges, and even then, play the hands off game, wait for McGee to show an interest in me, maybe sit there with the glass door open, talking. Then work up to placing hand in etc, until the day McGee comes over and hopefully on to my hand, negating the need for me to pick McGee out again.

My concerns are: McGee not feeding/drinking, me not taking this time to socialise with McGee, as there now at the age where I know socialising is important. I dont want to miss out because there always hiding.

I just hope I've made the right decisions thus far. And regarding the hiding, am I doing it right thing leaving McGee to it?

Thanks all for working your way through this long post. Its really appreciated.

Regards
Timothy

 

[purplewombat]

Well, either what I did worked well or I was extremely lucky, Sammy is very friendly to all, likes to be held and petted, walks well on a leash, poops on a pad, can be fed by hand, understands "yes" and "no" when walking, and so far is not exhibiting any signs of "guberty" even though he is probably about 16 months old and is everting his hemipenes and ejaculating sperm plugs when he defecates. We have visited a number of stores. He just sits in the top of the Lowe's cart for most of the visit, other than times when others wanted to hold him. Or walks on a leash in the aisles of petco, Cabela's, etc. Many nights he sits on top of my chest while I am laying on the sofa watching TV (or snuffles about under the blanket).
I used the smelly T shirt in the hide approach, and renewed it periodically even when brumating. I gave him a large hide with both a heated and unheated section, so he could thermoregulate even when hiding. I just used a flat board over a couple of 4x4's on each end so I could easily lift it and prop it up. I kept the furnishings to a minimum so he did not have a lot of different places to try to run. I left him alone for a few days after I got him. After that, I got him out at least once a day, always moving slowly, talking to him, not coming from above. I wore two T shirts so I could put him under the top one and control him, all while protecting myself from his sharp little juvenile claws. It acclimated him to being held, my scent, and doing household activities.
When I first got him he was probably a few months old, still had some green tints. I let him stay to himself for 4 or 5 days. After that I would always approach slowly, talking as I did so, and tried to pick him up from underneath rather than grabbing him from above. I frequently hummed the same songs I used to use to lull my kids to sleep when they were babies to him. When he was comfortable being held, I kept him with me frequently while doing household tasks. I always waited until I put him back to feed him. As he became more relaxed I introduced leash training using a sign with green "yes" on one side, red "no" on the other to direct him as he walked about. As long as he is in his early growth phase, I am feeding him every day, which I think limits food aggression tendencies. I also do not feed any live mice, birds, etc, figuring that will likely spur his "hunter killer" tendencies.
I only had about a month of interaction after bringing him home initially, then he brumated for 7 months.
My biggest problem with him is his tendency to eat rocks when walking him outside. I understand they can be helpful for digestion, but I am trying to avoid having him eat too many or any that are too big. Honestly, I had to grab some that were nearly as big as his head out of his mouth.
It is possible that your critter is planning on brumating soon, which will lead to more hiding, less eating. Got Sammy early August, by early September he had gone into brumation, even though cage temps were high and outside temps still seasonal for PA. Popped his head out in January, then went back to sleep until March.
Yours looks to be in good condition for brumation.

Summarizing, I have treated him as you would a dog or a cat, and he has responded (see link).

https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=sammy+the+tegu&type=link&cId=b8bd2745-3d27-452b-9b91-c1b596291f0d&iId=208e1485-a0d6-4782-a6b9-ea9f910479c6

 

[Cossamaximus]

As much as I appreciate the time it took you to respond to me I do feel that my concerns were not particularly the focus of your reply however I do appreciate the insight you’ve given me regarding your Tegu’s development.

Since moving McGee into the smaller enclosure I haven’t seen him/she for seven days. I know that it’s alive as I have removed the dirt barrier from the cave entrance, and an hour later it’s back blocking the entrance.

 

[purplewombat]

I apologize if I "missed the mark", but hopefully it was of some use. I should have taken notes, but I am pretty sure I had to force Sammy to interact initially. For that matter, even as social as he now is, most times I have to lift the lid on his hide and dig him out to see him. Probably just when you get to the point of socializing/bonding the little bugger will brumate on you.

 

[mayhewwet]

It sounds like you may have a tegu that by disposition is more skittish than chilled out. However, it's important to socialize with it every opportunity you can get. Although it's good that you're not stressing it out by picking up its hiding spot, I would try and identify the time when you see it being active (blocking up the dirt you move), and put food right by its hide to try and lure it out. You said it wasn't eating -- has it started brumating already? Are you giving it different foods to see if something interests it more than others? Baby tegus may respond more to foods like organs (Strong smell).

As soon as you see it, I would try and pick it up. Don't pick it up from the top but scoop it from the stomach, and then put it in a bathtub with warm water to give it a soak. You'll want to familiarize it with being in a tub and soaking. Perhaps if you put a large pan or something in its tank with water for soaking, that will lure it out too.

People have also recommended sitting with a large towel over your lap and letting the tegu scrabble around and socialize that way, which I also recommend doing. Basically, it's good you're giving your tegu space, but if it hasn't brumated yet and is pretty active, then I would not be this cautious and start socializing it - do whatever you have to (within reason) to get it wrapped up in a shirt or towel and plunk it in a bathtub to soak and get used to you being around. Good luck!

 

[Cossamaximus]

A little update, handling is so much better now, but he still ain’t eating much if at all, he like super active when out, will come to glass walk on my hand just none stop. He just refuses food, insects, fresh meats, eggs, fruit, he will occasionally eat, like a few slithers of something, say beef, turkey etc or grab some locusts left in his tank but then go days at a time with no interest in food.

Another strange behaviour I have found, he won’t come out of his cave by himself, he will wait till I pick up his cave and scoop him out or I knock down his dirt pile door in the entrance to said cave and let him come out himself.

He’s not in Brumation or trying to brumate, he’s simply too active when out for this surly to be the case, he is none stop up down and around his Viv, and when out with me I can’t keep him still.

I’m just tad concerned with his lack of appetite, i thought tegus were food driven.

When I watch him, his tongue is none stop, flicking the air, he will raise his head etc and then he will do what seems to be like foraging/looking for food, just to refuse it when offered or left in there with him.

 

[purplewombat]

Have you tried raw fish? If you do, make sure it is frozen or freeze it a few days to eliminate possibility of worm eggs or larvae. Sammy loves fish, frozen/thawed mice or chicks. When I feed him whole prey I usually put a gel cap with Reptivite and some calcium supplementation inside the prey animal before feeding it to him, although your critter may be a bit small for that at this point. That said, adding some supplementation somehow would be a good thing. Tremendous juvenile growth rate can result in metabolic bone disease or other disorders if they do not get vitamins/minerals they need., and if he is being a picky, part time eater he may not be getting what he needs. I don't know if I would rule out brumation either, these guys do have their own ways. Is he dragging his butt around, does he have runny poops? If so, may be uncomfortable due to worm infection.

His tail appears to have sufficient fat reserves and he looks healthy, so if he does brumate it should be OK. Looks about like Sammy did last year when he went into brumation around this time, lasted 7 months. If I would have had it to do again I would have had a fecal float done last year pre-brumation.

Sammy the Tegu

Sammy the Tegu is where Sammy keeps all his videos !

www.youtube.com