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Eveyone is looking at building outside enclosures, here is how mine are set up. Here is a picture, that at the time was under construction, but it gives you a general description:
This enclosure is 8ft x 8ft x 6ft. It has 1/2 inch plywood, 2ft up from the ground all the way around, this is for two reasons. One is to keep your tegu from rubbing his/her nose. The other reason is to keep dogs, cats, or varmints from getting in. On the bottom I used new heavy duty chicken wire buried with five inches of soil, then I add cypress mulch and the top layer is fine hay. The chicken wire is attached to 2x4s buried in the ground all the way around the inside. On the top I used 3/4 inch plywood, and from the plywood at the bottom all the way to the top I used chicken wire. There is a hole going down outside the enclosure. It is lined with wire. The wire is attached to the bottom to the wire in the bottom. It goes to a box buried outside under the ground 2 feet. The box has a hole cut out of the side of it. the wire is attached to the box. The tunnel is lined with indoor/outdoor carpet. This keeps the tegus from rubbing the wire traveling in and out of the hole. There is no where to go but the box or the cage. the wire is connected to the box, as well as the wire in the bottom of the cage.
As for sunlight. I build mine so that they get morning sunlight as well as afternoon. Argentine tegus bask in the cooler parts of the day. When it is the hottest part of the day, they go into their burrows.
These pictures will give you some ideas.
This enclosure is 8ft x 8ft x 6ft. It has 1/2 inch plywood, 2ft up from the ground all the way around, this is for two reasons. One is to keep your tegu from rubbing his/her nose. The other reason is to keep dogs, cats, or varmints from getting in. On the bottom I used new heavy duty chicken wire buried with five inches of soil, then I add cypress mulch and the top layer is fine hay. The chicken wire is attached to 2x4s buried in the ground all the way around the inside. On the top I used 3/4 inch plywood, and from the plywood at the bottom all the way to the top I used chicken wire. There is a hole going down outside the enclosure. It is lined with wire. The wire is attached to the bottom to the wire in the bottom. It goes to a box buried outside under the ground 2 feet. The box has a hole cut out of the side of it. the wire is attached to the box. The tunnel is lined with indoor/outdoor carpet. This keeps the tegus from rubbing the wire traveling in and out of the hole. There is no where to go but the box or the cage. the wire is connected to the box, as well as the wire in the bottom of the cage.
As for sunlight. I build mine so that they get morning sunlight as well as afternoon. Argentine tegus bask in the cooler parts of the day. When it is the hottest part of the day, they go into their burrows.
These pictures will give you some ideas.
