• Hello guest! Are you a Tegu enthusiast? If so, we invite you to join our community! Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Tegu enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your Tegu and enclosure and have a great time with other Tegu fans. Sign up today! If you have any questions, problems, or other concerns email [email protected]!

Picky eater or trouble?

Kaiju Prince

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Bakersfield CA
So kai has been with me for about a week now and since he’s still a juvenile I try to feed him every day. I offer him a ground turkey mix with mango, blueberries, and a tiny bit of banana that he only picks at, and insects like crickets, and dried grasshoppers on alternating days. He really only ever takes a few small bites of anything I give him and I’m starting to worry a little. He eats the crickets sometimes, maybe consuming 10-15 when offered at dinner time. I had a big sav before I got kaiju and he had a healthy appetite from day one, so I may just not be used to how a young tegu eats. Should I be worried or should I just give him a little more time to acclimate to his new environment?

Advice would be greatly appreciated for my little guy!
 

dpjm

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
378
Juveniles don't tend to consume as much fruit. Concentrate more on protein items and offer fruit but don't be concerned if it isn't accepted. Skip the ground turkey, it is not sufficient, only providing protein and fat but no minerals. Whole animals like small rodents are much better or you can order ground whole prey that has bones and organs added. Insects are also good and because they are moving they provide that extra stimulation. Make sure all insects are coated with calcium supplement every time.

Don't be concerned about a low appetite. You've only had him a week, he needs time to get used to his new environment before he will have much appetite. Stress = low appetite for any animal.
 

Zyn

Well-Known Member
Messages
609
Go to your local reptile expo pick up a 50 pack of size appropriate rat prey. He’ll gulp them down like theirs no tomorrow. Sevs 9 months now and he’s eaten maybe 2 grapes in that time. He’ll cominf flying across his enclosure when it’s dinner time. He eats like a pig. Also double check your temps on the hot spot. But like DP said he’s still adjusting
 

Kaiju Prince

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Bakersfield CA
Juveniles don't tend to consume as much fruit. Concentrate more on protein items and offer fruit but don't be concerned if it isn't accepted. Skip the ground turkey, it is not sufficient, only providing protein and fat but no minerals. Whole animals like small rodents are much better or you can order ground whole prey that has bones and organs added. Insects are also good and because they are moving they provide that extra stimulation. Make sure all insects are coated with calcium supplement every time.

Don't be concerned about a low appetite. You've only had him a week, he needs time to get used to his new environment before he will have much appetite. Stress = low appetite for any animal.

Alright I’ll definitely try the rodents and focus on more whole prey items for him to see if that works after he’s had a little longer to adjust. Thanks for the advice!
 

Kaiju Prince

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Bakersfield CA
Go to your local reptile expo pick up a 50 pack of size appropriate rat prey. He’ll gulp them down like theirs no tomorrow. Sevs 9 months now and he’s eaten maybe 2 grapes in that time. He’ll cominf flying across his enclosure when it’s dinner time. He eats like a pig. Also double check your temps on the hot spot. But like DP said he’s still adjusting

I’m definitely gonna try the rat prey for sure when he’s adjusted a little more. His basking spot tops out at 101 with an exo terra 100w bulb. Should I get the 150w or would that be to intense? Or should I just get another light to add to the the exsisting basking spot? He also gets a ton of natural sunlight when I work with him, I let him bask on my bed when the sun streams in while I watch Netflix just so he can get used to me.
 

Walter1

Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
5 Year Member
Messages
4,384
Will get very little UV through glass. Also, appropriate-sized rodents will still be shy of necessary calcium. Liberally dust Calcium powder before feeding.
 

Kaiju Prince

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Bakersfield CA
Will get very little UV through glass. Also, appropriate-sized rodents will still be shy of necessary calcium. Liberally dust Calcium powder before feeding.

I always make sure to dust his food and he has a uvb light in his enclosure. I’m also using a multi vitamin twice a week just to cover all my bases
 

dpjm

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
378
Also, appropriate-sized rodents will still be shy of necessary calcium.

Walter, Merck Vet Manuals gives recommendations for reptile nutrition. According to this, omnivores should receive 1.0 - 1.5 % calcium and 0.6 to 0.9 % phosphorus in their diets on a dry matter basis, which works out to a 1.67: 1 ratio. According to Rodent Pro's website, adult rats contain 2.62 % calcium and 1.48 % phosphorus, which works out to a 1.77 : 1 ratio. Of course, younger rats have fewer minerals but even rats under 10 g contain 1.85 % calcium. Unfortunately the phosphorus amounts for these smaller rats is unavailable. So while they have enough calcium, because the phosphorus amount is unknown we don't know about the calcium phosphorus ratio. Might be equal to a large rat but might also be lower. In chickens, it is apparently a bit lower ratio in smaller chickens than larger. Either way, your advice to supplement some calcium on smaller rats is probably good, but I would not add a lot.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-exotic-and-zoo-animals/nutrition-in-reptiles#v4640870


https://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp
 

Walter1

Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
5 Year Member
Messages
4,384
Dpjm- Thanks. Good to know as it provides useful parameters. I purchase medium mice for my four adults because I believe they are at their optimum of calcium development vs extra-large female mice burnt out from breeding. Still, I dust, especially now as I hope to have successful breeding this year.
 

Guman

Active Member
Messages
204
Does anyone here feed whole chick's? They are a favorite of Rags. However, I do have to cut them up for him.
 

Skeep

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
131
Does anyone here feed whole chick's? They are a favorite of Rags. However, I do have to cut them up for him.

Yes, definitely! But not until she was large enough to swallow one whole. I can't imagine cutting them up is very fun!
 

Members online

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
20,092
Messages
177,790
Members
10,317
Latest member
hoeiyehi
Top