Potty Training?

[Guest]

I work at a reptile specialty store. One of my customers came in today and was telling me that he got a full grown col. tegu and she came litter boxd traind. I was hoping if anyone could verify that they can be, and how would be able to potty train my tegus

 

[tora]

Yeah, no. Some reptiles tend to go potty at certain times/places but they aren't cats or dogs, who care about pleasing us or being tidy. Most of the time my skink goes potty on the part of his enclosure that's just linoleum & not in the bedding. My tegu RARELY goes potty in his enclosure unless I'm a bad mom and don't take him out for the day. He always goes in the tub otherwise. He sometimes even holds it till later in the day if he has to.

 

[MIKE-ZILLA]

I had a monitor that did that . i kept him on astro turf and put a shallow tray full of kitty liiter in the cage. after a while he started using it after a while. tegus can probably do it too but many might not. you could try.

 

[tora]

Prob shouldn't use cat litter though, it's not even good for cats. Use newspaper pellets or something of that sort.

 

[Toby_H]

My adult Tegu has been in his 8' x 3' Enclosure for 4 months and has not once relieved himself in his enclosure... But he is far from "potty trained"...

"Ya don't ---- where you eat" is an age old saying as well as the nature of most animals. Tegus do have preferences in where to, or where not to, go. So it is very possible for us to learn or estimate our Tegus preference, or even attempt to create an area that is more inviting...

But just because you consider a certain place or medium to be "the restroom", doesn't mean your Tegu will "give a crap".


...Or at least that's what I think........

 

[reptastic]

I dont they can be petty trained to an extent, however 2 out of the 4 Tegus I had refused to go in the house during the summer months and only in the tub n during the winter. This wasn't something I taught them, it just became a.part of their daily routine, the 2 smaller Tegus weren't allowed to free roam much outside of their enclosure, partly because they weren't tame and they.had the tendencies to flee, and going outside without a leash was a no go, Im not sure but I think spending time out side of the enclosure created an opportunity for the 2 larger Tegus to the care of their business outside the enclosure, but Nero and gozar, would relieve them self almost instantly once they were outside in the grass. It really helped with enclosure cleanups lol, be my green iguana was newspaper trained were he only went on a sheet of newspaper.

 

[Guest]

i kind of trained my columbian to go in a tub after he eats...sometimes on the dish his food was on..>.> i think they just pick a spot they like and go with it.

 

[Toby_H]

In both the examples of Tegus sited above... I would not consider it "potty training" but instead would consider it our Tegu going where he'she prefered to go... and us learning to work with that...

It's more an example of the Tegu training it's owner than the other way aorund

 

[eddyjack]

I agree with Toby, in that I believe they do not want to make a mess in their living space. Mine will hold until I get her out and into the tub. She has proven this to me to many times not to believe.

Her habit is to wait until I put her in the tub and then she relieves herself, sometimes with explosive results. Then I clean things up rinse her off and let her eat and soak in clean warm water.

Awe the life of a spoiled little Tegu.