Ratram
New Member
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- 11
I haven't been on this site in quite a long time. Not sure what I posted on before, but I'm sure it had something to do with my Colombian at the time. It wasn't a good fit between him and I so I found him a good home with a member of a local reptile group/forum. I however still wanted an Argentine Tegu and had wanted on for a long time. I got the go ahead from the wife and ordered a baby from Under ground Reptiles. I can't say enough good about the transaction and the quality of the animal. He arrived in perfect condition and was doing well. Until... I came home from work and he wasn't in his 6x3x3 enclosure! I sorted through the cypress mulch and looked every place I could think. Little Winston had escaped. I was pretty bummed out. The wife being the great person that she is told me to order a replacement while they were available. The next night while at work my daughter called me and stated that she had seen Winston hiding behind a box and what to do. Well, she scooped him up and returned him to his enclosure. I called and tried to cancel the order for the other but he had shipped. He also arrived in great shape so now I have the two Argentine Tegus! Winston and Percy.
That was last July and now it is the following April. They have grown a great deal. I still have them in the 6x3x3 enclosure and am nearly finished a second of the same size. They are bolted together and will be open on the ends for roaming. I constructed them out of solid core doors with 1/2" plywood backs and trimmed in front. They are heated and lighted by MV bulbs in porcelain sockets and the wiring is all in boxes and conduit. The first one has 1/4" clear acrylic sliding doors. I found this material to be a problem due to warping from the heat and humidity. Did some research on it and found that is common with lower grades of acrylic. I am going to frame the doors on the second enclosure to stop this from happening. Also, I have added a very quiet bath fan to the side which will be vented through the wall to get rid of smells and excess heat/moisture.
I have fed them daily with a variety of items including pre killed mice and rats, ground turkey, chicken and chicken hearts, boiled or scrambled eggs and fish. They get vitamin supplements once a week and calcium every other day. I have always fed them in their enclosure and have not had any issues with aggression or tameness. Each animal is different and they all have their own personalities so the way I did it may not be best for every body. I kept a t-shirt in their sleeping area while they were young so I'm sure that helped. As of now they are very tame, very curious and get bored easily. As a result they constantly want to climb up on me when the door is open. Then get down and find a spot to get stuck in under the couch or wherever they can fit. I gotta keep one eye on them all the time. In the enclosure they will trash anything they can. The water bin gets splashed constantly so I put it in every other day to let the bedding dry a bit. They will shake a rat into pieces if they aren't very hungry, but want to play with it. This leaves the walls looking like a dungeon. They do get water every day. I hold a bowl for them while they drink. very neat way to interact with them.
As soon as the new enclosure is complete I will move them over and rehab this one. It could use new paint and doors.
So that's what I did with mine. Any suggestions would be ok if someone wanted to offer them. I'm learning same as everyone else. I'll upload pictures later from my phone.
That was last July and now it is the following April. They have grown a great deal. I still have them in the 6x3x3 enclosure and am nearly finished a second of the same size. They are bolted together and will be open on the ends for roaming. I constructed them out of solid core doors with 1/2" plywood backs and trimmed in front. They are heated and lighted by MV bulbs in porcelain sockets and the wiring is all in boxes and conduit. The first one has 1/4" clear acrylic sliding doors. I found this material to be a problem due to warping from the heat and humidity. Did some research on it and found that is common with lower grades of acrylic. I am going to frame the doors on the second enclosure to stop this from happening. Also, I have added a very quiet bath fan to the side which will be vented through the wall to get rid of smells and excess heat/moisture.
I have fed them daily with a variety of items including pre killed mice and rats, ground turkey, chicken and chicken hearts, boiled or scrambled eggs and fish. They get vitamin supplements once a week and calcium every other day. I have always fed them in their enclosure and have not had any issues with aggression or tameness. Each animal is different and they all have their own personalities so the way I did it may not be best for every body. I kept a t-shirt in their sleeping area while they were young so I'm sure that helped. As of now they are very tame, very curious and get bored easily. As a result they constantly want to climb up on me when the door is open. Then get down and find a spot to get stuck in under the couch or wherever they can fit. I gotta keep one eye on them all the time. In the enclosure they will trash anything they can. The water bin gets splashed constantly so I put it in every other day to let the bedding dry a bit. They will shake a rat into pieces if they aren't very hungry, but want to play with it. This leaves the walls looking like a dungeon. They do get water every day. I hold a bowl for them while they drink. very neat way to interact with them.
As soon as the new enclosure is complete I will move them over and rehab this one. It could use new paint and doors.
So that's what I did with mine. Any suggestions would be ok if someone wanted to offer them. I'm learning same as everyone else. I'll upload pictures later from my phone.
