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Hi all, I just wanted to give an update on Zilla and ask a few interesting questions. It will be kind of long, but maybe someone will enjoy reading.
I let my tegu free roam a lot, she doesn't like her cage and is always scratching to get out. She loves to explore. She wakes up at about 8am, I turn on her light and she goes to get a drink and bask for a little while. Then she will spend the whole rest of the day exploring my room. Its tegu proffed, and I have a nice basking spot and big water dish set up for her. I feed her every day, most of the time she eats like a pig. She has no food aggression whatsoever, and I can feed her with my hands if I want. Ever other day or so I give her a warm bath and she swims around. She is nice and healthy, and happy. She usualy decides to go to bed any time between 12 noon, to 4pm. It depends on how explory she is feeling. Recently in the past month, she has really been in a climbing mood. She tries to climb everywhere, even in places she has no chance of getting up. Its so funny watching her try.
Zilla has never shown any kind of aggression, she has never bit or tail whipped or anything. She is a little bit jumpy and can be supprised easily though. She doesn't like being pet on her head or neck or back while she is warm, and will crawl away slowly. She does like being scratched in the jowels or under her chin when warm. When cold she likes to be pet anywhere, or maybe she just tolerates it.
In the past month we have been coming closer together. I know so much about her personality just from watching her. I can tell when she wants to climb, and wants up. When she would give me the sign she wants up, and I was up on my bed, I started to lay my arm on the ground up to the bed, like a kind of ramp. She would walk over to me, and scuttle right up my arm. She would do this several times a day. Then I decided to just use a coutch cussion as a makeshift ramp. At first she poked it an knocked it over. Then I picked her up and placed her on the ramp, and she learned that she can go up it. Now over and over, she climbs up the ramp, come up to me, licks around and explores the bed, and then goes back down the ramp. (or off the side of the bed) She does this maybe 20 times a day, its so cute, and she hasn't knocked the ramp down once since.
When she is ready for bed, she will come up the ramp one final time and then crawl under my blankets. She will search around until she finds my leg or foot, and nuzzle up to it and then go to sleep. Every day for the past 2 weeks, she has slept nuzzled up against me. When I am ready for bed myself, I will pick her up (she doesn't even wake up when I move her) and I place her under my pillow on the corner of my bed. Then the next morning, she will wake up, and poke me to be let down, she doesn't like climbing when she is cool. So I pick her up and put her down on the floor. And then the cycle continues.
I was wondering what other peoples daily tegu routines are, and if they free roam, where do they like to sleep?
Some fun pictures of her:
This is her chilling on my arm as I watch tv.
Here is her in her harness. It looks kind of loose, but its acualy tight, and I can adjust it tighter if I want.
Here is her in her new favorite sleeping place.
She is a happy and healthy lizard, and one amazing pet. Even as I type this right now, she is laying against my leg. Every day she gets more and more used to me, relaxed, and trusting. I cant wait to see what she does next.
I let my tegu free roam a lot, she doesn't like her cage and is always scratching to get out. She loves to explore. She wakes up at about 8am, I turn on her light and she goes to get a drink and bask for a little while. Then she will spend the whole rest of the day exploring my room. Its tegu proffed, and I have a nice basking spot and big water dish set up for her. I feed her every day, most of the time she eats like a pig. She has no food aggression whatsoever, and I can feed her with my hands if I want. Ever other day or so I give her a warm bath and she swims around. She is nice and healthy, and happy. She usualy decides to go to bed any time between 12 noon, to 4pm. It depends on how explory she is feeling. Recently in the past month, she has really been in a climbing mood. She tries to climb everywhere, even in places she has no chance of getting up. Its so funny watching her try.
Zilla has never shown any kind of aggression, she has never bit or tail whipped or anything. She is a little bit jumpy and can be supprised easily though. She doesn't like being pet on her head or neck or back while she is warm, and will crawl away slowly. She does like being scratched in the jowels or under her chin when warm. When cold she likes to be pet anywhere, or maybe she just tolerates it.
In the past month we have been coming closer together. I know so much about her personality just from watching her. I can tell when she wants to climb, and wants up. When she would give me the sign she wants up, and I was up on my bed, I started to lay my arm on the ground up to the bed, like a kind of ramp. She would walk over to me, and scuttle right up my arm. She would do this several times a day. Then I decided to just use a coutch cussion as a makeshift ramp. At first she poked it an knocked it over. Then I picked her up and placed her on the ramp, and she learned that she can go up it. Now over and over, she climbs up the ramp, come up to me, licks around and explores the bed, and then goes back down the ramp. (or off the side of the bed) She does this maybe 20 times a day, its so cute, and she hasn't knocked the ramp down once since.
When she is ready for bed, she will come up the ramp one final time and then crawl under my blankets. She will search around until she finds my leg or foot, and nuzzle up to it and then go to sleep. Every day for the past 2 weeks, she has slept nuzzled up against me. When I am ready for bed myself, I will pick her up (she doesn't even wake up when I move her) and I place her under my pillow on the corner of my bed. Then the next morning, she will wake up, and poke me to be let down, she doesn't like climbing when she is cool. So I pick her up and put her down on the floor. And then the cycle continues.
I was wondering what other peoples daily tegu routines are, and if they free roam, where do they like to sleep?
Some fun pictures of her:
This is her chilling on my arm as I watch tv.
Here is her in her harness. It looks kind of loose, but its acualy tight, and I can adjust it tighter if I want.
Here is her in her new favorite sleeping place.
She is a happy and healthy lizard, and one amazing pet. Even as I type this right now, she is laying against my leg. Every day she gets more and more used to me, relaxed, and trusting. I cant wait to see what she does next.
