tegu eating urates??

[goodtimes]

I have caught Samus eating urates a few times now. Yesterday right after she dropped a load she turned around and tried to eat the urate, I intervened. I have caught her eating dry urate before. I do keep the enclosure clean, but occasionally there are feces and urates I miss for a day or so.

So, my questions are Why?, and is it bad for her? It can't be good for her, but how bad is it? I would think it is some sort of definciency, but I feed her well and give her fresh water. Lighting is good and such. Any one ever experience this?

 

[First Time Tegu]

I don't know for sure when it comes to tegus, but I know in general the only thing to worry about when a dog eats its poop is how long it has been there because of bugs laying eggs in it and thus causing parasites. I would say it won't harm him much as long as you have no flies or the like in your cage.

I am not sure about the urine, because I know toxins in human pee will kill you if you ingest too much...

 

[HorseCaak]

I have caught Samus eating urates a few times now...So, my questions are Why?

Maybe she was surfing the web and saw Joe Rogan drinking his own urine, and thought, "Maybe I should too."
:rasp

 

[goodtimes]

Maybe she was surfing the web and saw Joe Rogan drinking his own urine, and thought, "Maybe I should too."
:rasp[/quote]

You may be on to something there!!! :app

 

[Shonuff]

I wonder the same thing. I have caught my blue eating its poop a few times. Like as soon as it's there, bam!! All in it, like there's no tomorrow.

 

[tupinambisfamiliaris]

I'm starting to think that this is a common occurence. Mine does the same thing. At first I thought maybe the tegu wasn't getting enough to eat, so I offered more food. All I got was a fatter tegu that still eats it's poo/urates. I feed outside the cage and the tegu often defecates in the feed box after finishing a meal (and still tries to eat the waste). I reccomend this, as it allows the keeper to separate the lizard from the poo at least to some extent.

 

[goodtimes]

Well, I don't know what it is. Samus continues to eat doo doo and urates when he wants. I have no idea why. He gets all sorts of food and water. ???????????? :crazy

 

[Cali 202]

Yup, Marley eats his poop as well. He used to only eat his urates but now he just eats his poop and I also though it was because he wasnt getting enough to eat but he eats a ton and is a fatty so thats definatly not the case. Good to know I'm not alone here.

 

[Guest]

My A.B&W does that too! I came on here hoping to find why. :/ I've caught him a couple times, but I usually fly over there and take it from him.

He just did it again ten minutes ago, but I was on the other side of the room and got him too late. (he already swallowed it)

Is that going to hurt him?? He had ground turkey right next to him, I didn't notice he had gone to the bathroom. (His cage is always clean, just this week I have finals so I have less time.)

Could it be that he's missing certain vitamins? I dust his food and he has both UVA and UVB lights.

Anyone have an answer to this? : (

 

[slideaboot]

OK...obviously tegus do this for a reason. It'd be nice to know WHY. I've got two theories:

1) Tegu poop is delicious.

2) Eating the poop removes traces of the tegu's presence (thus protecting it from predators who might recognize the poop as evidence of a nearby food source (the tegu)).

It's interesting, though. I've never caught Aesop eating his own poop. In fact, he's very careful to not even let his tail lower until he's moved out of the poop vicinity. Maybe his poop is less delicious than other tegus'?

 

[White_Lotus]

maybe its the same reason as dogs?? The poop still has the smell of food therefore its eatable...I wonder if bobby has had any issues with this =s i personally never saw my tegus(any of the 3) even walk in poop.