The Wandering Tegu

[thewebrecluse]

I have an A B&W Tegu ... going on 8 years now.

He's always been happy in his enclosure and we recently built a new one with a built in pool and fogger that was better than our apartment LOL. After he came out of recent hibernation he just wanted out. He's wanted out before and he usually wanders for a while and eventually comes back for the heating area etc but this time ... he never returned. He curled up under one of the beds and stayed there for days. Again not a problem really just strange for him since he's never done that before.

Eventually we went under the bed and placed him back into the enclosure. The doors are sliding with no locking mechanism ... he figured out how to open them easily

He really didn't seem to want to stay in the enclosure so we just decided to let him live outside of it. We have a small apartment and there aren't many places he could get lost of injured. We have a few cats and he doesn't seem interested in them nor they him. They do play every now and then.

We got a large heat rock and set it up under one of the desks because he used to curl up next to our LAN machine LOL and I was worried he'd go to the bathroom on it

He now seems to spend time curled up in everyones blankets and wandering around pooping everywhere which is ... pretty awful sometimes after a lot of rats ...

When he wants sun he crawls up and lays on the window sill and he seems much happier being able to be moving around freely.

However, the last few nights he's bitten a couple of my roommates and I assumed it was because he was quite hungry. He goes for days without any interest in food and then suddenly he gets ravenous. It's hard to tell when that will be. This is the first time in 8 years he's ever bitten anyone and it was pretty frightening. He's never been terribly friendly but you could pet him for a while, not pick him up though ... but when he was younger we used to put him in a harness and take him for walks etc ... the biting is new. Everyone is ok and we'd started making sure as soon as he is awake and wandering around we get 4 or 5 large rats or a couple of quail into him. Whenever he comes out of hibernation his habits seem to always change ...

We spent a lot of time and put a lot of love into custom building the second enclosure

but he no longer seems to want to stay enclosed period. I have read before that some people don't even have enclosures for their tegu, just something like a toybox filled with substrate for hibernating periods so we're thinking of dismantling the entire thing.

Does anyone else have a tegu that just wanders freely? Is there anything special we need to do?

Elaine

 

[laurarfl]

I saw your posts, but don't know how to help since my tegus do not free roam in my house. If he is scattering feces in your house and biting is a concern, it does sound as if something needs to change before the situation escalates.

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

I personally do not support free roaming, its dangerous and very hard to maintain proper humidity, ambient and surface basking temps. If hes trying to get out of the enclosure that you built him, I would start there and try to think of things in there that he does not like. Did you use a different type of substrate? Is it in a room hes not used to? Any tv/radio or other electronics on top of it where the vibrations could bother him? What type of wood did you use? could it still have fumes from sealant or wood? Have you double checked your ambient and surface basking temps to make sure they arent too hott? Im sure if my tegus didnt have locks on their enclosures, they'd be opening it and going for a stroll too... one thing that caught my attention in your story is that you said he went under the bed for a few days? Perhaps he got too cold under the bed and didnt have the warmth and energy to get out? He either sounds HUGE or is possibly eating too much too? 4-5 LARGE RATS and quail too?! WOW. I have a 21lb 4.5ft guy and I cant imagine him even being able to take that much food.

If I were in your shoes, I would get locks for your sliding doors and put him back in the enclosure, he would be able to come out and cruise around the house when people are home and he can be closely supervised, but when cruising time is over - back into the enclosure he goes.

I have taken him some horrible rescue cases from people who have free roamed, the lack of a constant humidity and warm ambient temp will cause internal organ damage after time.

 

[laurarfl]

That is the same approach that I take. I let my tegus come out when I am home. I even take them outside for supervised basking time. But there is too much to risk IMO for them to be out all the time. I have people, other pets, the A/C on, electronics, etc. I feel that I can care for them better by maintaining an enclosure.

This is just anecdotal, but I find that my males are more active and always want out.

 

[MrMycetes]

My male wanders everywhere, I take him outside and let him go about his business, which is usually pooping, sleeping in the sun, digging for small rodents, and trying to get out of the chicken wire enclosure. Today I just put him on the ground and followed him where he went, which I think he enjoyed. He's currently shedding, and I think the walking around is helping get the old skin off faster. It also gives him a lot of exercise, and natural UV. I took him swimming in a pond the other day, but I didn't trust taking his harness off there, so he couldn't go far. He sleeps either in bed with me, or under a pile of clothes in the corner. I had him in a plant tent for the winter, but he tore a hole in it when summer came, so now he just lives with us.