Tiny Zilla update

[Aardbark]

Just a small update, to let you guys know that my Gu is now hybernating. She has been in her hide for the past 2 weeks, with the entrance all stuffed up.

The cage stays an avrage 65, and I keep the fogger on. I havent seen her come out, or and signs that she has come out. So Im guessing I wont see her till spring.

I miss her already


PS: The day before she went to sleep, she ate a huge meal. I heard they werent suposed to eat before going to sleep. Is this anything to be worried over?

 

[Strange_Evil]

Its said the food would rot in the tegu, if it starts to hibernate with a big meal and a your temps are low like they are. I'm not sure how true this is, but its what i read and it makes sense. My tegu did the same thing, and i just keep the lights on a few extra days keeping it nice and warm, this way his metabolism wouldn't slow down too much. Because its also said if your temps are high during hibernation the tegu metabolism wouldn't really slow down and this would result in the tegu starving during hibernation, so i thought some warm temps for a few extra days after him going down with a huge meal would help digest, its been about 2weeks,so far so good! He comes up for a sip of water like once a few days. Sorry if it did not make much sense, i kind of got lost in thought and went off with my crazy theory.

 

[Aardbark]

Yea I did the same thing. The first week I turned on and off the lights like normal, but after that I just turned off the lights and left them off.

I at least havent seen her come out for any water.

 

[omgtaylorg]

It actually is something to worry a bit about, like stated above the food can and will rot in their stomach if they go down for hibernation with a big meal in them, they need to digest it. But it really depends how long your guu is going to be down without coming up at all, its just really hard to say

 

[Aardbark]

I obviously cant watch the cage all the time, but it doesnt look like she has come out at all. How long should I wait before I give her a gentle wake up poke?

 

[Sirhc401]

I'm curious. Do you guys put have your tegus hibernate on purpose or do they do it themselves? Mine has yet to go down. And has no reason too as long as I keep warm temperate I would think

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Sorry about the typo there...put have...lol. I changed my sentence half way through typing it

 

[Strange_Evil]

^ you have the option to lower your temps and make it easier or give them a hint its around that time of year so they can start to get ready. But really its all a matter of what your tegu wants to do, if he wants to stay up the winter then he'll stay up,if he wants to go down then he will go down no changing his mind, no matter how hot or cold you keep it. Its best to just go with the flow and follow your tegu lead.

A lot of people think by constantly waking there tegu up and keeping temps warm that the tegu will not hibernate. Then they just end up with a stressed out,starving lizard.

I've come to look at hibnernation, more as something synced into there system,an instinct. When that time comes,that what most do. For ex, when its warm over here in the U.S,its winter in there native home, so an imported tegu would have things backwards, he would hibernate during our hot summers and stay up during our winters. It usually takes about 3yrs for them to get in sync with our seasons (imports). So that really goes to show,that its not just about temps or what you want them to do.

 

[Aardbark]

Ok, today I reeeely gently peeked into her hide. Without wakeing her. She is sleeping peacefully and looking really fat. Should I take her out and have her bask to digest, or just leave her be?

 

[Sirhc401]

I see. Well maybe ours will go down later. Or not at all. Who knows. Guess I'll find out eventually

 

[Strange_Evil]

Ok, today I reeeely gently peeked into her hide. Without wakeing her. She is sleeping peacefully and looking really fat. Should I take her out and have her bask to digest, or just leave her be?

This will not work, you wake your tegu up it will more then likely just got right back down. Just try raising your temps for now.

I see. Well maybe ours will go down later. Or not at all. Who knows. Guess I'll find out eventually

Yeah give it a few more weeks,if he's not down by then, you might be one of the lucky ones lol.

 

[Sirhc401]

Crossing my fingers I get lucky then.