BaiYing509
New Member
- Messages
- 17
I have been afraid to post about my rooftop tegu, Phuong, because I was certain if I said she made it through the many cold spells we have had, that we would have a real whammy and she would succumb to the cold. We probably have one more before it's just plain miserable summer heat without the nice break of a spring between the two. So I say this gently, not too loudly, that she made it through several nights of below freezing temps of 12 -14 hours in duration. One time her pond completely froze up and I feared I would never hear her tail thumping on the roof again. I had set out a Brooder lamp with a 250 watt infra red bulb and a ceramic heater blowing across the stone pavers where the lamp was. I know she is big enough for 2 lamps but I didn't have anyone to help me set up a second one and as it was I have the one hanging off a shovel so I didn't dare try 2. I shielded this to keep some heat in with the trusty garden wagon upended and McKenzie the boxer's baby pool on top. It wasn't the best because she had no privacy when I came through to do laundry. However, we have a system for sharing the yard by way of lights warning her when we are coming and I always call out to her. I think she split the time between the lamp and the roof because I would run the dryer for her around every 2 and 1/2 hours. I didn't get any sleep those many cold nights, because I was afraid of fire running the heater on an extension cord and I was afraid if I didn't get up and run the dryer she would die. I just wet towels so I had something to dry for her. Probably she only survived by finding her way into the hot water tank to snuggle. Once daylight hit, the tv wires would move around and then there would be a noise banging into the heat runs and then the closet doors would pop and ping as if they were pushed from beneath. Almost every time she had to use the heater there were little dry flakes in her pond. I know how awfully drying those things are as I sat in front of the big one I got for her during those cold nights and dried my underarms into husks. The big one didn't work as the air blows up from the top and the spot I had for her was much lower, so I used a little one for her I had gotten for me. I am so grateful that she made it through probably the coldest winter we have had in years! The heat pump repairman came to maintain the unit and found a burrow inside the unit. He was from Colombia and had never heard of tegus! He said he wondered what all the white stuff was! ha He shut the burrow and promised me that if I didn't see her for a couple days or I heard her having a fit that he would come and unhinge it so she could get out.
We certainly have had some crazy times with Phuong! I could tell every time she left and went up the lane by the dogs barking. I was afraid they would corner her and the husband that lived there would kill her on sight. Luckily no one has seen her yet. One neighbor threatened to put traps out for the feral cats and I was afraid she would get in them. But she hates dog food and refuses to eat eggs. I don't think she is interested in the cat food but I could be wrong. I did have a regurgitated litter of kittens on the roof during the first cold spell. She is really helping in spite of the way this sounds. The city refuses to do anything about our feral cat population, 30+ and still breeding.
One early am I was getting in the shower and I smelled skunk so strong I thought one had come under the house. But then I knew it was poor Phuong. There had been a bang on the door, which she does when she has a bad experience. By the time I got to the door, there was no sign of her. I felt so bad for her getting it in the face by a skunk. I put some vinegar in her pond. She had face planted several times in McKenzie's horse wallow in the yard and threw dirt all across the ramp trying to kill the sting of skunk in the eyes. Poor baby! Then a couple weeks later I was gone most of the day because one of the dogs was having surgery so some kind soul put the trash can away for me. However, the trash men had made a huge hole in the lid, and the kind person didn't know about Phuong and put the can in the wrong spot. I was distracted and didn't put it back where it belonged so when Phuong attempted to jump on the can to get to the truck to guard against the feral cats having spraying contests on my windshield, she did a Wylie Coyote and fell into the can. I was on the other side of the truck hearing a hellacious plastic commotion but I couldn't see anything and for some reason it never dawned on me that she would be down and about while I was in the yard all day. Later that night I figured out that it must have been her in the trash can. I checked it the next morning and sure enough, claw marks everywhere and now the hole was ginormous! She jumped straight up and out without turning the can over, which is quite a feat as it's a flimsy can on wheels. The other morning the city dropped off a brand new heavy duty can as we have just been annexed. Phuong must have been happy to see that. My brother said she must have stolen it and drug it home.
She really is "vocal" for as shy as she is. She always lets me know when she has made it home, and the next morning after those cold nights she would hop on the roof above us in the living room as if to say, "I made it! I'm ok!" Then at night when it got too dry in the heater or too cold on the roof, she would thump thump thump as if to say, "Get your butt outside and run the dryer! It's freezing up here and I'm trying to stay alive up here!" Of course the dryer had to break during the cold spells before Christmas, and she was not happy about that at all. Neither was I but how do you convince a roof lizard that you hate it too?! I had to hang everything up and wait for stuff to dry before I could wash anything. It was miserable. Luckily it was a problem that could be fixed and we were all back in business relatively unscathed. Now when I am in the laundry room she does a dance when she hears the dryer door open while she waits for me to load it. It's so cool! I have tried to rush out and try to get a glimpse of her but she is too quick for me and has a hiding spot before I can get to the point where I can see the roof. My roof is the only roof in the whole neighborhood that no one can see across. It's ridiculous! She really planned well when she picked a new home. And she knows when I am too tired to get up and try to catch a glimpse of her. She bangs away as she jumps onto the ramp. It sounds just like a horse galloping up the ramp, then thump, thump, BANG! That's her jumping up onto the awning and onto the roof, quite an Olympian effort. She announces herself so while I am in a deep sleep I know she has made it back safely. She tends to hunt at night during the full moon and on the half. They have shut our street lights off while they were deciding if we were annexing the city or not and my outdoor lights all went at the same time so it was quite dark for her for a while. I got the lights fixed and she slammed onto the roof with glee. Snacks! umhmmmm yup, insects in the light yummy. I guess it's like us watching tv and eating chips. I feel so lucky that my roof is her comfy zone.
We certainly have had some crazy times with Phuong! I could tell every time she left and went up the lane by the dogs barking. I was afraid they would corner her and the husband that lived there would kill her on sight. Luckily no one has seen her yet. One neighbor threatened to put traps out for the feral cats and I was afraid she would get in them. But she hates dog food and refuses to eat eggs. I don't think she is interested in the cat food but I could be wrong. I did have a regurgitated litter of kittens on the roof during the first cold spell. She is really helping in spite of the way this sounds. The city refuses to do anything about our feral cat population, 30+ and still breeding.
One early am I was getting in the shower and I smelled skunk so strong I thought one had come under the house. But then I knew it was poor Phuong. There had been a bang on the door, which she does when she has a bad experience. By the time I got to the door, there was no sign of her. I felt so bad for her getting it in the face by a skunk. I put some vinegar in her pond. She had face planted several times in McKenzie's horse wallow in the yard and threw dirt all across the ramp trying to kill the sting of skunk in the eyes. Poor baby! Then a couple weeks later I was gone most of the day because one of the dogs was having surgery so some kind soul put the trash can away for me. However, the trash men had made a huge hole in the lid, and the kind person didn't know about Phuong and put the can in the wrong spot. I was distracted and didn't put it back where it belonged so when Phuong attempted to jump on the can to get to the truck to guard against the feral cats having spraying contests on my windshield, she did a Wylie Coyote and fell into the can. I was on the other side of the truck hearing a hellacious plastic commotion but I couldn't see anything and for some reason it never dawned on me that she would be down and about while I was in the yard all day. Later that night I figured out that it must have been her in the trash can. I checked it the next morning and sure enough, claw marks everywhere and now the hole was ginormous! She jumped straight up and out without turning the can over, which is quite a feat as it's a flimsy can on wheels. The other morning the city dropped off a brand new heavy duty can as we have just been annexed. Phuong must have been happy to see that. My brother said she must have stolen it and drug it home.
She really is "vocal" for as shy as she is. She always lets me know when she has made it home, and the next morning after those cold nights she would hop on the roof above us in the living room as if to say, "I made it! I'm ok!" Then at night when it got too dry in the heater or too cold on the roof, she would thump thump thump as if to say, "Get your butt outside and run the dryer! It's freezing up here and I'm trying to stay alive up here!" Of course the dryer had to break during the cold spells before Christmas, and she was not happy about that at all. Neither was I but how do you convince a roof lizard that you hate it too?! I had to hang everything up and wait for stuff to dry before I could wash anything. It was miserable. Luckily it was a problem that could be fixed and we were all back in business relatively unscathed. Now when I am in the laundry room she does a dance when she hears the dryer door open while she waits for me to load it. It's so cool! I have tried to rush out and try to get a glimpse of her but she is too quick for me and has a hiding spot before I can get to the point where I can see the roof. My roof is the only roof in the whole neighborhood that no one can see across. It's ridiculous! She really planned well when she picked a new home. And she knows when I am too tired to get up and try to catch a glimpse of her. She bangs away as she jumps onto the ramp. It sounds just like a horse galloping up the ramp, then thump, thump, BANG! That's her jumping up onto the awning and onto the roof, quite an Olympian effort. She announces herself so while I am in a deep sleep I know she has made it back safely. She tends to hunt at night during the full moon and on the half. They have shut our street lights off while they were deciding if we were annexing the city or not and my outdoor lights all went at the same time so it was quite dark for her for a while. I got the lights fixed and she slammed onto the roof with glee. Snacks! umhmmmm yup, insects in the light yummy. I guess it's like us watching tv and eating chips. I feel so lucky that my roof is her comfy zone.
