What is my Tegu doing?

[Aardbark]

My tegu went into hybernation weeks ago. I was concirned becasue before she went underground, she had a big meal. Now, the other day when I was cleaning her cage. Specificly I was changeing her water bowl, I picked it up to refill it, and there she was, burrowed under the water bowl. She looked up at me and hissed/huffed got high on her legs and glared at me. She wasnt happy.

I picked her up though, without any real trouble, she didnt fight me or try to bite and tail whip me. She looked so terribly skinny, so I offered her some food, and she gobbled it all down. Then I put her back in her cage. She took a big drink of water, and then burrowed herself near the water bowl again. Now I havent seen her in a few days.

So my question is, what the heck is she doing? I thought tegus didnt eat before going into hybernation, but she has never refused food. She burrows herself and doesnt come up to eat or drink, acting like she is hybernating, but before she burrows herself, she eats a big meal. She sleeps like she is hybernating, but eats like she isnt.

What should I do with her? I can see where she is burrowed now, her tail is sticking up out of the ground. She hasnt moved in days.

 

[TeguBuzz]

Quit disturbing her. I don't know how else to put it. Cut the lights out when she takes a crap and leave her alone until she wakes up, stop feeding, and they rarely ever come up for water. Leave it alone.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

It's possible she's coming out when you're not home or asleep. Have you tried digging around where she was before to see if she pooped some where under the substrate or covered it up? What are your temps at?

 

[Aardbark]

For one, get off my back. Im just looking for adcive, not insults. No **** Ive made mistakes, Im sorry Im not perfect.

Ive woken her up from hybernation twice now. Once on purpose and the other by accident. Im not sure how detrimental it is to a tegu, but its not going to kill her. Also, she isnt a fish. She isnt going to eat herself to death. I dont feel right not offering her food, if she wants to eat. If she is hungry and wants food, Im always going to give it to her. If she was overweight and it was unhealthy, then I would feed her less, but she isnt. Last I saw her, she was rather skinny.

If I dont turn the lights on, the temps are 70 on the warm side and 65 on the cool side. She is burrowed currently on the cool side. I havent found any poo when working or cleaning her cage. I thought she was in her hide, but I was mistaken. As far as I can tell, she hasnt moved after she burrowed.

You dont need to tell me the mistakes Ive made. I know them already. What I want to know is, even if she was woken up early from her hybernation, shouldnt she refuse food? Why would she eat a giant dinner, and then go back to sleep?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

When they brumate they still come out to eat, bask and or drink just not as much as when they're not brumating or hibernating. If her stomachs not distended, is loose and or looks empty then she's relieving her self somewhere. What kind of substrate are you using? Depending on the type and how deep it is, it can be easy for them to move around under the substrate without being detected. Just the same as it can be easy for them to move around on top of the substrate without being detected depending on what kind you use.

She could easily burrow for a few days on one side of the cage, relieve herself and move away from it. If she looked skinny when you saw her the temps may be a little too low causing her to burn more fat to stay alive. The same way high temps can cause them too.

What are you using to record temps? Have you tried moving some substrate or using a probe to find out what the temps are under it?

 

[Aardbark]

Im useing cyprus mulch. I guess its possible for her to move underground without me noticing, she has about 6 inches to a foot deep to burrow in. Depending on the location in the cage, some parts are deeper than others.

On the cool side, I use one of those simple petco thermometers. On the warm side I have a digital thermometer with a cord and what I think is a probe at the end of it.

I know she hasnt moved in the past few days, because I can still see her tail pokeing up out of the ground.

 

[TeguBuzz]

Alright, I didn't insult you. I made a statement. IMO, when you haven't seen your gu in 2 weeks, you usually cut the lights out, after reducing the cycle, and leave it be. Before I sold my reds and b/w, I hadn't seen them in 2 months and the one time Bruce did come up, he did not drink nor did he eat (I didn't offer), your gu may be waking up early, but that's not for sure. If she goes back down and stays down, leave her alone, simple as that. I'm sorry if I come off as harsh or if you thought I was insulting you, because I didn't nor did I intend to. Good luck with your gu, I will post no further comments.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

When I say probe thermometer I mean something like these.

http://www.promo-wholesale.com/custom/Thermometers/index_5.htm

They can be used to take internal temps with out having to move the substrate like you would if you're using a heat gun or something along those lines. I've yet to hear anything good about the type of thermometers they sale at petco or petsmart they fail all the time if they work properly at all.

 

[Aardbark]

Sorry TeguBuzz, it felt like an attack. My bad.

The only thermometer I have that is like that one, is one thats used for checking the temp of meat while cooking.