Rescued a Tegu

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
Temps are off a bit, tegus like a very hot basking spot. I have 2 tefus that I've had since they were hatchlings, they are both 5 now. Basking should peak at 130, yes one hundred and 30 degrees. They require a very large enclosure 8x4x4, I use grow tents, I cut out the inside of the door and sew on a vinyl table protector so it has a clear front. Best thing you can do for your wallet is find a quality raw dog food, I use one made by a local butcher shop, its ground turkey, turkey necks organs and bones, carrots, broccoli, sprouts, salmon oil. They can put down a pound each every 2 to 3 days. After their first year you can expect them to hibernate from Sept Oct through February. Humidity should fluctuate, a constant 70 to 80 will lead to issues with stuck shed. Let the humidity drop to around 50 before you mist the enclosure. Tegus are the smartest of all reptiles, they can easily be target trained and even potty trained to go on puppy pads are in a specific area like the bathroom. Be wary of them as adults around other pets, they can go from slow lumbering giants to killing machines on 2 legs in the blink of an eye. Never let them around dogs or cats...even a big dog is no match for an adult tegu. My male is 5ft and weights over 30 pounds and he woukd have no issues taking on a large breed dog.
 

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
How is your tegu doing? Does she brumate?
Lots of debate about tefus and brumation, most of us lean towards hibernation not brumation. Brumation is controlled by tempature and metabolism while hibernation is more genetic and is brought on by season regardless of temp, we tend to look at bears in the winter but lots of tropical animals hibernate durning the dry season like tegus. They will go down even when its still nice and warm, typically September October with the coming of fall, it's the change in barometric pressure that signals tegus to hibernate. Most all tegus will hibernate after their first year. I've never seen on not go down myself. Mine go down like clockwork every year.
 

Rocky2022

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Rocky, Ruby
Lots of debate about tefus and brumation, most of us lean towards hibernation not brumation. Brumation is controlled by tempature and metabolism while hibernation is more genetic and is brought on by season regardless of temp, we tend to look at bears in the winter but lots of tropical animals hibernate durning the dry season like tegus. They will go down even when its still nice and warm, typically September October with the coming of fall, it's the change in barometric pressure that signals tegus to hibernate. Most all tegus will hibernate after their first year. I've never seen on not go down myself. Mine go down like clockwork every year.
Thank you for your reply. I still want one but I am having enough with Rocky being down, I would jump on my Tegus LOL ugh this reptile life is too much but it sounds like you definitely have it together! I guess you get a break from the food shopping!
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
You have seen how big a breadie can poop, imagine a 5 foot 30 lbs lizard, you would need a snow shovel to clean it up lol. I ABOSOLUTELY love tegus just not enough room to keep one right now. When i get moved out to my ranch (some day) I'll have one!!!!
 

Longfellow777

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Frey'ja
Update. I am working on getting 3 light tier system running. I've heard because they're size it's better to have several small halogens in a row rather than one or two big bulbs. I'm also starting my build in the next week or so 8x4x4 with a nice place to burrow and a built-in Little Pond I'm going melamine. She has yet to roommate but has burrowing deeper lately than ever before she's just coming out of another shed and has got pretty big she's in bed now but I will post fresh pics tomorrow. Thanks for the info Lobretto, I still have her at about 115 but that will all change next week or so. She hasn't had a problem digesting or eating and has been shutting just fine but I would like to see it higher. Are you on the ranch yet XP LOL
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
I wish lol, it'll probably be a few years before we build there.
I've been looking forward to new pics, Raven is a cutie. Frayja to for that matter (i probably butchered the spelling on her name lol). I have been working on a new habitat also, I'm converting my outside cage into an inside enclosure. I have finally decided to commit to breeding beardies but I'm to cheap to drop 1000 bucks on a couple enclosures, i would rather spend it on high end beardies. This is a couple picks of the top tier, its not far from done, i just started on the bottom this evening, so still some work to do there.
 

Attachments

  • 20221113_193847.jpg
    20221113_193847.jpg
    145.8 KB · Views: 74
  • 20221113_193838.jpg
    20221113_193838.jpg
    110.8 KB · Views: 74
  • 20221113_150604.jpg
    20221113_150604.jpg
    173.8 KB · Views: 73
  • 20221113_143624.jpg
    20221113_143624.jpg
    118.7 KB · Views: 84

Longfellow777

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Frey'ja
So 2 tier. Looks awesome! Sweet deal friend! Id love to be part of your breeding journey on here and see first hand what you deal with and how. I've thought of doing it too but the kids and animals i got keep me pretty busy 😆 I'm gonna be feeding Raven in about an hour so I'll post her. Not getting much out pf Frey'ja lately she is like post brumating right now like napping all the time hasn't eaten much. Won't touch her roaches or greens. Only horn worms. 😆
 

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
Update. I am working on getting 3 light tier system running. I've heard because they're size it's better to have several small halogens in a row rather than one or two big bulbs. I'm also starting my build in the next week or so 8x4x4 with a nice place to burrow and a built-in Little Pond I'm going melamine. She has yet to roommate but has burrowing deeper lately than ever before she's just coming out of another shed and has got pretty big she's in bed now but I will post fresh pics tomorrow. Thanks for the info Lobretto, I still have her at about 115 but that will all change next week or so. She hasn't had a problem digesting or eating and has been shutting just fine but I would like to see it higher. Are you on the ranch yet XP LOL
Love the enthusiasm but some warnings. Ponds are a bad idea. They will fill it with dirt and clog the pump and fling mud all over, with tegus simple is best as they are big ol excavators and will never leave anything alone. A good bioactive soil, a very heavy large water dish, if it's not heavy enough they will dump it. I do bioactive topsoil sand moss mix with chunks of cork bark mixed in. There is a breeding colony of dubias in the enclosure which encourages the tegus to dig them up, the cork bark in the soil helps make It more channeling giving the roaches more places to hide. Even in an 8x4x4 enclosure they will want out a lot. I have my 8x4x4 in a spare room and I leave the enclosure opened with a vinyl flat like a doggie door so they are free to come out and roam the full 12x10 room, they can get obnoxious when they want out but I do love them soo, ny favorite reptiles by far.
 

Lobretto

Hatchling Member
Beardie name(s)
Verstappen and Checo
So 2 tier. Looks awesome! Sweet deal friend! Id love to be part of your breeding journey on here and see first hand what you deal with and how. I've thought of doing it too but the kids and animals i got keep me pretty busy 😆 I'm gonna be feeding Raven in about an hour so I'll post her. Not getting much out pf Frey'ja lately she is like post brumating right now like napping all the time hasn't eaten much. Won't touch her roaches or greens. Only horn worms. 😆
Ohh and line the bottom of the enclosure with brick, this will ensure you never have to worry about long sharp claws as they will constantly file them down on the brick digging for roaches. Trying to trim them by hand can be near impossible without help and even then it tough when they don't want you to do it. So something strength.
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
HAAAA I didn't butcher her name as bad as I thought lol.
She will be wide awake and eating you outta house and home before you know it lol.
Frey'ja would make beautiful hatchlings, but i get it, if I had kids I doubt I would have time either. A brood of hatchlings will need alot of maintenance.(although if one has kids to help with maintenance 🤔....... lol)
I'll make you a deal, you keep us updated on your girls and I'll do the same 😀. Although it may be a while before i have babies, I'm running into a wall trying to find adults with the genes I want for sale. I may have to put the time in to raise them.
 

Longfellow777

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Frey'ja
You know lobretto I've got more advice from you than I have an actual tegu forum. That forum sucks 😏I love my beardy.org family. I rethink the pond thing that sounds like a headache. Thanks for the heads up she does throw fits and does throw her bowl around. I guess that would have been a bad decision on my part now that i think about it. 😆the brick is also a great idea her nails are getting long already thank God in doing this soon. Colony inside is also good idea. What kind of cleaner bugs do you ise and where you get them? XP you dod pretty good with her name actually 😆 better than most. Mine kiddos are 5 and 6 so not ready for stuff like that quite yet. Thats a good thought for the future though. " You want $ 10 for the movies scoop up all that poo hahaha. Tha k you for the Frey'ja hatchling comment I think she would too. Shes Trans,Citrus Tiger, 100%Het Hypo. What adults are you looking for friend. I know a few reputable breeders I can contact
 

Longfellow777

Sub-Adult Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Frey'ja
This is what she looked like as a babe
 

Attachments

  • 109225-290035704.jpg
    109225-290035704.jpg
    207.1 KB · Views: 69
  • 109225-8670317093.jpg
    109225-8670317093.jpg
    84.2 KB · Views: 79

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
Frey'ja is a genetic powerhouse!!! She looks way different as a baby, but was gorgeous then to.
I'm wanting to work with leatherback, hypo, trans, whits, and zero for sure, maybe g stripe and dunner also at some point. But other than hypo i want them to be het, not visuals. (I realize leatherback, dunner,and g stripe are all dominant genes, so hets are harder to get). I think hypo is ok to breed visual to visual but most others are not.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,897
Messages
1,255,656
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom