# Tegu



## goldlake (Dec 2, 2007)

So I finally found someone close enough to me to drive to conveniently. I got a female BABY red argentine tegu and shes BEAUTIFUL! She is a tad skittish but this is only my second day of owning her. She is currently living in a 25gallon while I prep my 55 which she will live in while me and my dad build her a custom enclosure. I have offered her grapes, chicken, and crickets but she hasn't touch anything but a little nibble from the chicken. Do they usually need a couple days to settle before she'll eat in front of me? She mostly avoids my hand but ive started the shirt-trick and gave her a nice bath today and after the bath she was VERYYY calm and now when I put my hand in she sometimes (about 3 out of 10 if i were to guess a statistic lol) uses my arm as a ladder to climb out. Any opinions welcomed please send me some pointers! I LOVE HER!

PS. I PROMISE TO GET PIX UP ASAP BUT IVE NO IDEA WHERE THE CAMERA IS RIGHT NOW! IM TEARING MY HOUSE APART RIGHT NOW SEARCHING!


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

congrats on the new pickup. as for right now i would leave em be. just put food in the tank, change the water and spot clean any uneaten food and waste. you want to do this casue right now your lizard could be going through a stress period and you dont want to stress em out so much he wont eat at all cause that can lead to some major problems. just stick to doing this until he is eating just fine.

my red tegu is a pig though, he'll eat just about everything. hes eaten crickets, fruits, silversides, krill, shrimp, scallops, rats and mice. trust me just give em time and he'll be eating you out of your house.

*edit sorry just saw you said he is a she. just sub in female when you read male, haha


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## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

congrats on your new tegu.
i love tegu's they are awesome. never kept one though.
look forward to those pics


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Welcome aboard fellow tegu keeper!









I have the black and white Argentine version..a male. Grapes, chicken and crickets wouldn't be my first choices for food. Mine is still a juvenile too, and primarily loves...in order of favorites... frozen (thawed) rat pups, hard boiled eggs, super worms and canned kitten food. Fruits and veggies aren't on his agenda yet. 
"Nervousness" is seldom a problem for them to eat. Make sure proper ambient temperature is up. Full spectrum lighting is neccessary along with a calcium supplement. 
Get those pics up!


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## goldlake (Dec 2, 2007)

at school right now (still no luck on the camera) temp is around 85 and i have a small log setup so it can climb up closer to the light for basking but it mostly sits beside the log to bask and if i were to describe its activities:
- 20% of the day burrowing or digging
- 10% of the day in water bowl
- 50% of the day basking BESIDE the log
- 5% of the day basking ON the log
- 15% of the day being handled (how many baths is too many i have given her a bath twice out of the four days that ive had her because a. she seems to enjoy them, and b. im teaching her to use my hand to exit places she no longer wants to be)

both times that ive given her a bath she has swam around then sat onto my hand half in the water and then after a few mintues of sitting on my hand she has climbed up my arm and out of the tub.


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

> (how many baths is too many i have given her a bath twice out of the four days that ive had her because a. she seems to enjoy them, and b. im teaching her to use my hand to exit places she no longer wants to be)
> 
> both times that ive given her a bath she has swam around then sat onto my hand half in the water and then after a few mintues of sitting on my hand she has climbed up my arm and out of the tub.


The baths aren't the important thing. The handling is. Whatever brings you guys closer together!







Funny maybe, but true. These lizards get big and strong with sharp teeth and vice-like jaws. Constant handling wich leads to bonding is good. Whatever you do, and whatever makes him happy.


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## goldlake (Dec 2, 2007)

just a lil update from school, i have found the camera so pix will be up TONIGHT  and as far as the handelign goes i can now pet her and pick her up without her trying to get away. The only thing about the handeling is that when shes out of the enclosure she is calm and climbs on me until i try to do the whole hand over hand thing so she doesnt get away type thing, you know like letting her walk over your hand until shes at the end and you bring the other one over so shes walking but not really going anywhere (just because i dont want get getting into anything she shouldnt) and when i do this she gets uncomfortable with my hands moving around her and she trys to get away. soooo now i take her to my bathroom and lay out a beach towel and cover any possible places she could escape to and let her sort of do as she pleases in the limited space with me in it, and i just pet her and handle her as much as possible without restraining her.


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## goldlake (Dec 2, 2007)

just a lil update from school, i have found the camera so pix will be up TONIGHT  and as far as the handelign goes i can now pet her and pick her up without her trying to get away. The only thing about the handeling is that when shes out of the enclosure she is calm and climbs on me until i try to do the whole hand over hand thing so she doesnt get away type thing, you know like letting her walk over your hand until shes at the end and you bring the other one over so shes walking but not really going anywhere (just because i dont want get getting into anything she shouldnt) and when i do this she gets uncomfortable with my hands moving around her and she trys to get away. soooo now i take her to my bathroom and lay out a beach towel and cover any possible places she could escape to and let her sort of do as she pleases in the limited space with me in it, and i just pet her and handle her as much as possible without restraining her.


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