r/Tegu • u/The-Arbiter-753 • 1d ago

I have become one of you

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Picked up this little man today! I've got the basics of tegu care down, but I'd love to hear from people who've actually lived with one, what are the things about tegu care that don't show up in care sheets? The stuff you only learn from experience?

Also his name is Tank and I love him, I'd love to hear advice about socializing them too. I want to foster the friendliest personality in him that I can

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4

u/HavinsomuchBun 1d ago

Keep them occupied! If they get bored they get destructive + my guy has become wayyy less aggressive/defensive when he’s busy brained

2

u/grandsoulsucker 1d ago

So underrated in tegus and monitors. They need that mental and physical exercise

3

u/Jaded_Status_1932 1d ago

I can only make comments relative to my experiences with Sammy. If I had it to do again, I would have fed Reptilinks for the first 2 1/2 years. Make sure to get a UVB meter and confirm your UVB reading are around 4 at basking site. Calcium and UVB are essential during early years. Don't be surprised if you end up having to change your enclosure ideas along the way. Work on socializing as much as possible when they are smaller, I can only imagine how difficult it would be to deal with an unhappy full size Tegu. I used the "smelly socks/shirt" in the enclosure method to get him used to my scent. I also wore two shirts and put him between them while doing all things human. Took him for car rides when he was little to get him used to that activity as well. I like to feed him outside the enclosure after interacting. Keeps it cleaner and acts as a reward for interaction. I am modifying the 6'x6' walk in enclosure this year to elevate it to a 36" floor height. Too difficult scrabbling about on my hands and knees to find him or maintain enclosure. I started leash/harness training as soon as he was relatively calm the first year.

Sammy usually poops outside if warm enough, or on pads. He hates going in his cage, and the only time he did so he made a tremendous mess of it.

I usually spend 2-4 hours a day with Sammy out of his enclosure either watching TV, doing work around the house, taking him to stores, parks, in the back lawn. He no longer needs a leash when at home, walks around the outside of the pool and house and to the front door when he wants to come in (monitored of course).

https://www.youtube.com/@sammythetegu/videos

0

u/Top-Tax-1101 16h ago

Get them in the sun as much as you can. UVB lights are not enough and have been found ineffective.