finally i got my first tegu

[fitz]

today i just got my first tegu. its a columbian b&w and very nice. when i brought him home i gave him a bath and then put him in his tank. he is about 8-9". i was just wondering because i was feeding him small crickets and is it normal to not swallow the cricket whole because he was ripping them up and eating them. is this ok???

thanks in advance

[Rick]

It's fine. Some kill them and some just gobble them right up. Make sure if you feed crickets or other insects that you use a decent vit and calcium powdered suppliment and "dust" the insects first.

Rick

[fitz]

right now im using rept-cal. is this ok?

also i have him in a 40 breeder with a 100 watt bulb but the temp wont get higher than 80 is there anything i can do about this?


thanks

[punky]

you should get a bulb that is higher wattage, maybe try a 150 watt and see if that brings the basking area up to 100ish

[drfish]

Does the tank have a lid on it ?

I am currently using a 150 gallon enclosure, with a 100watt spot bulb, and that maintains a steady 105 - 115 all day. Maybe there's a draft getting through there or something similar. 100w should be plenty for 40 gallon.

[Rick]

You mentioned a 'tank' so I will assume you have an aquarium of some sort at the moment. Do you have a screen top covering it? Try overing most of the cover with something (plexiglass, aluminum foil, etc) to help keep the heat and humidity in.

Keep in mind you want an ambient temp (which is basically the overall temp) and a basking temp (the temp in one localized spot for basking/digesting). I keep my ambient temps around 85F and my basking around 110F.

Make sure you have the basking light on one side of the enclosure and not in the middle, it's best to put the high heat on one end so the other end of the tank is cooler. This allows the tegu to thermoregulate.

I hope this helps.

Rick

[fitz]

thanks i got him in a 40 breeder with a top do you think if i put towels over it. it can keep the temp in better.

[Rick]

Towels and humidity normally equal fungus (mildew, mold, etc)

A quick fix is just some tin foil/aluminum foil, but anything plastic would work too. Just so that it keeps the humidity/moisture in as well as the heat.

Rick