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Jordan
05-10-2005, 03:07 AM
I wondering how much a 12" Tegu should be eating(on average). I think that the diet I will be providing it should be more than enough variety as I have 4 roach colonies, scarab beetles(the grubs are the size of a thumb),giant land snails and I always have a supply of rat pinkies and crix
Any comments on the diet I will be feeding or how much to feed would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Jordan

Brisamen
05-10-2005, 10:42 AM
a juvenile can eat till its full. they will stop when their bellies are nice and round and will bask the day away. But an older tegu should be kept on a diet as most tegu's in captivity will get fat due to spoiling/bad diet/inactiveness.
Also be sure to dust the crickets etc with vit + calcium!

Jordan
05-12-2005, 03:15 AM
It just doesn't seem like mine is eating enough. Its only eaten about 20 crix and 2 roaches in the last 5 days

Rick
05-12-2005, 03:43 AM
That is indeed a small diet. I'd think your tegu should be eating that daily. Are you offering more and he is refusing it? Have you tried other items... ground (93% or better lean) ground turkey, small mice, fruits, bits of boiled egg, etc?

Jordan
05-12-2005, 03:53 AM
I am offering more but it refuses. Its not interested in f/t pinkie mice(I don't have access to live), the live pinkie rats I have are too big. I haven't tried plain meat(beef turkey chicken), I'm also not very fond of doing so as I feel it isn't a very balanced meal because itlacks all the nutrient that whole prey would provide(having organs, a full stomach and such). I've also toyed with the idea of trying to feed fertilized chicken eggs, but I'm not sure of the best way to present it. it also refuses to eat snails of the appropriate size, which I thought was strange as I have been told that they love snails. I've only had it for about a week mabey I'm just paranoid and it needs some more time to adjust.

Rick
05-12-2005, 04:04 AM
Lean ground turkey with vitamin and calcium supplements work well. Bennett (beardiedragon) breeds reds and recommends it as part of the diet. I recently started adding this to my tegus diet, which was primarily a whole rodent diet and they like it and seem to grow fine on it. They will actually eat the supplemented turkey before the rodents if they are sitting in plates side by side.

I treat fertilized egg both boiled and raw (I poke a small whole and let the tegu lick it and they will work at it until it cracks open) They like it both ways, but I do it as a treat and not part of the main diet. I am now going to try to incubate eggs and feed peeps/small whole chickens to the tegus and see how that goes.

Rick

Jordan
05-12-2005, 04:08 AM
I treat fertilized egg both boiled and raw (I poke a small whole and let the tegu lick it and they will work at it until it cracks open) They like it both ways, but I do it as a treat and not part of the main diet. I am now going to try to incubate eggs and feed peeps/small whole chickens to the tegus and see how that goes.

Let me know how feeding chicks goes as my dad has a chicken farm and I would be able to order un-vacinated chicks from the hatchery

Rick
05-12-2005, 04:13 AM
I have heard of many people feeding frozen/thawed chicks(peeps) as well as button quail as part of the tegus diet. I know of others who feed whole dead chicken and let the tegus rip it apart. I think I'd feel better offering mouth-sized foods.

Rick

Jordan
05-12-2005, 04:15 AM
Thanks for the help Rick

Jordan
05-15-2005, 04:39 PM
Hey Rick, I tried the lean ground turkey with suppliments and still nothing, Loki took mabey a bite or two, and still seems to have no interest in crix. I also tried feeding an egg with no avail. There is no reason I can come up with as to why my tegu has no appetite as it was captive hatched so there shouldn't be any internal parasites or disease present, and my hum and temps are good. I really don't want my tegu to die so any other suggestions anyone might have would be greatly appreciated

Jordan
05-17-2005, 02:37 AM
I'm starting to feel alitte more optimistic as I watched my tegu eat some turkey todayso things are starting to look up

Rick
05-17-2005, 03:13 AM
Good to hear things are going better. Hopefully a little more time will sort everything out for you.

Rick

Junior
05-17-2005, 01:08 PM
I don't know how "Loki" acts from day to day. But When Lady came home she did sort of the same thing did not eat much but spent a lot more time circuling her enclosure. After a week or so she started to eat every other day bits and pieces. As of the 12th of this month I am now feeding Lady everyday. She was eating well at the petstore about 7-8 crix a day. But when she came home with me she was hesitant to eat at all most times just playing with her food but not eating it. I just associated this with a new surrounding. They say a person/animal is in their most vulnerable when eating, I guessed thats why she started slowly eating every other day. Now (i guess) she realizes their is no need for fear. And wants to eat as much as possible. Just a thought...