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Thread: What is/was on your tegu's plate today?

  1. #21

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    mine is only eating crickets, i am going to stop them and give him turkey balls with mashed mango in it,
    i have had him for almost 3 weeks, handle him every now and then but he seems to eat and then bury himself, he only comes out to eat, is this normal? i am getting worried i wont have a tame tegu like you guys

    Thanks

    Marc

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Loudon, TN
    Posts
    474

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    Today my guys got crickets, super worms, ground turkey, cantaloupe, strawberries, and shrimp. They are pigs. They eat anything I put in their cage that isn't glued down haha

    Marc, are you offering rodents? How big is your tegu? It take s them several weeks to acclimate and also several weeks for them to start eating really wel after hibernating. When my tegu first woke up in February after sleeping since September, it took a good 3 weeks before she started eating regularly. Now, like I said, she eats everything I put in the cage, as does her cage mate, Cane!

    Here is a list (probably incomplete but I'll try) of what they eat willingly with no trickery!

    Ground turkey
    Mice
    Quail
    Day old Chicks
    Shrimp
    Chicken Gizards
    Crawdads
    Crickets
    Super, horn, night crawlers, and butter worms
    Cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, papaya, honeydew melon, watermelon
    Collard, turnip, mustard, and dandelion greens, spring mix, arugula, mache
    Soft boiled eggs
    Tilapia
    Catfish
    Whole wheat pasta
    Kris, Herps they're not just a hobby, they're a way of life!

  3. #23

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    thanks kris
    he is a baby, still greenish, but is losing it. i have not tried any mice cause he is small, i'd say 8 in head to tail, i will try to get a pic.
    i dont think he has ever hibernated, the tank is upper 80's to low 90's
    he just stays buried,
    Marc

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Needham, MA
    Posts
    29

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    We've been feeding Ridley almost entirely small crickets since he's still a baby, though he has taken a huge liking to small pieces of orange. He kinda gorged himself a couple days ago and got a bit tubby.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Loudon, TN
    Posts
    474

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    I do not have first hand knowledge of this as my tegu was a full 2 months old when I got him and he proceeded to hibernate immediately HOWEVER I am under the impression that tegus will take pinkies right out of the egg. When they are young, you want to switch to appropriately sized prey just as soon as they grow and can handle a larger item. In other words, feed pinkies only until they can take fuzzies, then feed fuzzies only until they can take hoppers and so on and so forth. Pinkies contain little to no calcium so you don't want to use pinkies for long at all. If you have the stomach for it, get some larger prey items and chop them up into managable pieces. I currently cut day old chicks in half for my guys and they love them. :0)
    Kris, Herps they're not just a hobby, they're a way of life!

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Loudon, TN
    Posts
    474

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    I am reviving this thread because we have a lot of new members and a lot of questions about what to feed, how often, etc.

    Since I haven't posted recently, I am going to list a few days of what I have fed so you can see the variety. I hope others will do the same!

    FYI: My tegus are 10 months old, one is 27.5" STL and one is 29" STL, both have a bit of tail loss, and one weighs 1.98 pounds and one weighs 2.98 pounds.

    (Last week)
    Thursday: Day old chicks (pictured below) I also weighed the chicks this morning and they all weigh between 30 and 35 grams. Not a bad meal. I am quite fortunate in that I can buy frozen, whole, day old chicks at a local Mom and Pop pet store for $.85 a piece. I get way more bang for my buck out of these chicks vs feeding rats or mice of the same size.



    Along with the chicks, (they ate two a piece) they also got fruit. They had 10 grapes, 3 strawberries, and some chunks of cantaloupe.

    Friday: A mixture of collard, mustard, turnip, and dandelion greens, spring mix, and arugula. (I have an iguana and bearded dragon so I keep these greens in my fridge at all times) 10 grapes, a peach, and 2 strawberries, one roma tomato, and some super worms. (I did not count the super worms because quite frankly that is a pain in the butt!)

    Sunday: Three tilapia filets, three soft boiled eggs, a peach, three strawberries, eleven grapes, and some super worms. They ate every bit of that.

    My tegus get a HUGE variety of food. In addition to what is listed above, they also eat crickets, night crawlers, chicken gizards, ground turkey, shrimp, octopus, papaya, honeydew melon, watermelon, sugar snap peas, raspberries, blueberries, and gosh, well the list really goes on and on. Basically, any fruit or vegetable I buy for myself or my iguana, I also give to the tegus. I try to feed everything in moderation and I also feed a mixture so they can't become addicted to any one food item.

    Okay, your turn!
    Kris, Herps they're not just a hobby, they're a way of life!

  7. #27
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,444

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    That's a great list, but WHEN do you feed them?? I leave for work at 6am. If you leave all those items out for 4 hours in 80-90 degree temps they get a little funky, but that probably doesn't matter. Most people are at work when their Tegus come out to eat.
    1.1 Blue Tegus, 1.1 Cuban Rock Iguanas
    1.1 Bearded Dragons, 0.1 Veiled Chameleon
    0.1 Columbian Boa, 1.0 Ball Python, 0.0.1 Corn

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Loudon, TN
    Posts
    474

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    I feed mine when I get home from work around 5:30 or 6 p.m. Even on days when I don't work, such as weekends or holidays, I sitll wait and feed at that time so I don't throw them off their schedule. I usually put a plate of fruit and greens in there before I go to work for them as well so they have something to graze on throughout the day if they want it.
    Kris, Herps they're not just a hobby, they're a way of life!

  9. #29
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,444

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    Quote Originally Posted by worleygurl
    I feed mine when I get home from work around 5:30 or 6 p.m. Even on days when I don't work, such as weekends or holidays, I sitll wait and feed at that time so I don't throw them off their schedule. I usually put a plate of fruit and greens in there before I go to work for them as well so they have something to graze on throughout the day if they want it.
    We feed our Bearded Dragons at 6am and 5:30-6pm. That don't always eat at every meal. They get spring mix and mustard greens at 5:30am.

    When does your Tegu get up and how long does he stay out?? I've read that peoples Tegus have very different schedules. Can you change their schedule by turning the lights on later so they're up when you're home??
    1.1 Blue Tegus, 1.1 Cuban Rock Iguanas
    1.1 Bearded Dragons, 0.1 Veiled Chameleon
    0.1 Columbian Boa, 1.0 Ball Python, 0.0.1 Corn

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Loudon, TN
    Posts
    474

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    Yes, you can have their lights come on later in the morning and keep them on later at night and that may help.

    My lights come on at 8 a.m. and go off at 10 p.m. My tegus start stirring usually between 9 and 10 and stay out till between 8 and 9 in the evening.

    I do basically the same thing with my beardie and my iguana as you. They get fruit and salad early in the morning before I go to work then when I get home, the beardie gets insects/worms and more salad if he's eaten all of his and my iguana gets more salad as well if he's eaten all of his from the morning. Since I already have to prepare salad and fruit for them in the morning, I always give the tegus a bit as well like I said, just in case they want to eat it during the day and usually they do LOL I am very fortunate with my tegus because they will literally eat anything that isn't glued down!
    Kris, Herps they're not just a hobby, they're a way of life!

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