two questions

[tegulevi]

I have two question for you guys. My argentine red has been shedding a lot due to growth spurts. and it seems with every shed his head is turning black. I dont think it is anything to worry about but i just want to double check

2: I found some tiny little bugs in his tank they are greyish silver, andreally tiny. they dont ever bother him though. Are they wood mites. if i switch to dirt will i have as many damn bug problems to worry about?

[tegulevi]

anyone????

[charlene]

Your tegus head should change from a greenish color to black as it ages. As for the substrate the best way to avoid bugs is to use a commercial reptile substrate like repti-bark that has already been sterilized and cleaned (of course its still not guaranteed to be critter free). You could also try sterilizing the substrate you are using now. Are you using cypress mulch.

Using dirt and soil is usually causes more problems then what it is worth. If it is too dusty it can cause respiratory infections. It's also harder for tegus to burrow in dirt and soil because it is so loose. Good Luck. I hpe this helped a little.

Charlene

[Alan]

Hi,
Shedding is good, head will get darker with age and with each shedding.
Try to get all shed off from inside the toes, if not coming off perhaps a soak in very shallow water, a half inch of warm water ONLY, this may help with getting rid of old skin!
BUGS!!, a real pain. If you have a Home Depot in your area or the equivalent go visit the Garden Shop they have and you will find Cypress mulch by the 50 lb bags at a very reasonable cost, around $13.00-$18.00
range usually but not always for certain this product is reasonably clean
and not full of insect larva that hatches out in your Tegu enclosure/tank.
There will also be or should be large bags of ground cover of various types and texture, rose bark ground cover, this is a smaller diameter ground cover bark that is perfect for it's purpose, it is also found at Petsmart in the reptile section. How big is your Tegu? Had him long?
Let me know if you need any other suggestions, I don't mind trying to help. Getting baby Tegus to adjust to a schedual of feeding is not easy to accomplish but can be done!
Alan

[tegulevi]

I use cypress mulch from a local ACE hardware store. i had ants before but i conquered those little bastards. now i have these little silverish gray things and i dont have a clure wha they are.

My tegu is 7 months old i have had him for almost two months now. he eats and sheds good he is going into his third shed since I got him.

[varnyard]

The microwave gets all of them, nothing lives in it, you can get a old one at a flea market or yard sale for almost nothing.

[Johelian]

Using dirt and soil is usually causes more problems then what it is worth. If it is too dusty it can cause respiratory infections. It's also harder for tegus to burrow in dirt and soil because it is so loose.

I heard that clean dirt is actually the best substrate for monitors and tegus, as it allows a burrow to be held properly - unlike mulch which is more likely to collapse After all, it is what they make burrows in in nature. I agree though that its too much hassle to maintain, which is why I dont have it; mulch gets everywhere as it is, so I hate to imagine what dirt would be like.

[Rick]

I've used dirt, peat moss, cypress mulch, reptibark, etc.. as well as combinations of those. Dirt and/or peat moss is a pain to maintain and keep the enclosure clean and the dust is horrible, which is likely to cause respiratory issues.

I like cypress mulch, but I will use reptibark if cypress isn't available. I have never had much of a 'bug' issue, but I suppose a used commercial microwave would probably work well.

Rick