Best food for small tegu?

[dewby22]

My columbian gold tegu is about 20' long from head to tail. I have been feeding him pinky rats because i heard the hair on fuzzys could cause health problems.But I have only had him a few months so anyone with any input let me know Thanx.

[Ben3233]

give him insects like: crickets, mealworm,superworm,silkworn,roaches and hoppers.

Also you can give him, turkey, tuna, meat, pinky mice, boiled egg.

Try to introduce him sweet fruits, grapes,mango,papaya, strawberry, rasperry,banana(not to much) and kiwi.

Good luck!

[dewby22]

I usually feed him a pinky rat twice a week and hard-boiled egg inbetween i'll try som fruit thanx

[Ben3233]

You can also try to introduce veggies, but its much harder lol. They are like kids lol :lol: .

[dewby22]

lol you have any suggestions on taming? Whenever i reach into his tank he hisses and puffs up he sometimes even stnds on his hind legs like a dinosaur lol but after i hold him for a little bit he calms down. How can i get him used to me being in his cage?

[Ben3233]

I don't really know the best way to tame a Tegu, because I do not have one for the moment.

But with a lot of reading on this forum, the best way to tame a TEgu, is to let him crawl at you and do it progressively.

Here are the rules:
1) feed him prekilled food
2) Socialize him/her a lot
3) do not dig for getting him
4) do not bother him into his hide

For the rest, it seems that when he/she is on you, there are no problems about your sent. What I would do is (when he/she is active, not into his hide), I would put my hand into the enclosure, and wait a couple of minutes, after that, I would try to approach him very slowly. Finally I would continued, and then, when I would reach him/her, I would pet him very gently. Then put my hand under her (no grabbing) and lift him/her very slowly and take it out of his enclosure.

That is the best trick I read on the forum, hope it helps!
Good luck!

[dewby22]

that seems like it would work. I think he is so aggressive because he is still small (only 10 inches from snout to vent) his cage right now is only 3x2x2 but i just built him one that is 5x3x3 and im gonna introduce him either today or in a couple days hopfully the bigger cage will help. Thanx for all the suggestions and i'll post some pics here soon.

[Ben3233]

When they are babies, reptile are a bit nervous and stand-offish, but after a couple of time with the owner (when mature) they are very calm and used to him.

But he/she doesn't see agressive, but a bit stand-offish because when you handle her/him, he/she is calm. A bit of work and it would be okay!

Good luck!

[dewby22]

THANX
right now im using a heatmat (because hes in a terrarium) but his new cage is a room turned into a cage what do you think would be the best night heat?

[dewby22]

im afraid that if i put a heat mat in his new home he will burrow down to it and burn himself.