How much Free Roaming is too much? What would be an acceptable period of time to leave a Tegu out of it's enclosure?
How much Free Roaming is too much? What would be an acceptable period of time to leave a Tegu out of it's enclosure?
The answer to that question, is variable on where it'd be free roaming, and the tegu itself.
What are the temps?
Are there any places that the tegu can go to feel secure?
How does he/she seem to like having all of the free room?
As a tip, I decided against free-roaming in the end, as it made my Tegu extremely aggressive. He was attacking anyone that entered the room, as it was HIS territory. He's a lot better since I stopped allowing him a free roam of the room.
The problem I have with my Argentine and my Black is getting them back in - They run around exploring, however have probably learned by now that when I pick them up, they are going back in the enclosure so they will run from me - Seems this is only when I allow free roam of the house though. Sometimes I just allow them free roam of the computer room while I am working and they are fine.
My gold on the other hand has a problem with me getting him out - whips, runs, and huffs, however once he is out of the enclosure he is a totally different Tegu - he allows much contact and will come up to me and crawl up my hand no problems - This one is like Jeckyll and Hyde...
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I was more concerned about health issues. How long is it save to leave them out of their enclosure, without risking their health? Worried about there body tempatures droppping to low. Cold temps are a leading cause in respitory infections.
I leave the enclosure door open and they go back in when they get chilly. they are smart enough to find heat. my male will lay on the vents or behind the computer where the little exhaust fan is. my female just comes out and tours the house and usually goes back in thier house
Ive seen a few peoples pictures in which they have set up a separate lightbulb outside the cage as a heatsource for free-roaming tegus. Heres an example from tc5000's album;
If, for some reason, you cant leave the cage door open so that they can go back again if they get cold, this is a good idea. They will seek out the warm spots as they get colder anyway - we came home once and found my (escaped) tegu behind the fridge, trying to keep warm.
So long as there is somewhere easily accessible for them to heat up (if you have a large, labyrinthine house it may be hard for them to find a hot spot hidden away in one of the rooms ) they should be fine. Be sure to measure the temp of your hotspot still, to make sure its not too cool (and, perhaps more importantly, not so hot that its a risk to your tegu or other family members).
YES, yes. Setting up a basking bulb outside of her enclosure, is an excallent idea! :P She always camps out in my pile of work T-shirts, so I know she isn't that cold.
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