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Thread: strange mouth wiping behavior

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Maryland
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    Default strange mouth wiping behavior

    Zilla has been wiping his mouth against the ground right around mealtimes. He will do it when he starts to eat then he will eat a while and then he will do for a couple minutes after he eats. I've heard before from one of the mods here that tegus do it when they are full. He seems to be doing it for other reasons and I'm out of ideas. I am not seeking to stop his behavior I just want to understand it.
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    Central FL
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    Default

    All of mine do it. They may eat for a bit, wipe, then keep eating. I'm sure of the reason behind the behavior other than cleaning.
    Laura R (FL)
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Default

    I really think the behavior is merely one of hygiene. Tegus seem to be highly cleanly animals, for instance, mine relieve themselves once or twice a day ONLY when removed from the enclosure. When fed, you may notice that they will pick up small bits of meat or animal debris before moving on to larger portions and the mouth wiping is something mine do every time they eat as well. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Were they to not wipe their mouths often, the meat on their face would be likely to begin rotting, which could pose serious health issues to the animal. Granted, I could very well be incorrect but it seems logical to me.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Default

    I also believe it about cleaning them self. many other animals will do similar acts. ie a raccoon will eat scraps and stuff it finds, but most of the time will "wash" it off 1st in a puddle, creek, or other source of water.
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    San Antonio,TX
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    Default

    It's nothing to worry about. All six of our Tegus do the same thing. Sometimes they doing while they are eating. They do it because sometimes they take to big of a bite and the meat is hanging out of their mouth. It's like with us. If we eat something like Spaghetti and a noodle is hanging from the side of our mouth we take a fork and put it in our mouth. Or if our lips are dirty from the food we take a napkin and wipe it clean. Well they use the floor like we do the fork or the napkin. When thei eat f/t rodents and the legs or tail is sticking out they put their mouth on the floor to adjust it. They also do it when they are full.
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Maryland
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    Default

    Yes this does make sense. I always laugh because he will focuse on a dime sized piece ground turkey instead of the 1/4 lb he has left.
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