Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been wondering lately why Tegu's need UVB light. It has been said that Tegu's spend most of their day in a burrow, and only move about for a few hours a day. Tegu's also hibernate for 4-5 months at a time. You would think that after thousands of years they would evolve to not neeting UVB to synthesize D3. Just an odd thought

Second thought is...I've read a lot of talk about the high vitamin diet red tegu's need, and was wondering why no one has ever used the vitamin C tablets for humans crushed up in some ground turkey? Is a large amount like this toxic for them? I know that the SDZ diet consists of centrum vitamins. I'm getting my red soon, and the whole shedding problem has got me worried (although I never had a problem with my B&W)

Just a couple of things on my mind

Very interesting perspective regarding the UVB! Perhaps some zoologist can do an empiracle study on this very issue. With ours, we do use Vit D3 calicum supplement, so they are getting the UVB regardless of using the UVB and the debate between the need or need not to.........

In the San Diego Zoo (SDZ) zoo diet, it calls for a centrium tablet, crushed and mixed in. This is high in Vit. C. As to your question about using an "only" Vit. C tablet, that is another good question to ponder. Perhaps Jane (Jiffypop) can help us out with this question. Reds do need more C than other tegus, thus the recoomendation of the SDZ for them. I know feeding the SDZ too frequently to other species will create runny stools.............not unlike diarhea and not pleasant. We feed our Reds the SDZ 3-4 days per week and no more than twice for our blues and B&Ws. This has worked out quite well for all and is evident in their size, bulk, helath and the reds colorations and ability to shed easily.

The best of luck wit hyour new red........make sure to post pics!

Hi Greg; I have been experimenting with this for a couple of years now, I used to vary the heck out of the diets for these guy's, from hatchlings to old adults, I found that varying the diets for hatchlings to juvies is great; I feed crickets superworms sdz diet, pinkies roaches, fruit..but for adults, all that is needed was rodents, and fruit..for the blues..strictly rodents, once in awhile I will feed some ground turkey, or chicken if I am out of rodents, I remember when I tried the SDZ diet, I was like wow, this is great, no rodents in the freezer all of the time, a LOT less expensive.they love it, but when it was all said, and done the rodents won out in all catagories, easier, my oppinion, better for them, and you are so right , the stools from the turkey, very runny, I couldn't stand that, never have a problem with the rodents, and you know how tegus like to wipe their mouths after they eat that stuff..LOL, I think it is great if you are out of rodents, but I prefer the strictly rodent diet for adults, and of course fruits; this is just my oppinion, and experience by the way, LOL..

LOL about them wiping their mouths. Oh, yeah we have the paper towel ready for them as napkins! LOL We have not used rodents and I know there is arguments pro and con. I'm glad yours are doing well on them! Their nutrional value has been debated as well. I like your diet for the juvies/babies and follow your lead!

Take care Russ!

Greg

Wow And I did not even post, Or was this from a earlier post . Thanks Russ

I have no clue what I was thinking, and/or typing!
My apology for the name mix up!!!

Greg

..

No problem . There are alot wosre things that I could be called . Take care russ

I'm convinced thru personal experience that hatchling and young Tegus require some UVB lighting. I've tried raising young Tegus without it and witnessed the telltale toe tremors of early MBD. Adding UVB and supplementing with NeoCalc resolved the problem within days. I do use PowerSun bulbs on my Tegus just because I use them on all of the Cyclura and Iguanas also...it's just easier for me. If the UVB isn't required for the adults it isn't hurting them either. I have kept adults in the past without any UVB at all with no ill results.
As far as supplementing with vitamins, I treat the Tegus just like all of the other lizards. Unless there is an obvious problem, like pre-existing MBD, I don't supplement adults at all. Babies get some pure calcium dusted on their insects. But, like with the iguanas, I feel that I feed a fairly varied diet that should supply all of the nutrients that are required. To break it down, I use probably 75% rodents and the other 25% is ground turkey or beef heart, eggs, fruit and vegetables. I even vary the size and type of rodent. Felix seems to love eating 8-10 adult mice sometimes rather than a couple of medium rats.

Not curious at all I would think.
I seem to recall not too many years ago, the addition of Full Spectrum UVB producing lights was considered necessary for the proper captive care of all lizards, including monitors, tegus, iguanas etc.
A few years after that several keepers of captive monitors stopped using the UVB lights and noticed that their monitors suffered no ill effects and continued to eat, breed, and stay healthy. Heck, some noticed breeding activity once they gave up trying to create day/night cycles for the animals in their care.
Tegus in captivity act fossorial, I do not know how they are in the wild so I have asked the same question many times. Why does an animal who seems to spend more than half of its waking hours in the ground need doses of UVB to metabolize D3 into calcium?
So my questions are:
1) Does anyone raise Tegus minus UVB and vitamin suppliments?
2) If so, how is your Tegu in terms of health? What kind of diet?
By raise I mean care and breeding of the animals.

The wonders of keeping reptiles, once you think you've got all the husbandry worked out those darn critters seem to always prove you wrong. (I'm convinced there are NO experts in this hobby, simply those who are more in touch with their animals than others).
-Kit

I've heard mixed answers to the UV question for Tegus. I've had Shadow for a couple years from a little baby, now he's about 2 1/2 feet, and he's only had uv once, about 2 months ago for one month, and he hated it! Or at least thats how it seemed to me. When he does bask, he's always right under his light. When I put the UV Powersun bulb in he would always sit just out of reach of the light rays. It wasn't any hotter than his normal bulbs so after he wouldn't go under it I decided to take it out. He's been fed a really varied diet his whole life including different rodents, insects, fish, crustaceans, canned dog/cat/montior/tegu foods, lots of different fruits, some veggies, hardboiled eggs, cooked chicken, ground turkey, and I put mineral and calcium powder on his food once or twice a week, depending on how many days a week he is fed(I feed him either every other day or every 2, some times 3, days depending on the size/type of meal. He seems to be doing good so I don't worry about the UV. Just my opinion though.