Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
Ive had my tegu for approx. 1 month now. When i first got him, he could barely fit a pinkie in his mouth. Now, he is eating
2-3 fuzzies and a dozen crickets a day! He has a huge appetite, and hes only 16" total length. Can i possibly over feed him, even if he is begging for food? Also, he just shed for the first time (that ive seen), and all the old skin is gone, except for his tail. Is there anything i can do to help him? I mist him and the tank 3 times a day.
Thanks in advance,
Loyski

i believe that when theyre young like that, you should let them eat all they want (people are gonna probably disagree with me on this). as far as shedding i wouldnt worry about his tail too much if you have the humidity levels high enough. but if you want to help his tail shed you can try olive oil, i read online it helps a lot with shedding problems

I wouldn't worry too much about over feeding him while he is young, although 2-3 fuzzies and 1/2 dozen crickets is kinda alot...I usually feed mine 2 fuzzies a day, and if he doesn't eat them I'll just leave them in there for the next day, the only time he gets more is when it's snake feeding day and I have left over fuzzies...are you feeding F/T or Live?

As for the shedding, I help Mig to shed some of his tail, just as I help some of my snakes, what I would do i ssoak him in water and then GENTLY peel back the skin on his tail, as if he were pulling it off himself (Think about how a snake sheds)...hope I helped some

-Ralph
-----
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu
0.0.1 Baby Aru Green Tree Python
2.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.4 Hatchling Bearded Dragons
1.1 Honduran Milksnake
1.0 Florida Brooksi Kingsnake
1.0 Blood Red Cornsnake
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
1.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0 Bull Mastiff

He eats live fuzzies. But he is only 16" total length. I am amazed how much he eats. He is getting to be a fat bastard.
Can it be dangerous to overfeed him? He is always hungry. After 3 fuzzies, he will turn down any more mice, but he will eat 2-3 dozen crickets any time of the day.

My Tegu is about the same size and eats just about as much (I don't give as many fuzzies because the place to buy them is a little over 35 miles away, and that's a long drive to make between school (Which is 40 miles in the OTHER direction) and work. I usually give him between 18 - 24 crickets a day (Or however many he takes.) According to the stuff I've read, they're just entering their big growth spurt, so I figure helping them with food won't hurt any.

As for the tail question: My tegu always sheds his tail last. Everything will come off perfectly, but that tail seems to stay latched on like he doesn't have enough humidity. But if I give him a few more days, it usually peels right off on his own.

Thanks