Reptile & Amphibian Forums

does a fullgrown tegu's diet consist mainly of rats? my uncle doesnt want his anymore, but he wants to give it to a family member. im the only idiot that is willing to take it, although my parents dont want rats in the freezer, or even in the house. is there any other stuff that a tegu can live a healthy life on?

also he has been eating rats his entire life and is not really held much. will it be possible to break him out of these two habbits?

I am still a newby to tegu husbandry, but I will regurgitate what I have read. First, tegu's need some other sources besides protein, like fruits and vegetables. They eat alot of plant matter in the wild, and a diet of only mice or rats is supposed to not be good for them, which is why maybe he doesn't seem to eat alot. From what I hear, tegus of any age live to sleep, dig, and eat. You should check out this site: http://www.agamainternational.com This is from Bert Langerwarf (spelling may be off), and he is the world's most experienced breeder, so his site has a ton of good stuff. These are not terribly difficuly animals to own, but there are quite a few husbandry requirements that will cost you lots of time and money. For the sake of the little guy, please read up everything you can, including this forum, before you seriously consider accepting the tegu. You may also want to pass this along to your uncle. Like I said, I am still a rookie, but I hope this helps!