Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys- I'm considering purchasing a pair of Argentine B&W Tegu. They would be kept outside in a special section of my torotise pen. Their section would be 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet tall. The wall is buried a foot under ground. Are Tegu active diggers? I'm worried they would tunnel out of my pen and could escape, or get to my tortoises. How can I prevent this? Do I need a roof, or is a inward facing lip enough? Thanks! Brooks

Tegus are diggers mine spend alot of time digging. They will burrow in and make dens for themselves under ground where they can go to cool off. I know other who house their tegus in outdoor enclosures that bury the walls two feet into the ground. I do not know if a foot is enough. I would say just watch them close to see if they are digging close to the walls or not.
three feet tall seems to be enough I would think. As for a cover of some sort while they are smaller I would put a cover over it. So they do not become a snack for a bird or stray cat or any other animal that might happen by. I plan on leaving my pen totally covered with avian net to prevent anything from getting in there.
There are several here that keep theirs in outdoor pens I hope that some others post here as well. So you get as wide a range of answers as possible. Good luck to you.
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Beau W.

"There are no athiests in foxholes. It is not an argument against athiesm but rather one against foxholes." James Morrow

Hi Brooke,

I would have to agree with Beau and say that a depth of 2 ft under the ground would be the minimum, as they are amazing diggers. Roofing would depend on what the sides of the pen are made of, if they are textured at all then they are climbable, and I'd put some kind of screen on top, if the sides are slippery, and there is nothing to get any traction on, then no worries.
I also keep a tortoise (an african sulcata) and he and my arg b/w tegu get along very well, they bask together all the time, and Ive never had any problems there.

good luck!

Leyla x

If you want tips on outdoor enclosures, you should check out the terraria section on www.agamainternational.com

I would use hardware cloth under the substrate regardless of the depth of the wall for added safety. Over the years that little tegu could build a tunnel system and over time he could get out. Their are some real excape artists out there.

.

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Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com