Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just picked up a pair of Paraguayan B&W tegus (Rufus and marjory), they have been hosued together for the last year or so, the male is about 30" and the female about 24".

I am new to tegus but have read pretty much everything that I can find on the web.

Just one quick question. when I picked them up the chap that sold them to me informed me that paraguayans 'need' hibernating. whereas chacoans (which he was desperately trying to sell me), do not.

I am a little concerned as I had read that paraguayans do not need hibernating (certainly these two have not been hibernated before (I know the previous owner very well), and that argentinians coming from a more temperate climate would (this was one of the deciding factors in my purchase).

if they do need hibernating, i'm looking for some advice on how to do it correctly and what type of enclosure should be used, what the temp should be and what I should look for when checking on them.

cheers

carl

Hello alot of captive housed tegus will either not hibernate at all since there is a constant temp or they will hibernate even if the temps are the same as always. If you do want them to hibernate then you should over a week or so shorten thier day night cycle so there is more dark times. Also you will want to lower thier temps slowly over that time. Take it down into the 60's but I would not allow it to get much cooler than that. My little ones are fast asleep at around 68. Mine still wake from time to time and will move around and change positions but that is about it. They will stop eating since the temps are too cool to digest and that is good since you do not want food sitting in thier stomachs for a few months. You really do not have to hibernate them though if you do not want to. That is a matter of personal choice. 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

cheers

carl