Reptile & Amphibian Forums

6months ago my ex fiance and i split up, much to my dismay he took our red tegu with him. No he as realized (like i knew he would) that he is not taking proper care of him and doesn't have the time to do so. He has outgrown him current enclosure. His diet has consisted almost soley of pinkie mice and the occasional cricket with no fruit. He called me to ask if i would take him back and i agreed to do so but i am concerned about him. I am going to be building him a nice big enclosure within the next two months and transferring him to my house. He is close to one year by now, probably about 9-10months old and he seems pretty small, I dont have the exact measurements but he is probably only about 20inches, does this sound small to you guys?

I was wondering a couple things, how hard is it to get them to start accepting other food items after a diet of straight pinkies? And at this age what should his protein:fruit ratio be? Also what should his protein intake mostly consist of?

Also i was wondering if you guys could post some pics of your tegus at just under 1yr to see if i could compare sizes to see if Uteg is undersized or not.

I am a little worried about him and hate to see him remain where he is. He doesn't appear to be ill, his skin looks good, eyes are clear he is active and responsive. He just doesn't get as good care as i would like to see and i am eager to set things right with him.

Please help,

TIA

~Mim
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0.1 Bearded dragon
0.1 mexican kingsnake
1.0.2 Leopard Gecko's
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
1.0 BTS
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
0.1 Bullmastiff
4.1 Cats

I have a male red three years old and he's about 54 inches. I also have a male around a year or so old who is probably pushing 20 inches like yours. He doesn't seem to eat a lot or be interested in most food. He only eats occasionaly as he gets very hungry. However, his color is beautiful, he's very active, alert, and good body proportion, so I don't force him to take more than he chooses. He'll eat and grow at his rate, not mine. Main thing to do is try to keep aware of his activity and alertness. Good Luck.

Mikal