Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently aquired a red tegu. She loves to eat superworm and mice, but refuses ground turkey, fruits and salad. Everytime I put raw turkey meat, with hidden fruit she buries it. Any suggestions to get her to eat it. Also is pine mulch okay for them, I cannot find Cypress mulch anywhere. I have check Home Depot, Lowes and every garden supply store. Any help on feeding and mulch would be great. Oh and one last thing. now she won't eat, or come out of her hide, is it safe to say she is hibernating?
Thanks

Its usually hard to find cypress mulch in winter, I always stock up in early fall, most places will put it away to make room for other things..Walmart also carries it you might ask if they have any around.....Pine Im thinking is not a real good choice because of the volatile oils in it.If youve ever used Pinesol that is what your essentially making them sit in...I dont have any advice as to what you can use other than newspaper or aspen bedding(I wouldnt want to buy that much aspen for an adult enclosure it would be expensive)..Anyway maybe someone else has a good idea...cc
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Lose the pine, it's toxic. If you can't find Cypress use dirt! Plain old dirt with some leaf litter mixed in and scattered on top works just fine. Cypress is hard to find in the western part of the country. Around here it's even sold at gas stations...4 50# bags for $10. I try to stock up in late summer or early fall also.

You could also use orchid bark. As for fruit Try this . This is how I get Santiago to eat fruit. First boil an egg. Then blend it wioth some water to make it like water . Then dip a kiwii in it ,let it sit for a cople of minutes. Then put on plate and put some blended egg on it to sent. It has always worked with my tegus , even the gold tegu I had would eat fruit this way .good luck russ

Hey Russ, long time no see.

My wife makes fettatas for the Tegus now. Break some eggs with shells into a bowl, mix with various fruit and Bearded Dragon juvie pellets (high in protien)and you can add some suppliments too if you like. Bake in a deep pan until firm, cool, cut and serve. I got 7 Blue Tegus recently and they just love it along with ground turkey and roaches.
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Bennett

beardiedragon.com
Home of the Florida Orange

My Sons and Recording two Cds, And Writting a Guitar method book are keeping me Busy.Russ

If you cant get your red to take fruit right away, gutloading your mice with fruit can help supplement for now. If you buy them live feed them fruit for 2 or 3 days, the stomach contents will help some. I had to feed mine from the palm of my hand when i first started them on fruit, but this really isnt the best idea