Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently purchased a B&W tegu about three weeks ago. He eats like a champ and hasn't missed a meal yet. His temperment is pretty good more skittish than anything. My question is that he spends all of his time in the hide and never comes out but only to eat his food and then quickly back into the hide. Is this normal to spend all day and night in the hide? I also heard that if the tegu is in the hide then you should never pull him out of the hide because it can disrupt any trust issues that have formed between the tegu and the owner. If this is true then how should I go about pulling him out of the cage so we can work on our bonding?

If you have a basking site on the other end of the cage he should be using it regularly if he's eating. If he wasn't eating he'd be hibernating so he'd remain hidden, possibly for months.

But since he's been eating like a champ, I'd give him some time. He may be frightened to show his face until he gets used to the new cage. He'll come around.

The hide should be on the cool end of the cage, with a temp of 80-85 during the day. The basking site on the other end of the cage should be around 110 during the day.

If the hide is very warm there might not be a need for basking so he's staying there with no reason to come out.

Bill

I'm assuming he's an Argentine B&W tegu--that's why I mentioned the hibernation. If he's a Colombian tegu he will not be hibernating.

Bill

Well the hide is under the basking lamp. I'll move the hide to the other end and try that. Thanks for the input.

Great.

He probably was hanging out feeling nice and warm and safe - just a quick dash to eat and back home again.

Give him some quiet time to get used to the new layout so he doesn't have to scramble off the basking area to quickly hide. Just take a quiet peek now and then throughout the day - starting with early morning when the light comes on. He might come out to bask in shifts.

Bill

but it seems to me that at this point in the reptile's adjustment it might be more stressful to move his warm, safe hiding spot than to have to move him from said spot every now and then.

Keep in mind, in the wild reptiles very rarely bask out in the open. most of the thermoregulation for most species is done in hiding. As a general rule I try to make sure that most of my reptiles have hiding spots that allow them to warm up and cool off at will. If there's only one hiding spot in the enclosure the reptile only has two choices, which are safety or thermoregulation.

If I were you I would add more hiding spots to and leave the existing one and make note of where he chooses to go. With most reptiles that are new (which in my mind constitutes several months to a couple years, not the two week 'adjustment' period most give) it is normal for them to remain unseen. That doesn't mean that the animal never leaves its hiding spot (at least not always), it just means that he does not yet feel safe enough in his enclosure to walk in the open. Finding ways to force him into the open or removing him from his cage for extended periods before he is ready will hinder the adjustment period. Who knows...if you move things around and he doesn't like it, he might start missing meals. After all, safety and staying alive is most important to reptiles, and often they will choose to go hungry if they don't feel at least minimally secure.

Often patience is key when keeping reptiles. You have to be careful not to slow or reverse progress.

Tegus retreat to their burrows after being out during the day basking and foraging for food. Ask anyone that keeps them outside. Like Bert. Tegus bask outside their burrows; that's where the sun is. They are not moles that live underground.

I'm only telling you what has worked for me for at least 10 years years as well as other tegu keepers I've corresponded with who have kept them successfully for many years and bred them and kept their babies successfully until they breed themselves.

Do as you wish with your brand new tegu.

Over and out.

B.

Just to ask an obvious question....are you sure you have an Argentine B/W and not a Colombian? The experiences I have with mine are very different.

I have adult and young Argentines. The adult is hibernating now, but since I'm in FL, she pokes out of her burrow on warm days to catch some UV. The heat is off, so it doesn't matter where her hid is. In fact, she doesn't use her hide and digs down into a foot or two of mulch instead. The young B/W is about 3 months old and isn't sure if he wants to hibernate or not. He still eats and basks, but is not as active as he once was. He also digs under mulch under his hide, but will bask for an hour or so before digging in again. He used to be out for most of the day. Perhaps your little guy is also sleeping more because of the seasonal changes?

My Colombian is very different and hides for 90% of the day anyway. She's about 2 and tame to us, but much flightier than the Argentines. It doesn't matter if her hide is in the cool side or the warm side, she's not coming out. She doesn't hibernate, probably because she lives in state of semi-sleep.

As to your original question, I have removed my tegus and other lizards from their hides when needed and don't seem to have 'trust' issues. I think a lot depends on what you do with them once you get them out. I feed tegus outside of the cage and they don't seem to mind being taken out to eat. I don't make a regular habit of removing them from their hides, though. Usually I can catch them while their basking. Is your schedule such that you cannot catch him outside of his hide at all?