New caging idea

[Teguawesome]

I am the owner of a columbian tegu named sweet pea. He is around 8 months old and I have had him since he was 4 months! He is very tame and loves people! He has never bitten or even tried to! Lol he is by far the best reptile I have ever owned! He needs and deserves the best! he Is around 23 in. And he is getting close to outgrowing his cage! I am a decent builder so I have decided to build one instead of buying. Before I got him I spent over 6 months of research on columbian tegus. Over that time I read hundreds of different care sheets and a lot of them have very different answers! I want a six feet long four feet wide and four feet tall. Or taller! Lol I have a lot of time to care for him so I was thinking of making it have live plants! I want it as natural as possible! I don't know to much about what to put inside so your help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. [attachment=6154]

 

[elmo]

my red tegu is the same age, length, temperament, and mine is also quickly out growing her cage. my new enclousure will be 10x 3... 3 feet tall most likely. i didnt think about the live plant idea, i like that. mine will have a pool (not just a water dish....a full out pool lol) hopefully as people respond to this it will also give me ideas.

 

[jondancer]

Do Colombians climb More that argentines? Why would you want it taller than 4ft? That's just. More area to heat. My tegus would did up any live plants.

 

[Teguawesome]

I am not for sure about the tegus in general. But my tegu loves to! And the reason why i would want it taller is so I can put a larger plant in there! Lol and for your tegus digging up the plants is that u keep them in a pot ( i use cypress mulch!) I dig a hole in the substrate I place it in there! My tegu can't dig it up and he absolutely loves it! Lol

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Welcome to the site and congrats on the new tegu. All tegus climb especially when they're smaller a lot of the larger species usually grow out of it. But colombians are usually smaller and maintian that ability much easier. It also like most things depends on the animal, if you're likes to climb then give it space where it can do so. It may or may not out grow it.

Plant wise they have to be hardy enough to stand up to tegus climbing on, over and digging them up. If not digging them up even if you're able to keep them from getting to the roots their nails and weight alone can kill the leaves and eventually the plant. Once you narrow that down you also have to make sure they're not poisonous plants. So most people usually just don't bother. I try to keep mine out of my house plants when they rome other than that they see plenty of plants they can rummage through when they go outside.

 

[Teguawesome]

I am soo worried about sweet pea!!! I have read the other threads and there tegus are so active! But mine will stay burrowed all day! I usually wake him up ( should I let him sleep?) and he messes with me for however long and when I put him back he will bask and right away go burrow! He never is active in his cage! I have changed things up but he stays the same! Please help!!! Thanks..

 

[chitodadon]

He might be trying to hibernate

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[Teguawesome]

That might be it! but I heard columbian tegus don't hibernate!! So do you think I should just let him sleep and whenever he gets out mess with him? And what would I do about the feeding?

 

[chitodadon]

When he comes out then u cann mess wit him and keep offering a lil bit of food daily and always fresh water

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[Teguawesome]

Thank you so much! is it normal for a columbian to like water? Mine has never willing gotten in any water!

 

[chitodadon]

They all r different Godzilla lives water for a lil while until he is d ok ne

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[Teguawesome]

Ok thanks! And is there any way to keep the smell down? I change his cage weekly but the smell is still bad! Any ideas

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Let him be, even though they don't hibernate, around this time of year it's normal for them to do more hiding than anything else. They may come out, eat and or bask for a while, burrow for a few days and repeat.

That's pretty much the routine Mila (also a Colombian) is in for now and the same my other Colombian Spaz went through when I had her. Each one is different personality and activity wise so it dosen't always help to compare them to others, especially with different species.

The same goes for most things, even water some like it some don't. But keep in mind they are cold blooded so if the water's cold then they're less likely to go in it. Unless the enclosure is hot and they need to cool off but even then some will burrow instead.

It's not a big deal whether or not they soak in it as long as they have proper humidity, water is available and they're hydrated.

Unless they poop there shouldn't be much of a smell especially not a constant one, and the smell of their poop can change with what they eat. If there's a consistent sour smell after pooping then it may have worms, sometimes they can cause it as well.

 

[Teguawesome]

Thanks! I am going to let him sleep! And since I will be building him a new cage soon I will need stuff to put in it! I live fairly close to a swap and there is a lot of really cool looking dead trees I can use to put inside his cage is there any way to take away all the bugs?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

It depends on the size of the limbs, the quickest way would be to bake them in the oven if they fit and you don't mind using your oven for that. Other than that when the weather warms up let nature do it. Place and seal them in black bags, (no holes) then leave them out in the sun for a while. How long depends on the temps outside, it can be any where from a couple of days to a week.

The heat and lack of oxygen kills just about any and everything harmful.

 

[Teguawesome]

Thanks! And how deep should the substrate be?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Depends on the size of the tegu and enclosure, usually 3-4" is good they move it around as they please any way.

 

[Teguawesome]

So you think after I let him sleep he will stay out more? Cause mine doesn't move the substrate around and he doesn't walk on his plants or even try to dig it up! And he doesn't use the restroom in his cage! Is this normal?

---

[attachment=6175] sweet pea before his slumber!! Lol

 

[Teguawesome]

Hellos every one! Sweet pea came out of his burrow today! So I took him out and prepared him an egg... But before he ate he went poop. But this poop was different! The liquid was white!!! What does this mean??? Should I take him to a vet?

 

[chitodadon]

White=pee
Brown=crap

from Samsung Galaxy S3