A warning for all multy tegu cages..

[PinkPunisher]

So I came home from school today as usual I went into my room to check on the tegus as I normally do to see how they are doing. Well today when I came home to find Alice my B&W had killed Dozer my Red tegu. So I went to grab it but Alice was in the process of trying to eat him... I chased her around the cage with a branch for probably 5 minutes until I finally got Dozer out of her mouth. When I took Dozer's body out I was horrified to find the damage she had done. *Graphic detail warning* I started to inspect the damage and quickly noticed that the front left leg was missing, I'm assuming Alice ate it.. Then realized the skull was demolished, completely crushed. The head was starting to come off the body and there was a multitude of scratch and bite wounds.

I have buried Dozer in my mothers garden but I would like this thread to serve as a warning to everyone that these things DO happen, ALWAYS keep a close eye on tegus sharing a cage. Even if they had been getting along for 7 months.

One a side note, I'm not angry at Alice for doing what she did. Well to be honest I'm a bit urked but she was just doing what a tegu does I suppose. They had both eaten yesterday so I'm guessing it was some type of territorial dispute or something...

Spencer

 

[omgtaylorg]

If they are nearing sexual maturity which idk if yours are or not, but once they hit that age where they are near or are sexually mature, I dont suggest letting them live together...prime example of dominance or a territorial dispute as you put it. But I remember yours being somewhat younger (i think) so that is just a bummer and I'm sorry for your loss...very tragic. RIP Dozer.

 

[Beasty]

Wow! I'm sorry to hear that!
Was there a significant size difference?

 

[jmiles50]

I'm sooooo sorry for your loss :cry: Natural instinct can be pretty cruel.

 

[Tux]

You know I have been explaining for years and years that housing together in somewhat limited space means a need for constant supervision which can't really be given, even with a close eye on them we all have lives, work, school etc. The issue is then compounded it seems when 1 animal looks different than the other. This should be yet another lesson on why to house reptiles separately.

I don't mean to sound like a **** and am sorry that you lost dozer but this issue is a big 1 in the reptile world, one that most ppl ignore all too often.

 

[PinkPunisher]

I don't mean to sound like a xxxx and am sorry that you lost dozer but this issue is a big 1 in the reptile world, one that most ppl ignore all too often.

No worries, I realize that this was my fault and should have tried to get the permanent cage completed sooner. Live and learn I suppose, as terrible as that sounds.

Was there a significant size difference?

No, maybe 3"s of tail.

If they are nearing sexual maturity which idk if yours are or not, but once they hit that age where they are near or are sexually mature, I dont suggest letting them live together.

I remember yours being somewhat younger (i think) so that is just a bummer and I'm sorry for your loss...very tragic. RIP Dozer.

When abouts do they hit sexual maturity, it is around the 2 year mark right?

Yes they are still both young, both are under 1 year old.

Spencer

 

[hoosier]

oh man im sorry for your loss man. but these things do happen. even in the wild where there is alot of space. ill make sure i dont house any together in the future.

 

[Zelera]

wow,sorry for your loss.Ill be sure to keep an eye out for this now In the future.

 

[VARNYARD]

Man that suxs bro, I have never had a tegu kill another tegu like that. I wonder why she did it, that sounds real strange. I could see a nesting female attacking another tegu, but not young tegus like that. Sorry you lost your tegu, maybe we can all learn from this.

 

[PuffDragon]

It's possible that the one had died of natural causes. Sometimes reptiles just die, it's a known fact. The other one might have sensed it was dead and decided to eat it. Hopefully, this scenario was the case. Does the other tegu have any fight marks?

Sorry for your loss though.

 

[PinkPunisher]

I have yet to check out Alice as I want to give her some cool down time. She was going ballistic when I took the body away with the branch. Trying to chase me away from it and trying to run back to the body.

Puff, I'm not sure if this is the case because as I said the skull was almost like a mush. It wasn't oozing out or anything but it was real squishy. Which would lead me to believe she might have chomped the head first? All I hope is that the tegu didn't suffer for a long time, no matter how it died.

Should I get some new substrate in case there is any parts in there?

From now on the only time I'll ever have tegus together will be breeding time (possibly?) or outside pen time with very close supervision.

Spencer

 

[Tux]

Should I get some new substrate in case there is any parts in there?

The entire cage should be cleaned not just new substrate.

and Bobby, it just shows tegus are no different than other reptiles when it comes to co-habitation, your situation is somewhat different due to the amount of space but as you mentioned before you have had issues with a tegu being picked on, this is a step further and I think it serves as good reasoning for those of us housing in smaller enclosures to do so in singular fashion.

 

[VARNYARD]

Well I have kept them inside and out, but never seen this.

 

[tegu1982]

dude thats a major bummer. im very sorry for your loss. ill definitly be keeping a closer eye on my red and blk&wht that are housed together.(been that way for over a year now). but mine are the same size almost exactly.

r.i.p Dozer.

 

[grapesofwrath]

That bites. Hard. But all living creatures are different. It's quite possible that you have a psycho type of tegu on your hands. IDK, just a thought out loud...