Building a barricade?!

[Tomaskas]

Hi!

This is my first post, after being a long time lurker (over a year of lurking nearly every single day!) - I decided to make an account now that I’ve got my Tegu.

I got him just before Christmas, and he (pretty sure he’s a he) is settling in fine. I’ve uploaded a few pic if you wanna take a gander to see if you think he’s a boy too! He’s really coming out of his shell and I’m seeing his sassy personality.

He’s great with handling, and loves his food.

Today he’s done something I’ve never seen him do before, which is build a barricade at the front of his cave! He spent a while moving substrate from around his enclosure and making a pile at the front of his cave, and then he went inside and starting pushing substrate up to the front to make a full blockage.

I’m not worried, as I’m happy he’s getting some enrichment. But wondered if anyone had ever seen this kind of behaviour before?

I’ve attached a picture and there’s a video here -

(you can sort of see him doing it in the video). Strange!

Any ideas on why he might be doing it? Like I say I’m not worried, just curious.

Barricade pic:

Face pic:

Private parts pic:

 

[rantology]

Mine has done similar behavior. He's trying to make himself a burrow to feel secure - I ended up putting a large flat square piece of melamine inside his hide and he absolutely loves making his burrow under it cause even though he has a hide, he likes to have something touching him directly on top. They like to feel burried and secure. That also cut down on some destructive digging elsewhere in the enclosure for mine.

 

[Skeep]

Yup, my tegu does that to. And yes they definitely like to feel secure under something nice and weighty to! Mine always thinks the best place to sleep would be underneath me!

 

[Debita]

Your boy looks like a boy to me! (def not an expert tho) All of my Tegus have done this - and I would say that it's a good sign. He's making a home, not frantically trying to tear down his enclosure, or climbing the walls to get out. He's really pretty. Is he a blue?

No worries about digging - like Rantology said - he's securing himself.

 

[Stephen J. Williams]

My 2.5 yo red does that all the time. They love to dig, burrow, and feel safe. It’s a natural behavior!

 

[ToadHallBetty]

Little Buddy closes his door every night.

 

[TheTeguNovice]

My male (Abooka) doesn't do that but my female (Kieko) does that all the time. It actually makes me feel good that I can provide a space where she feels protected.