Help

[new2tegus]

Okay, so I have a bit of a concern, my tegu likes to take his food off his plate,and I'm worried the mulch will be an issue. I'm about ready to throw this crap out, so I don't have to worry each time I see him pick up a piece of food that has a piece of mulch on it. He spits it out,but I still get worried. Any recommendations, I know you aren't suppose to move him to feed,but I'd rather move him somewhere there will be no mulch to worry about, that just hope for the best outcome.

 

[tora]

Who told you not to move him? It's widely reccomended you feed them in a seperate place for multiple reasons, accidently eating mulch is one. If he's settled enough to be bothered you really really should start feeding him somewhere aside from his enclosure.

 

[james.w]

It is fine to move them to a seperate place to feed.

 

[turtlepunk]

Im having the same problem, hell drag his food through the substrate then WIPE HIS MOUTH on the substrate collecting even more substrate around his mouth! uuuggh. Im a little hesitant to try to grab him, I just got him yesterday and really don't want to break any trust I have with him. He's been so mellow so far, doesn't seem to flinch when I come near him at all..but I would like to keep him that way. When i open the door to put food in hell start to run away but then stops dead in his tracks once he catches the scent of food. Then he'll walk right up to the plate. I don't want to freak him out any more than i have to =/ but i don't want him impacted either =/ aaaghh.

 

[JohnMatthew]

If you don't want to move your GU for feeding you could throw some newspaper down and then put the feeding dish in the middle of that - it'll give them more space to drag the food around before they reach substrate.

 

[new2tegus]

I will let you all know tomorrow, thank you for the support and great advice.

 

[turtlepunk]

great Idea John!!! why didn't I think of that? lol

 

[Toby_H]

It is commonly suggested to move your Tegu to a seperate enclsoure to feed... it's also commonly suggested not to handle or move your Tegu the first couple of weeks you have him... Both are good suggestions though obviously neither are "rules"...


I have a large (3' x 2') piece of sealed (Drylok) plywood on one end of my Tegus enclosure. I always feed him on it. This way when he drags food off of his plat, it's still on a substrate free area.

Naturally for those of you with smaller Tegus you can use a smaller platform for the same purpose.

Note, it is completely normal/natural for a Tegu to wipe his/her mouth on the ground at the end of a meal.

 

[new2tegus]

I'm okay with the cleaning, my sav and even my ig would do that. I fed him chicken livers which he loved but would throw them all over the place, and he shakes. So a piece will fly, get covered in substrate, and he will hunt that piece down. So far he's been really good about spitting all the mulch out and what not, but I'm just worried he won't get one out one of these times.

 

[turtlepunk]

^^^my worries exactly.

 

[turtlepunk]

I laid the newspaper down in his enclosure today with the plate in the middle. worked perfectly =) no substrate around his mouth today =)

 

[j.sawyer48]

i have always fed my gu outside of his enclosure