Tegu Health

Brumation is the reptile equivalent of hibernation, that is, that period of time during which an animal slows its own metabolism and ceases almost all activity in order to conserve energy and survive winter. In the wild, tegus will retreat to a safe space to hide when days start to get shorter in autumn and stay there for 6-7 months until spring arrives. During this period of brumation a tegu… Read More »Tegu brumation: signs, temperature, duration

Breeding in tegus requires both an adult female and male. Tegus reach sexual maturity at around age 2, the start of so-called “guberty” (tegu puberty), and females need to undergo one or two cycles of brumation in winter in order for their bodies to become able to accommodate eggs. Most tegu species can breed up to twice a year. Tegu breeding season generally occurs right after the end of this… Read More »Tegu Breeding, Egg Incubation & Hatching

Like most lizards, tegus can in fact drop their tails. The good news is, they can also regenerate it. Tail dropping usually occurs as a result of injury, diseases such as tail rot, or stress. In the wild, lizards will drop their tail when they feel threatened, this is a natural response to being in the presence of a potential predator. If a bird grabs a lizard by their tail,… Read More »Tail dropping in Tegu lizards

Tegus have razor sharp claws and it can make handling them a painful experience, despite their tame disposition. Unlike cats, tegus are very unlikely to scratch you on purpose (tail whipping now, that’s a different story!), but if you are keeping one around the house you’ll still want to regularly trim their nails so you don’t look like you’ve been mauled by a big feline every time it climbs over… Read More »Tegu claws and nail clipping