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
The Colombian tegu (tupinambis teguixin), also Gold tegu or Golden tegu, is a species of tegu lizard common in the pet trade, although it is not as easy to domisticate as the more popular Agentine tegu and Red tegu. This species is considered somewhat aggressive and not beginner-friendly, although it can still be tamed with a lot of patience and expertise. Compared to the other two aforementioned species, the gold… Read More »Gold Tegu: Information, Enclosure Requirements, Diet & Health Tips
Red tegus belong to the species of salvator refuscens, which is quite popular in the pet trade and second only to the most common Argentine tegu (salvator merianae). True to their names, red tegus tend have a reddish skin which often looks almost like raw meat, and compared to black and white tegus they tend to get quite big in size. They are relatively easy to tame and make for… Read More »Red Tegu Care: Information, Enclosure Requirements, Diet & Health
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
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
Caring for a tegu lizard is in many way similar to caring for a small dog. These massive reptiles like to eat a lot and because of that dealing with their toilet habits can be unpleasant as a pet owner. Many people prefer to have their tegus do their business in the bathtub where it’s easier to clean. Luckily, tegus are intelligent animals that with some effort can successfully be… Read More »Tegu Poop Health & Potty Training
Tegus are highly intelligent creatures and as such, they need constant stimuli. Without sources of entertainment, they will get bored and unhappy, they will start showing signs of stress and could potentially even become aggressive, destroying everything in sight. Luckily, there are many ways to entertain your tegu, first of all by providing enough space for them to wander around inside their enclosure, and outside as well. When feeding, you… Read More »Toys for tegu: how to entertain your pet lizard
