How to be Ready for Your Baby Tegu

[@RoseCityReptilesTX]

I’d like to add a couple of additional points. The ambient temperature in the tegu enclosure should range from 95°F on the hot end to 75-80°F on the cool end. It's also important to remember that tegus will burrow beneath the substrate to help regulate their temperature. As for humidity, as mentioned in the video, the sphagnum moss in their hides will maintain 100% humidity, mimicking the conditions they would experience underground. For the rest of the enclosure, you can mist the substrate when the top layer begins to dry out. Ideally, humidity should fluctuate throughout the day, ranging from 100% in their hides to about 60% in the rest of the enclosure. Thank you for watching! ✌️❤️

[@TheGenericDragonKeeper]

Thanks this January at the Pomona super show if I can’t find a good blue tegu breeder I’m looking at yours and you have three baby blue tegus which I think I’m going to save for

[@ZillaTheTegu]

I have a question about basking temps that Ive never heard anyone talk about. Additionally, and this is the part Ive never heard anyone talk about. Tegus absorb heat better then rocks. Say you use your heat gun to test the surface temp of your basking rock, and it reads 110F. But what thats not measuring is the temperature of the heat thats hitting that rock from the lamp. That temperature is going to be much higher. For example, if you could measure the air that is a few CM above the surface of the rock, its going to be in the 150F range. (Like Ive measured the back of my tegus back as she basks, and its always MUCH higher then the temperature of the rock shes laying on). So when your tegu goes to lay on that rock, the temperature thats hitting their back is much higher then 110F that is the surface of the rock. I feel like no one takes this into account when creating the ideal basking environment. This is especially important if you have a big slab or thick rock as your basking place. Can you clear up my confusion on this? --------- Basking temps are so important, and I feel there is a lot of conflicting information out there. Im really glad you added the advice to watch your tegus basking habits. I had my basking temp at 110F, but I noticed that she would never lay on her basking rock. She would always be laying beside it. So I adjusted it until the basking temp was around 100F, and then she started laying on her rock. Also its important to keep in mind what your basking surface is. A large stone will take much longer to heat up, but also hold the heat for longer than a smaller thinner stone. Its important to note that the surface temperature is not the same as the temperature at the surface. Let me explain. In the morning when your lights come on, the temperature of that basking rock is going to be whatever the ambient temperature in the room is. The lights come on and start heating the rock. BUT the rock isnt instantly going to be the same temperature as the light thats blasting it. So your surface temp reading will still be close to the ambient temp. But for your tegu, when they lay on that rock, they feel the full heat of that lamp on their back. So their tummy may be 90F but their back will be much higher.

[@caeabw92]

I already have my tegu baby from RCR (Maggie, from chili x bandit) and to anyone wondering how fast is fast in regards to growth, while I do have a plan already in motion for her full size enclosure - I wasn't emotionally prepared for how fast she's grown (even for a blue female!) for reference, she hatched on August 6th. As of right now, she's an inch or two off from 2 ft long. She still had some baby green on her when I got her, and now it's mostly gone. I swear it seems like she sheds every 5 days. I initially made her food mix and put it into silicone ice tray mats to freeze and use when I want. When I got her on OCTOBER SECOND she was eating maybe half of one a day. Now she's up to two full cubes. They grow SO fast. I'm still working on handling her when I can, she's still wiggly, but I can tell you she's learning very fast and already likes little head rubs. Being prepared for their growth and socialization from the get go is absolutely something you should be listening to Rose City about!

[@ericapeck1378]

Thanks Joey!! Great info for those of us that have been dreaming for decades about our first tegu. I didn’t manage it this season but I will be ready for next years’ blues! I know they are worth the wait. 🩵🩵🩵

[@AnnWelch-jb6bo]

A ton of great advice in the video and the comments. There is so much conflicting advice out there i always worry im doing it wrong . I just follow Joeys advice now and my Tegus are healthy and friendly. My baby is growing like a weed i wish he would slow down!😂 I wanted to add a thank you to RCR for such an awesome baby!

[@NerdsauceAnna]

That Tegu that you featured sure looks familiar. (It's my Mephisto) ❤️✌️

[@zackwinter8707]

Another banger 🎉

[@RoseCityReptilesTX]

🙌🙌

[@alfredfaragalli9645]

If you don’t want to make your own meat mix I recommend the Tegu Hatchling Bundle from Reptilinks. We started our crimescene/bloodbath baby on that and he loved it.

[@RoseCityReptilesTX]

Great suggestion!

[@EverydayNomads]

So much golden info

[@RoseCityReptilesTX]

Thank you, hope it helps

[@justynswartz4200]

I dunno if the uvb makes a difference but flat white is technically more reflective then the Shiney surface is. At least when it comes to building grow rooms for veggies and cannabis.

[@devalation1327]

Somethings I want to add from my experience that I think will be helpful! -Start your insect colony's early! If you want to rely on your bred insects instead of buying from the store a bunch then get those colony's moving way before you get your baby tegu. I started mine a month and a half before to get some superworm and mealworm beetles so I knew I'd have a nice supply even if my roaches and being slow. -If you have your own colonies, feed your incest well and healthly. Yes, dubia roaches will eat left over pizza or chips, but do you want your tegu eatting that? Hell no! I feed my roachs carrots, yellow squash, and banna peels. Same with my super and mealworms. It keeps them nice and hydrated and there not goatloaded with junk that will transfer into my baby gu. -With the spaghum moss, I mixed a shit ton into my soil orginally, and I noticed my girl digging it up and draging it into her hot hide. I swear 70% of all the spaghum moss is in that spot right now, it's really cool. So for extra inrichment you could always add piles on the surface of the enclosre and let them move it where they want it. -When adding rocks to the enclorse, make sure that if they can digg under it, it won't fall and crush them. I have a whole rock formation with an aboveground cave and an underground cave that is supported by small bricks underneath the soil. It's possible to make cool cave systems for your tegu to dig through, but you have to make sure that shit is supported well. I leaned my whole weight on those flatstones before leting my girl go wild in there. -Young tegus are semi abroal, if you made a custom backround then they will climb it! So if you have your lights inside the enclosure then make sure you have a guard around them. I won't even put my heat lights inside my enclosure becuase she just climbs everywhere, and I've got huge cork tubed that got up 2 ft, but nope. I want to climb my backround on the hot side! -Don't grab there tails, tegus can drop there tails and there more likely to do it while young or in tegu puberty months. There nervous and frightful and you draging them out from under something could make them drop it. If your tegu is in there burrow and you want to interact with them, or they were out while you were preparing food and then decieded to take a nap the minute you have the food ready xD. A way to wake them and prompt them to come out is to call there name and pat the soil or rock there under. Now it's not going to work for a tegu that is still fearful of you. But if your in that stage where you baby is more confident around you and not scared to come up to the glass and ask to ride around on your shoulder, then you've got a chance. Don't be rough with it, think of it as knocking on a door, they can answer or they won't. But talking to them will make sure they know it's you and have the choice to come out instead of being forced. It works almost every time with my girl, she'll poke her head out and peek at me, sometimes she'll turn around and go back in, sometimes she'll come out. But it gives them some agent of control.

[@RoseCityReptilesTX]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, these are awesome tips! I love that you take your insect feeding so seriously, it makes a huge difference!

[@AnthonyHoward-um5vv]

Ok

[@devalation1327]

@@RoseCityReptilesTX Np! And it so does!