silvertip0;4858196; said:
I have been reading many care sheets and just wanted to ask some questions to double check what I was reading.
I hope I didn't sound discouraging the way I started my last post. It's quite evident you are doing the proper footwork to educate yourself on Tegus and I commend you for that! I only made that point to encourage you on the learning path. While no amount of reading will ever equate to personal experience, ample research will definately improve your personal experience...
silvertip0;4858196; said:
I was thinking about 4ft high because I wanted to do 1ft of substrate because they like to burrow so that would leave them 3ft so I did not want to only leave them 2ft because that is too small IMO.
My enclosure is 3.5' tall. I chose this height because my enclosure is also a stand for a fish tank and 3.5' is my desired height for that tank...
1' of mulch is more than even a huge adult male will need. I built my enclosure to be able to hold up to 12" of mulch, but only started off using 9". I soon realized that 9" was overkill as well. I ended up using 6~8" of mulch spread evenly across the enclosure, then he burrowed and made mounds to suit his desires.
Do keep in mind that even the best UVB lamps are limited on how far they can be placed from the animal. UVB erodes over distance, so the closer it is to your Tegus basking area the more effective it will be.
In my enclosure, I built a shelf that is 12" above the substrate. My flourescent UVB bulb is mounted to the underside of that shelf making the actual bulb about 8" from my Tegus back while basking beneath it.
There is nothing wrong with a 4' tall enclosure, just be sure to place the UVB lamps properly to ensure they are still effective. Also, as I mentinoed, I have a shelf in my Tegus enclosure and ne never uses it.
silvertip0;4858196; said:
I try to give them a few hours out of the enclosure each day or every other when they are older if I can litter train them. I'm not sure how to train them to use the litter, is it similar to a cat?
Personally, I do not believe that a Tegu can be 'potty trained' to any degree. That being said, I do know of a few people who claim they have potty trained theirs.
It is possible to learn your tegus preferences and habits, then work with those preferences and habits to minimize "accidents". For example, my Tegu will not poop in his enclosure. Thus I know everytime I let him out, within 15 minutes he will poop. So every time I let him out, we go straight to the bathroom. I usually put him in the shower and run warm water over him until he poops there. If not I at least leave him on the tiled floor until he poops where it can more easily be cleaned. Tegu poop stains carpet...
silvertip0;4858196; said:
I was thinking I could try and build and outdoor enclosure but I'm not sure if it would work because in the summer it is high 70's to low 90's is there anyway I could set up something that could keep them at a better temp or just forget about an outdoor enclosure?
I think an outdoor enclosure is a great idea! I live in Char NC and my Tegu lives outside for most of the summer. when the temperature gets over 95*F he looks for a cool place to hide, but he really appreciates the cooler hours basking in morning sun.
silvertip0;4858196; said:
Also something I forgot to ask before was on a few care sheets it said eggs were fine but I also found one that said only feed eggs on occasion, which is true?
Keep in mind there is a HUGE differences between a fertilized egg and an unfertilized egg...
In the wild, tegus will very commonly raid a nest and eat fertilized eggs. This is a marveous source of nutrients.
Unfertilized eggs are quite different though. I've read several rather in depth 'studies' on this subject and while I cannot quote figures and list detailed fact... the process of cooking an unfertilized egg (I suggest scrambled or soft boiled) neutralizes one "bad chemical" found in the eggs making them much better for reptile consumption.
Be cautious reading "scientific studies" performed by non-scientists. It's easy for us common folks to overlook a detail that has a major impact. Such as cooking an egg may neutralize a chemical that exists in the uncooked egg...