We are still sleeping....... Last pictures of small white female before hibernation..
Spring
20.4.2016
UVB lamp was occasionally on during winter. Always someone from lizards came up to reheat for a while. At the end of winter UVB lamp was turn on more often and at the begining of april light was on every day. That was end of rest time, all animals became activ and interested in food.
At the begining of may they can finally go outside and walk around the garden.
Elis
Orange Elis is the most snuggling pet and outside is able to consume several fish.
Julia
She is outside for the first time from winter. She does not want to eat but run all around.
Milos
Milos crowled throught our lawn, checked all garden rocks, then he finished his journey on white stones.
Humpy
Little female feels no shame and eats fish right from my hand.
Eugen
"Cool hand felow" Eugen very actively climbed the nearest garden rocks but small waterfall really got his attention.
Spine malformation
Humpy was already from his "childhood" little bit smaller than others. She used to aet less and always occupied last rung on every chart. Behind her shoulder blade became to grow small bulge. The larger Humpy was the bigger the bulge growth. Then coordination of her limps is getting worse. I have to feed her separately, she is slow and others teju are stronger and faster, they would eat everything in minutes.
Summer
10.7. 2016 Summer time they all spent as much as possible in outdoor cage. When temperature drops below 15°C thea are moved inside. Their appetite is enormous after several hours under sunshine. Thea hurl their favourit meat mixture, mouse, chicken and as a dessert fish.
We like fruit
Teju do not eat only meat. Part of their diet occupies fruit and insect. But not all tegues like fruit. Some of them love it, some ones just také a sample then walk away, others pass bowl of fruit with no interest. My tegues already tasted strawberries, peaches, cherries, plums, apples, pears and bananas, Fruit is generaly welcomes as occasional supplament of their diet.
Sudden downgrade of Hupy's health
12.7. 2016 Humpy very long time got behinde in growth. Now her health get worse. She is still goog boarder, not so aggresive but she eats with appetite.But recently it seems that she walks like a drunkard.
She can not control rear legs
17.7. 2016 She stoped control her rear legs. Front legs are ok so far but she can not use back legs for support her body and she drag them behinde. Veterinarian Dr.Maly unfortunately corfirmed our worst fears. X-rays reveals two malformations of spine, one right behinde her shoulder pblade, second is in are of loins. How she will grows the spinal fistula get closed. Paralysis is just question of time.
Terminal stage
19.8.2016
Paralysis went forward to front legs. Swallowing reflex does not work any more and I have to feed her by force. She can not even drink. If you take a look at video above from 10.07. 2016 you can see how fast paralysis developer. In a month she was completly gone.
Humpy died 29.08.2016
Winter preparation
9.10. 2016
I feed my tegues every two, three days. Portion has 1-2 chickens, 3-4 little fish, other portion has mixture meat with chicken and mouse. Irregularly fruit is added, snails as well. Than I add calcium for reptiles and mixture of vitamins Roboran H. If they are heated up they jump after food like devils. Tegues are able to jump over 60 cm high for tasty mouse in my hand. For feeding I am using tweezer only for certainty. I never observe intended attack my hand maybe because I handle them almost every day. For example in Prague private terrarium www.terariumpraha.cz keepers do not touch them at all and feed them by life food. They have respect for them because tegues are strong animals with sharp teeth, claws, long tail and are able to defend themselfs against much bigger animals.
Their ability to learn is well known. After transfer to bathtube they defecate, this helps me to keep their terrarium clean. I often feed them here. Whole summer they instinctively eat a lot to take supplies on winter. One keeper in Alabama published that tegues in his outdoor cages digs common burrow in hot August where temperature reaches 30°C. Unfortunately I can not leave my animals outside all year around. In October I reduce lighting. Last food is served 25.11.2016.
Hibernation
1.11. 2016
They stay in hide most of the day in November and come up only when sun is shining inside the cage. I make possible local warm up which is used sometimes for couple hours. In unheated room I build wintercage with wooden case as a borrow. Winter temperature move from 12°C to 19°C. Bowl of fresh water and lamp is necessity.