Tegus are well-known for their voracious appetites, so if your gu has shown less interest in food recently, you might be feeling concerned. While a loss of appetite can signal medical issues such as parasites or inflammation, there’s also a very natural reason why tegus might go off food: an instinctual transition called brumation.
Some tegus are more prone than others to brumate (such as Argentine black-and-white tegus, Salvator merianae). But no matter what species you keep, it’s important to understand how their appetite might change so you can identify potential issues early. Here’s how seasonal changes can impact your tegu’s food drive, what you can do about it, and how to support your tegu through brumation.
The Changing Seasons Affect Tegus, Too
Seasonal dormancy, or brumation, affects many exotic species. While it does have to do with seasonal shifts in temperature, you might notice that your tegu is interested in brumating even if you keep your temps the same year-round. That’s because brumation is stimulated through activity, temperature, metabolism, hormones, and even atmospheric pressure. Not all of these factors are within your control.
In studies, tegus tended to start going off food in early autumn. During this time, they also slowed down, using fewer calories for daily activities. Then, as winter arrived, the studied tegus went into a state of partial dormancy; they even needed less than half their normal oxygen!
Why Would a Tegu Stop Eating Before Brumation?
You’ve probably learned that mammals such as bears eat everything they can before going into hibernation, but reptiles are different. A reptile’s digestive system relies on activity and heat. In the wintertime, heat can be hard to come by, and if the tegu still has undigested food in their intestinal tract, it can rot. Thus, they gradually eat less to keep their stomach free of food they can’t digest.
At the same time, digesting food costs energy. The gastrointestinal tract needs to move and contract, and all of that effort requires calories that the tegu preferentially uses during brumation to maintain basic body functions like breathing. Researchers have found that brumating tegus’ digestive systems actually shrink in size and weight during brumation, so once they become active again in spring, they need extra energy to handle their first few meals. They’ll require calories to do that, and their instinct is to preserve those calories for springtime rather than use them on eating or hunting right before brumation.
Brumation Isn’t the Only Explanation
If your tegu has gone off food, it could be because they’re just beginning their brumation cycle. However, there are many other possible explanations.
Husbandry
Your reptile is counting on your care quality in order to thrive. That means providing proper basking temperatures, lighting, hydration, nutrition, and humidity. If your tegu’s husbandry is off, they might not be eating because they’re lacking energy (from an inability to process the nutrients they get from food they do eat). Alternatively, heat that’s too low could prompt them not to eat because they don’t have a hot enough basking spot to properly digest their meals. Low humidity might leave them dehydrated and feeling unwell, decreasing the desire to move and hunt, while too-short lighting periods don’t trigger their instinct to forage, as they’re focused on sleeping.
Parasites
Just as you might not be interested in eating when you’ve got a stomach bug, tegus can lose interest in food when they have a (literal) stomach bug. Parasites in the intestinal tract can be uncomfortable, and when your tegu does eat, the parasites may claim many of the nutrients. As a result, your gu will have less energy, and thus less impetus to hunt or scavenge for meals. Parasites are treatable with veterinary intervention, and you may see your tegu’s appetite return after just a few doses if parasites are the issue!
Mechanical Issues
Tegus rely on the power of their jaws to break food down into digestible pieces. The jowls that are characteristic of tegus house these muscles, and if they are experiencing atrophy of the jaw (e.g., through metabolic bone disease that makes bones more fragile), their chewing mechanics may not be working well. This can cause discomfort while eating and might discourage their appetite.
Preferences
Many tegus have preferences when it comes to meals. If your gu is eager to enjoy their favorite foods but turns their nose up at other meals, you might just be dealing with a picky lizard.
How to Navigate Tegu Brumation
If your tegu is showing signs of brumation, most keepers recommend reducing the portion sizes of the meals you offer. If your gu gradually becomes less interested, you can decrease feeding frequency and size until they are spending most of their time sleeping.
Reptilinks make this process especially simple. You can easily decrease portion sizes by feeding one fewer link at a time. In this way, it’s simple to track how your tegu’s appetite is changing over time. If they’re still eating fairly often, the Mega-Blend with fruits and veggies is a good match for their nutritional needs. It’s made with Guinea fowl, chicken, quail, New Zealand white or California white breed rabbits raised locally in Ohio, and frogs. Those ground whole prey are mixed with organic green beans, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries for a nutritionally varied option to give your tegu what it needs to thrive during brumation.
If you have a picky gu, try the Insect and Rabbit links. Some tegus respond enthusiastically to the smell of bugs!