Outdoor Setup ?

[homegrownherps]

Bobby,

Ok, after talking to you on the phone the other day you sparked an interest. I have been checking out a few sites and reading up on them. If I did get some I would like to keep them outdoors all year round. I would like to know some specifics on keeping them outdoors. Mostly about housing...
Like where to place, what direction for optimal sun exposure, can Tegus dig under ( if so how deep ), wall height, And any thing else that may be of importance.

Also, does the outdoor set up have to be like the set up Bert has?

I like the Black & White Tegus. How many can be kept in the same enclosure? I have plenty of room so that won't be an issue.

Do you have any pics of yours in outdoor set ups? (assuming you have an out door set up ).

 

[varnyard]

Here is a picture, that at the time was under construction, but it gives you a general description:
This enclosure is 8ft x 5ft x 6ft. It has 1/2 inch plywood, 2ft up from the ground all the way around, this is for two reasons. One is to keep your tegu from rubbing his/her nose. The other reason is to keep dogs, cats, or varmints from getting in. On the bottom I used new heavy duty chicken wire buried five inches under the soil, attached to 2x4s buried in the ground all the way around the inside. On the top I used 3/4 inch plywood, and from the plywood at the bottom all the way to the top I used 1/2 inch hardware cloth (rabbit wire). There is a hole going down outside the enclosure. It is lined with wire. The wire is attached to the bottom to the wire in the bottom. It goes to a box buried outside under the ground 2 feet. The box has a hole cut out of the side of it. the wire is attached to the box. The tunnel is lined with indoor/outdoor carpet. This keeps the tegus from rubbing the wire traveling in and out of the hole. There is no where to go but the box or the cage. the wire is connected to the box, as well as the wire in the bottom of the cage.

I have other enclosures as well, but I do not have any pictures at this time.

 

[varnyard]

As for sunlight. I build mine so that they get morning sunlight as well as afternoon. Argentine tegus bask in the cooler parts of the day. When it is the hottest part of the day, they go into their burrows. Argentine tegus can be kept outside all year around. They will hibernate here from mid August until March. They can take temperature drops to 35 degrees for a few days. If the den is two feet below the ground, then the temperatures would need to drop much colder outside than this to effect them. If the temps drop below 25 for three or more days, I would be concerned. But this usually is not the case here. If there is a real cold snap comming or excessive rain I use plastic over their den box to keep excessive moisture and cold from affecting them. The plastic would tend to keep the ground warmer than if it was just bare ground. You could also use old carpet or plywood on top of the plastic for even more insulation. If you need more information, feel free to ask!

 

[varnyard]

Here are pictures of a 8 x 8 x 6 ft enclosure to help give you some ideas.

 

[homegrownherps]

With the enclosure being outside, do you have any problems with the ants?

 

[varnyard]

I have no problem at all with ants. I do use bait in the yard, but not close to the enclosures. The ants do not affect the tegus at all. They are both from South America. Tegus have very thick hides, I would doubt that ants could even attempt to bite them.