Aggression in tank?

[boxers1997]

Hey guys I'm new here. I got my B&W tegu Connor about a month ago and the lady I bought him from said he was a year old, but he doesn't seem to be as big as I've heard that year olds should be? But any whom, back to the topic. I know it isn't a great thing to do, but so far I've been feeding him in his tank and with metal tongs because he's quite a hassle trying to get out of his tank to feed else where. When I come near him with food and when I go to stick my hand in his tank if he doesn't see the food first, he tries to eat my fingers and he jumps at my hand. He doesn't get all puffed up and mad, I'm pretty sure he just thinks my fingers are tasty little snacks. Even when he's full, if I'm messing around with things in his tank or try to go near him he gets upset and really skiddish, so I've come up with a way to get him without just trying to pick him up and getting bite 100x times and him being all squirmy nd overly upset. I put a shoe box in his tank by his basking spot and I just wait for him eventually to take notice and crawl inside and then I shut the opening and take him into the bathroom and set the box down in the bathtub and within about 5 mins he's crawling all over me and acts like a puppy and snuggles with me. Just inside his tank is where I'm having trouble. What do you guys suggest I try to do about this and break him of this habit? He is my first Tegu.

 

[Bagnara16]

I don't own a tegu yet but if u do ur reading on feeding and taming on the forums you can find out a lot. Ill suggest not feeding him with tongues. Every time he sees ur hand he's thinking food right off the bat. If u are having trouble feeding him outside the cage try putting a plate of food in. To help with taming try the t shirt trick. Put a t shirt with ur scent in there. I've heard this helps. But usually just try to pet him at first in the cage if he's not acting super aggressive. It's on their time and pace. They see us as threats at first so by trying to grab him he will defend. Let him get use to u and slowly move forward as he begins to trust u. Like I said do ur reading. There are many situations like urs in the forums.

 

[boxers1997]

I tried to measure the length from my foot to half way up my thigh and he's about 21-25 inches long which I guess for a one year old sounds about normal, but what is the puberty stage that they go through? When I got him the lady said he was born in about spring of last year but I'm trying to get a more definitive time frame of about how old he is but it's still difficult to try and just guesstimate his exact age by month.
The first pic I took yesterday evening, and the second and third were ones I took the day I got him, February 9th. I have him housed in a 55 gal right now, but when do you think is a good time for me to change him into a bigger enclosure? I plan on building a 7x3x3 enclosure for him. I'm not sure if it'll be permanent but I doubt it because I think he'd outgrow that within a few years by the time he reaches adulthood.

 

[Dubya]

It looks like he needs a bigger tank right now. 7x3x3 might be ok. When you actually build it, it will look a lot bigger than you thought it would.

 

[bfb345]

He looks way small for a year could just be me Chubbs is an extreme giant but he is 14 months old and around 3 feet long and about 7 pounds

 

[laurarfl]

Having a 2ft yearling is not too small.