taming questions

[justink107]

I'm a proud owner of a 2011 extreme ..saying that he seems to be extremely frightend I can't walk past his cage without him running to his hide ..I know your not sapose to pick them up when they are in their hide..and your not sapose to feed them in their enclosers..Soo I'm asking what.should I do and if anyone else is having the same problem

 

[james.w]

It is ok to feed in the enclosure. He is scared and stressed, he looks at you as a predator. Spend some time daily with your hands in the cage cleaning, moving things around and he will soon learn you aren't a threat.

 

[TheTeguGurl]

Also you can take a t shirt with ur scent on it.. free from any other scents on put it in his tank with him.. that way he gets to know what u smell like also. plus when you are able to get him out of the tank.. take a big hoody sweat shirt put it on, take a belt wrap it around ur waist over the hoody. then put ur little guy in ur hoody, make sure ur wear a long sleeve shirt underneath so that way ur little guy can roam around with u. he gets to know ur scent and knows u are not a threat to him.. do that for about 45 mins a day with him..

 

[TeguLouie]

im having the same issue with my 2011 extreme "louie", i thought maybe it was just the trip but its 3 days and he wont do anything but hide in his log or bury himself in his substrate. i figured out he doesnt like fruit, super meal worms, and he only nibbled on his eggs. i gave him some raw turkey last night and most of it was gone this afternoon when i was home for lunch. i have one of my t-shirts in the cage with him but he was kind of stuck so i moved it around so he could come out of the sleeve and he took of like a rocket and went behind his hide. i'll be getting him some crickets this weekend to see if he likes those since the first ones i got were too big. i may also try a frozen small pinkie just to test him on that but i am definetly running out of ideas. if anyone could help me i would appreciate the advice.

 

[james.w]

It takes time. Don't worry if they don't eat much for the first few weeks.

 

[TheTeguGurl]

Yes dont worry too much the first wk or so. they are just scared little gu's trying to get used to there new home and new handlers! they are going to be stressed for bit it's all very normal. You are doing everything right! just make sure you are NOT pulling them out of there hide, that is there comfort base they feel safe..

 

[Neeko]

I turn off all lights or put food in while their asleep. As long as they don't see you put the food on. Once they are comfortable with me ill use a feed box and offer live food. Don't want them getting a mouth full of substrate

 

[fisheric]

Yes dont worry too much the first wk or so. they are just scared little gu's trying to get used to there new home and new handlers! they are going to be stressed for bit it's all very normal. You are doing everything right! just make sure you are NOT pulling them out of there hide, that is there comfort base they feel safe..

That is good advice. The next day after I got Malcom reX i was waiting for him to wake up but he wasnt coming out. I got worried and started looking for him and unearthed him. That was yesterday morning. He is only just now not running away when I get close to his enclosure.

I knew it was dumb to do, but after all those tegu's died I was worried.

 

[TheTeguGurl]

Yes dont worry too much the first wk or so. they are just scared little gu's trying to get used to there new home and new handlers! they are going to be stressed for bit it's all very normal. You are doing everything right! just make sure you are NOT pulling them out of there hide, that is there comfort base they feel safe..

That is good advice. The next day after I got Malcom reX i was waiting for him to wake up but he wasnt coming out. I got worried and started looking for him and unearthed him. That was yesterday morning. He is only just now not running away when I get close to his enclosure.

I knew it was dumb to do, but after all those tegu's died I was worried.

Yes I can understand being worried about that... When I first got my female I was so worried, because all she did was hide all the time. I was told never to pull her out of her hide.. So one day I just pushed the bedding away from her just to make her move just a bit. Just to make sure she was ok.. That was the last time I did that.. She got very grumpy.. I just wanted to make sure she trusted me. And now well she follows me around the house and will cuddle with me on the couch or bed..AMAZING critters they are!

 

[kellen.watkins]

Maybe I'm getting a lil lucky, ill get home from work and she will be basking ill reach in and pick her up ill get one or 2 tail whips ill take her to her feeding bin she will eat I would say a teaspoon of turkey and 2 crickets about the size of her head. Ill pick her up let her roam on my lap and my hands for about 5-10 minutes then put her back in the enclosure, and then just level out her bedding change her water put my hands in there taking my time, so my question being am I in the wrong handling her the way I am? And on another note I wouldn't worry about yalls tegus not eating much, the tegu I got last year didn't eat the 1st month I had him

 

[herpgirl2510]

Her tail whipping you is a defensive sign not a good idea I would let her be it is a tried and true method that works. Feeding in the enclosure is no big deal. It is really hard I know I worried too but them staying hidden for een the first weeks is normal. If you pick them up and they whip or pee on you they are afraid they will see you as a threat.

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Disturbing them when they are buried is not a good idea that is their safe place.

 

[kellen.watkins]

I won't disturb her if she is in her hide or burrowing, I do remove her hide when taking her out, I would rather cause a lil stress before risking her eating her subsrate

 

[myoursh]

i feel you i got a 2011 extreme and the little guys nervous as hell hes not being aggressive in any way when i try to pick him up no bite or tailwhip but hes scared he eats fine tho ima try the shirt thing in the tank