Tegu Affection

[Krounes]

hi my Tegu will try and worm his way out from under my touch but will leave his heating pad to try and crawl under me. Sometimes he will walk over crawl into my lap nuzzle around huffing and puffing sit for a minute then go back to his heating pad. Then if I'm laying on the ground he will leave his heating pad and walk around me pushing his nose against me trying to force his way underneath me and if I lift my body up for him to go under or if he goes inside my shirt he with huff and puff but will never bite and I won't mess with him while he doing this, eventually he will either stay and sleep or leave and go back to the heating pad.

Is any of that some sort of affection? And why dose he huff and puff when crawling underneath me or in my shirt?

 

[Walter1]

Not sure if it is affection, but trust, yes. He pokes out of curiosity as a hunter.

 

[Krounes]

Not sure if it is affection, but trust, yes. He pokes out of curiosity as a hunter.

Ok, so what's with the huffing and puffing

 

[viejo]

I've wondered this myself & am thinking that it may be a tactic to startle & flush out prey.

 

[Walter1]

I do not know. My take is that it is several things. Low level warning, some communication of presence, deep breathing to figure out a scent?

 

[dpjm]

I do not know. My take is that it is several things. Low level warning, some communication of presence, deep breathing to figure out a scent?

I'm pretty much with you, Walter. I think it is to communicate presence and to deliver a warning. Similar to what rattlesnakes do - make some noise to hopefully scare away whatever is approaching and avoid a potential confrontation.

I think that figuring out a scent would more involve the vomeronasal sense than the normal olfactory sense. Vomeronasal sense is used more to detect other animals, but taking deep breaths would not enhance the signals.