# How To Approach This---New Tegu



## saucethetegu (May 14, 2019)

I picked up Sauce today and she is in her new enclosure (pic included). She came from a place where she didnt like to be handled and would run for the hills and avoid at all costs if someone tried to handle her. 
What is my best approach with Sauce when it comes to handling? 
Thanks for any help


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## RomanPort (May 14, 2019)

By no means am I an expert with this, but I'd recommend just starting small. This is my understanding, at least with a young Tegu, and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. 

First, let him just get familiar with his new environment, no handling, for a few days right now if he's stressed. Let him observe you from the safety of her enclosure.

Next, I'd let him come out on his own. Open his enclosure and stand close, but don't tower over him. Calmly stand still and let him explore. Never force him to come out during this stage. It's my understanding that their curiously will get the best of them and he'll wander out towards you on his own. That's what you want. 

Once he's near you, stand still and let him explore you on his own. This is the worst time to make mistakes, so try not to spook him. If he wants to go back to his enclosure, allow him to and end that episode there. Keep doing this and building "strings" of trust. Soon, those "strings" will make a "rope". Like a rope, it's important not to move too quickly and break that trust.

Good luck with your scaly buddy! I can't wait to see more of this little one. I apologise for any mistakes above, as it's late at night here.


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## saucethetegu (May 14, 2019)

awesome Roman, thanks for the solid advice


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## Zyn (May 15, 2019)

Being a Colombian she’ll take extra time as well the best person to comment on this would be Alpha


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## Tizzay89 (May 15, 2019)

Not sure anymore about subtle approaches on this. I say this simply bcz my bnw was mellowing out letting me hold pet n hand feed for a week or so. Then 1 morning was cage aggressive bolts from my hand and has even nipped my finger. A complete 180 from attitude for no known reason. I see alot of ppl saying they have a tamed tegu and posts pics of them etc.. but heres the thing.. it's always a giant full grown tegu lol. Tegus by nature avoid things bigger than them as hatchling yearly n juvs in my opion and from what I have seen will run from u. Kinda hard to break that animal instinct. I think ppl get tolerate confused with tame lol. 
Even with a "tamed" tegu it may never let u touch it. As there are various degrees of "tame" CB means nothing as they are always still wild reptiles unlike dogs that are domesticated. 

Scenting can help placing a used fresh shirt in cage can help it adjust to your smell but then again your smell will change. Say you have dogs and u pet your dog you now smell like a dog etc. Now tegus are smart so if you feed and water while it is watching it will over time learn that u supply these things it needs. Think the best thing to be hoped for is a symbiotic relationship. There is no guarantee of puppy dog tame each tegu is different. 

Basically just do what works for your tegu lol hope for the best be patient. 

Mine now burrows if I stay in the cage to long.. it is very rude.


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## saucethetegu (May 16, 2019)

let the tegu bite you they said,...it wont hurt they said.....lol they were wrong

anyways, now Sauce just wants to hide under the plants. Im just guessing its all an adjustment period? I just let her be and adapt to her new home. I worry about all animals, I just want them to be happy


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## RomanPort (May 16, 2019)

Ouch! Sorry that you got bit. I hope it doesn't too hurt too bad.

I completely understand your worry, heck, I'm the same way. I'm terrified of doing something wrong. Your girl is probably just a little stressed by her new environment. I'd give her a couple days to relax


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## AlphaAlpha (May 17, 2019)

Patience patience and more patience ..... yes you worry like crazy when they are young and there is always one question at the back of your mind 'Am I doing this right??'. Top and bottom of it there is no right. Just take small steps each time you feel that sauce is comfortable with the last like Roman mentioned earlier after the first initial settle in though I got Alpha used to me being in his enclosure by just sitting with my arm resting in it not to touch at first but for familiarisation

https://www.tegutalk.com/threads/whoop-whoop-making-progress.18844/

This was Alphas diary and if you take a read you'll see the road was slow and bumpy but the results are more than rewarding.


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## saucethetegu (May 18, 2019)

AlphaAlpha said:


> Patience patience and more patience ..... yes you worry like crazy when they are young and there is always one question at the back of your mind 'Am I doing this right??'. Top and bottom of it there is no right. Just take small steps each time you feel that sauce is comfortable with the last like Roman mentioned earlier after the first initial settle in though I got Alpha used to me being in his enclosure by just sitting with my arm resting in it not to touch at first but for familiarisation
> 
> https://www.tegutalk.com/threads/whoop-whoop-making-progress.18844/
> 
> This was Alphas diary and if you take a read you'll see the road was slow and bumpy but the results are more than rewarding.



right on thanks so much


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## AlphaAlpha (May 18, 2019)

just hallow if you need any advise and i'll do my best to guide you...... although I'm no expert and alpha is my first tegu.


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## saucethetegu (May 18, 2019)

Ive spent 2 hours over the course of the day chatting with Sauce. The difference already is remarkable. When she first arrived she hid as far away as possible, now she is about 4 inches away from me appearing to listen to every word I say. I have my arm resting through the window at her level too.


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## Walter1 (May 18, 2019)

Curiosity will build.


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## AlphaAlpha (May 18, 2019)

Walter1 said:


> Curiosity will build.



then trust will start to form.


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## saucethetegu (May 19, 2019)

someone is being pretty curious about everything lately---what a character


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## TeguTeep (May 22, 2019)

We had the same problem to a T. Got a new Argentine B/W Tegu and the first few days she was a sweetheart, then all of a sudden extreme aggression. Couldn’t even put our hand in her enclosure to feed/water her so we had to use C-Wire gloves! She bite my girlfriend once and was awful. We actually left for a day and came back and she had escaped her tank (it’s a top mesh lid). She stayed right next to her tank though. It was a bit of a hassle but she was a little more forgiving. A few days later we were gone for only about an hour (with weights on the front of the lid). Came back and she was out again in the same spot. Although this time she was kinda running around and anytime we tried to grab her she just tail whipped and ran, no more biting! We eventually caught her and she finally settled down and let us hold her, so we put her on the bed with us and she burrowed into the comforter. Hopefully she will get our smell from it and tolerate us a little more. Long story short, we’re running into the same problem but it’s slowly getting better! The bigger they get, the calmer they are.


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## nightanole (May 22, 2019)

Does "water taming" work on just argentines? If not that would be worth a shot. Though then you have to be in a bath tub with a rabid tegu...


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## Barbara Whyman (May 22, 2019)

My experience with my tegu that I got as a sub adult a rescue from Rodney Irwin is that they do not like being held it’s uncomfortable for him but he loves massages I lay on the floor with him about an hour or more a day and give him a massage he will lay his head in my hand close his eyes and enjoy. I was lucky that he was afraid only the first 2 days I had him and has completely trusted me sine but I know it’s physically uncomfortable for him to be held and has nothing to do with him not trusting me . I know you have to work at her trusting you to touch her but realize she also may be uncomfortable to be held and first work on just touching her and like us and all animals massage feels good I know there is always exceptions and see many pictures of people holding there tegus so you have find each ones comfort zone


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## saucethetegu (May 29, 2019)

So Sauce is doing quite well, growing by the hour it seems. Prefers furries over any other kind of food but she has to eat some chicken or other meat covered with minerals/vitamins before the furries. She likes superworms too and loved blue horned silkworms. She doesnt poop in her water, in fact Im not sure where shes pooping as I cant find it. Somewhat more approachable with me as I spend a ton of time with her having chats with my arm resting in her cage. She likes to take swats at the basking lamp once in a while. I leave the sliding glass open as she is more than welcome to walk around the bedroom as the entire room is hers, but she hasnt take me up on that yet. Overall, Id say things are going well.


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## saucethetegu (May 29, 2019)




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## Tizzay89 (May 30, 2019)

If you cant find poop there may be an issue with impaction. Your tegu should poop everyday just like us. If not this is not regular and just like us diet needs adjusting. B4 you freak out and worry you might wanna take a closer look and try to find some poop. 

Feeding mice can be an issue as there is a thing called fur impaction. You can buy hairless mice in any size from pro feeder suppliers. This is a better choice vs fur covered. 

Also nice progress with getting the tegu chilled out.


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## saucethetegu (May 30, 2019)

I found poop--twice---yayyyyyy

I put 2 shirts of mine in there and she immediately took to them and sleeps at night wrapped up in a shirt


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## Tizzay89 (May 30, 2019)

saucethetegu said:


> I found poop--twice---yayyyyyy
> 
> I put 2 shirts of mine in there and she immediately took to them and sleeps at night wrapped up in a shirt



Nice. I tried the shirt thing.. didnt seem to work. I work alot with my hands and have dogs so my smell is always changing. Pretty sure my tegu just goes by my tats and rings lol. 

The poop thing is a daily cleanup. It holds alot of bacteria. Still I 100% recommend hairless whole prey vs fur.


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## Zyn (May 31, 2019)

I raise my own rats and haven’t had an issue. A dehydrated Tegu might have hair issues, moving it through their bowels. Like a properly hydrated cat doesn’t have hair balls, it moves through their system and they poop it out. Similar situation with the Tegu

Some prolapses can be linked back to weakend muscles due to growing to fast or heavy inbreeding, lack of vit D, calcium. In the wild they eat mostly already dead/decaying animal matter, taking in dirty whatever is on the carcus. They can pass a decent amount of objects if properly hydrated


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