# Tegu trying to bite me now



## Mikeiam (Feb 15, 2020)

Okay so I have a 7-8 month old tegu I have had her for a little over a month and she is starting to want to bite me when I try and pet her , I feel as if she thinks my hands food but before she wasn’t like that so any advice would help


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## AlphaAlpha (Feb 17, 2020)

Shes coming in to maturity and testing boundaries stay strong....


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## Mikeiam (Feb 17, 2020)

It’s been hard to interact with her I still get her out of her cage and give her roam time I feed her with the togs and pet her she’s fine I soak her and everything but she just real bitey when she hungry and snaps at anything in front of her face , any advice ?


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## Walter1 (Feb 17, 2020)

Don't feed her when behaing that way.


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## AlphaAlpha (Feb 17, 2020)

This is just my opinion and not tested practice by me as I don't tend to feed with tongs........React as quick as possible to the first lunge with a yell to distract her and remove the food......... try again.... If she lunges again repeat and take the food away for 10 mins..... try again..... If she lunges take the food away completely and try again next day.


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## Mikeiam (Feb 18, 2020)

Okay I’m gonna do that because she lunges bad for the mice and a little with other foods


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## Walter1 (Feb 18, 2020)

AlphaAlpha said:


> This is just my opinion and not tested practice by me as I don't tend to feed with tongs........React as quick as possible to the first lunge with a yell to distract her and remove the food......... try again.... If she lunges again repeat and take the food away for 10 mins..... try again..... If she lunges take the food away completely and try again next day.


That's exactly what you do! If afyer a lunge, you drop the food, you've rewarded and subsequently enforced bad behavior.


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## Lochlan (Feb 18, 2020)

Maybe try feeding her with the food on a dish, I am not very experienced my self with tegus I've only had mine for about 4 months but this helped when my tegu started biting he bit me a couple of times and did draw blood but he did stop after 2 weeks of testing I found that I have to work with him more like a dog then a lizard like a bearded dragon they are very intelligent and learn from their every experience


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## Walter1 (Feb 18, 2020)

Yes, a scaly dog.


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## bocacash (Feb 19, 2020)

Remember, in the wild they HAVE to lunge/attack their live prey...or they don't eat! It is thousands of years of learned behavior...and very essential to individual and, ultimately, species survival. You/we are NOT going to change it immediately...it takes awhile. That being said, Tegu's are very intelligent and learn fairly quickly...consistency being very important ! As has been said don't drop/give him the food when he lunges, especially, if he bites...take it away. He KNOWS what it is thru smell and visual...he will associate lunging/biting with failure and try another approach. Like training ANY animal, move in increments in the direction you want his behavior to go...he won't learn it all at once. If/when he makes a slower/calmer approach, give him the food, even if he isn't perfect...move him in the right direction. I used gloves at first...just so I wouldn't jerk away...and to show my Jessie that he couldn't hurt me. As he calmed down, I took the gloves off...now he starts flicking his tongue (smelling) and moving towards my hand/food...he snatches the live food and sticks his head in the bowl of other food...eating while my fingers are still there. Believe me, it is a gratifying feeling and worth all the effort ! Good Luck !


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## Mikeiam (Feb 20, 2020)

I’ve been doing this lately not giving in when she lunges she seems to calm down when I take it and tell her no and go at it again after 3-5 minutes , I hold her and let her roam my room everyday still and she gets her soaks . She loves roaming but is skittish . I believe she is going through tegu pruberty because all my progress I had with her trust and stuff is gone she use to not jump when I walked by her and pet her now she does I know it’s a stage and I’m in the process of potty training her rn as well!!


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## Lochlan (Feb 20, 2020)

Mikeiam said:


> I’ve been doing this lately not giving in when she lunges she seems to calm down when I take it and tell her no and go at it again after 3-5 minutes , I hold her and let her roam my room everyday still and she gets her soaks . She loves roaming but is skittish . I believe she is going through tegu pruberty because all my progress I had with her trust and stuff is gone she use to not jump when I walked by her and pet her now she does I know it’s a stage and I’m in the process of potty training her rn as well!!


I'm in the same process as you right now so I guess we'll have to just learn together, good luck


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## Walter1 (Feb 20, 2020)

I'm curious about how goes the potty training.

As for puberty, remain flexible/firm. You'll both make out fine.

Remember they want rules to understand the world around them.


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## AlphaAlpha (Feb 20, 2020)

Walter1 said:


> I'm curious about how goes the potty training.
> 
> As for puberty, remain flexible/firm. You'll both make out fine.
> 
> Remember they want rules to understand the world around them.



couldn't agree more about them needing boundaries and rules just like any other animal you'd have as a pet.


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## Mikeiam (Feb 21, 2020)

It’s funny cuz she really does calm down after I tell her with a storm voice to stop jumping for the food lol but yea the potty training is basically just getting her to go where it’s more convenient like on puppy pads she already waits to use the restroom till she’s out of her cage but she goes wherever she wants in the room and I hate it lol


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## Lochlan (Feb 21, 2020)

I'm experimenting with potty training as well I just have him go poop in Crystal cat litter before I let him play



 



He is currently 25 inches


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## Catnlion (Mar 4, 2020)

So I do not yet have a Tegu so this is an off-the-cuff thought. 

Can you clicker train a Tegu like other animals so that the click is associated with food? So you click you feed. They do something you want you click and give food reward etc?


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## Walter1 (Mar 4, 2020)

Yes, you can.


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## AlphaAlpha (Mar 4, 2020)

Never tried but I'd definitely say yes if you put in the time.


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## Fan Vixtion (Mar 10, 2020)

I was planning on feeding my tegu live rodents what would I do if she keeps lunging at em then?


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## Catnlion (Mar 10, 2020)

Why feed live when F/T is so easy to get? It seem like you are putting your pet at risk of being bites from the prey animal.


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## Walter1 (Mar 10, 2020)

Why not frozen/thaweds?


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## AlphaAlpha (Mar 11, 2020)

Fan Vixtion said:


> I was planning on feeding my tegu live rodents what would I do if she keeps lunging at em then?



How do you mean? 
If you're feeding live, your tegu will need to lunge / hunt unless you plan on holding the live rodent which puts your tegu (which would already be in danger feeding live) and yourself in danger of being bitten.


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## Leezard (Mar 16, 2020)

For potty training we use two methods, one of letting him out on hard wood floors and rewarding him with food after he's pooped or peed on the hard wood floor OR we rely on the bathtub of water we keep in his cage that gets warm and encourages him to poop there. Major downside of the in cage bathtub is that he will drink the poop/pee water instead of his fresh cold water and it's disgusting and likely not good for him so you have to be adamant about cleaning it out every time he goes. Our buddy is over 2 years old and 2 inches below 4 ft long


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## Debita (Mar 18, 2020)

For me, their obvious love of thawed dead mice is a gigantic benefit for us as owners. Why mess with that? We're all domesticating them by keeping them, and that particular tool (feeding F/T rodents) is something that contributes to that effort. It's not like we're castrating them.......but to omit the raw wild need to lunge, jump and devour quickly has been proven by most owners to be beneficial. Mostly, it keeps the owners safer. Less accidents with baaaaaad bites. No brainer for me.


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## Ackermans Exotics (Mar 23, 2020)

I would recommend frozen/thawed food for captive reptiles because this would avoid potential serious problems as live prey such as rodents are quite willing to defend themselves against predators. Defensive wounds to captive animals inflicted by intended live prey are often require expensive and prolonged care.


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## Walter1 (Mar 24, 2020)

Mice comprise the bulk of my tegus' diet. Although essentially full grown, they eat medium-sized mice for two reasons. First, big/old female mice can be low in calcium. Two, many small meals easier to digest than fewer large meals. Only frozen/thawed. 

Same goes with my ratsnakes except that they're often tong-fed so I can simulate a struggle. It provides some enrichment for these constrictors.


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## Keiko_Blue (Mar 25, 2020)

My tegu has gotten very bitey these past two weeks. I’m going to try the feeding tactic y’all suggested, but he now charges and bites my feet whenever he is free roaming in my room. It really sucks because I feel helpless.. I’m not sure how to go about this.


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## Walter1 (Mar 26, 2020)

He's associating you with food.Tell him NO, and don't feed him until he moves away.


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## Debita (Mar 26, 2020)

Walter1 taught me to yell no! at my male Tegu 2 years ago. I was less than hopeful because I thought - well, it's a lizard - but it worked. Last week, my Skully tried the death roll on me while I was holding him (he's shedding, and he'd had enough of me). I yelled no! at him and he remembers the command and my body language. I hung on to him until he calmed (few seconds)...then put him down after he gave up trying to get his way. 

Not easy, but the yell clearly means something to him, and he KNOWS the energy he's spending is going nowhere.
There's a reason Walter1 is a moderator.


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## Keiko_Blue (Mar 28, 2020)

Okay I’ll definitely try saying NO! He has tried to bite me even when not feeding, just him basking in my room and he lunges and bites me when I pass by. I put him in his enclosure once he does this, but I don’t want him to associate the enclosure with negativity. Is there any other tips on how to show him discipline other than vocalizing it?


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## Lochlan (Mar 28, 2020)

How big is he?


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## Mich lady (Mar 29, 2020)

Fan Vixtion said:


> I was planning on feeding my tegu live rodents what would I do if she keeps lunging at em then?


Dont feed live. Mouse or rat can injure your tegu. Frozen thawed is the way to go imo


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## Debita (Mar 29, 2020)

I think you're doing it... the next thing after the loud command is to not reward. 

I've experienced the biting and lunging your talking about. It happened when I put my male into a different environment that he liked. I thought he'd enjoy a day out and he loved it. Then he decided that he didn't want it taken away. He acted like an alligator being filmed on National Geographic. 

So - he liked it so much, he didn't want it taken away. I think your guy thinks he owns that corner of the room and doesn't want you to come and try to claim his space. If it were me, I'd let him cool way down (turn off basking lamp) and only feed him thawed mice, etc (Mich lady is right) in his enclosure. That way he won't associate the enclosure with anything negative.

My female - who never gets aggressive - also displayed this same behavior when I took her out one day and she loved being on a shelf under some of my plants. Every time I walked by she hissed and raised her back. Then she got cold and relented. Hope it helps!


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## Keiko_Blue (Apr 3, 2020)

Thank you Debita! I’ll definitely try the cooling down method. Lately I’ve been putting him on a routine and so far he hasn’t shown his aggression in a few days. I’m hopeful!! Thank you everyone for the help!!


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## Debita (Apr 3, 2020)

Yep - he'll prob adapt if you do nothing! lol


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