# Extreme bit my face



## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

I had chevy on my lap and he was exploring he came up to my face and was flicking his tongue on my face. He is always flicking his tongue when he explores. Right before I decided I onder if he thinks my face is food he bit my cheek. It did not draw blood or really hurt it just startled me. For the first few weeks since he has been here he was not eating much> he has started to now maybe he is just eally hungry. I know he was never handledbefore so maybe because he hs never really been held. He is at least 30" should I be removing him to eat more even if he is hiding?


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## slideaboot (Jul 5, 2011)

Is Chevy a 2010? Aesop is and he just recently bit the HELL out of breeder-friend of mine who was watching him while we were on our honeymoon. Maybe it's tegu-puberty time? He's (Aes) has been popping his jowls a bit and went after Francis (female extreme) during a free-roam session a couple weeks ago (he NEVER did that before). 

All I know for sure is that you're VERY fortunate to have that bite incident go as well as it did. My buddy wound up in the hospital with an infection that spread from his index finger (the bite spot) all the way to the top of his shoulder. 3 types of antibiotics and a 102 degree fever later and they finally sent him home...


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

Yes 2010. I must smell good today beaus Tonka my B&W got so excited when I put down his dish he ran over and bit my big toe. He is two so it borke the skin I will keep an eye on it. know it was an acident he does not usually run so fast to the bowl. The second before my chevy my extreme bit me I thought maybe he thinks I am food because his tongue was flicking very rapidly like when they are looking for food. He did not bite to be nasty I think he was surprised as I was.


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## reptastic (Jul 5, 2011)

Wow Thats insane, storm hasnt gone through puberty yet(i dont think) he is still well behaved, he is about 40" (give or take an inch) still no jowl popping or biting, he has been eating less the past few days and been a bit restless, i think the extremes mature much faster than the b/w's, after all blizard and sugar werent even 2 y/o when they had their first clutch, in fact blizard fathered 2 clutches before he was 2 y/o, i hope your friend is ok, btw slideboot, ya know he and aesop will be 1 y/o tomorrow


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

I feed them everyday so they certainlyare not starving.


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## reptastic (Jul 5, 2011)

Im thinking its what slideboot said puberty, they are just getting excited and dont know what to do and their curiosity gets the better of them


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

They are lucky they are so cute


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## slideaboot (Jul 5, 2011)

I'll tell ya what...no matter what it is, I invested in some B.A. welding gloves the other day. Until this phase passes (hopefully), I'm not taking any chances. Francis, who is also a year old (sarge x cream) hasn't really shown any signs of this behavior. Then again, she's significantly smaller than Aesop (Francis hibernated with Bobby, Aesop stayed up all winter with me). 

I think the important thing is to watch them carefully for signs of potential aggression (if that's even the right word for what they are expressing), but still maintain interaction with them (if even on a scaled-back, more cautious level). I've read a few posts here in the past about how this puberty thing happened, but with consistent interaction and patience, the tegus suddenly came around to their old, sweet selves. 

Fingers crossed, eh?

And yeah, Reptastic...can you believe it's almost been a year since we got these guys? Something tells me that come next season, there'll be a red or two in my future...


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## reptastic (Jul 5, 2011)

I know one thing i feel a bad storm brewing lol, he is getting a lil anxious and i have seen changes in his behaviour, nothing aggresive yet but i think its coming, i hope it passes fast, and Yeah i already dicussed getting a few high white b/w's next season with bobby :^D


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

I did not even think of puberty. He just seemed to be exploring on my lap and shoulders and his tongus started flicking fast on my jaw bone and he bit down not very hard though becuse it was a very small red mark. It did not seem like he was trying to be fresh.


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## teguboy77 (Jul 5, 2011)

Dang good thing he didnt bit hard and scar your face.


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## Maro1 (Jul 5, 2011)

slideaboot said:


> I'll tell ya what...no matter what it is, I invested in some B.A. welding gloves the other day.


Good idea. I'm not pointing fingers but I have been around a long time. Time enough to hear a lot of bad stories. I am glad it was not any worse. Just don't take this lightly. As much as we like our animals they re capable of doing serious damage to soft skinned humans. I always hate to see people with these animals close to their faces or kids. Everyone's animal is always safe and predictable to them. But the truth is familiarity brings about complacency. I love Tegus, snakes and anything that moves, but I trust none of them too far. Animals like this need no reason to bite. Sometimes they do it just for the hell of it.

Take care


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

I know my toe is a bit swollen. I do not even allow my son to handle my tegus. He has an afrian fat tailed gecko and a bearded dragon. I have been bit by several reptiles this seemed like he smelled something


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## rrcoolj (Jul 5, 2011)

Ah I remember those days. My tegu went through this defensive/slight aggression stage toward the end of last year. She would become defensive every time I approached her and was a bit of a pain to work with. She never really lunged at me but she defiantly did her huffing and puffing more often then before. This year when she came out of hibernation she was an angel. I think it's just a phase and will pass. My tegu is an 09 baby.


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## Maro1 (Jul 5, 2011)

herpgirl2510 said:


> I do not even allow my son to handle my tegus. He has an afrian fat tailed gecko and a bearded dragon.



Glad to hear it and Glad you weren't hurt seriously!


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 5, 2011)

I would think ifit was aggression he would have lunged when he bit. He opened his mouth and closed it on my cheek he is about 30" and it did not even hurt much. Needless to say he will not be going anywhere near my face again.


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## slideaboot (Jul 5, 2011)

Maro1 said:


> slideaboot said:
> 
> 
> > I'll tell ya what...no matter what it is, I invested in some B.A. welding gloves the other day.
> ...



I completely agree.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 6, 2011)

Your right I should know better than to let him near my face. I have always carried tonka on my shoulders so I let my guard down and let hey near my face.


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## teguboy77 (Jul 6, 2011)

I myself got bit in the face by a green iguana when i was in my teens,and he was on my chest and as i turned my head he came up out of know were and bit me on the side of the face.I'm alot more carefull now then back then.I guess the good thing is no scaring.


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## new2tegus (Jul 7, 2011)

I'd agree with slide and everyone else who mentioned it, they are still predators, and will have those instincts, those are things that can't be bred out, or tamed. My green I carried around on my shoulder, he never gave me any reason to think he would bite me, never did either. You got lucky, and I'm glad you are okay and it turned out well. He's still young, or another idea, did you eat recently, anything he might be interested in, meats? He could've smelled that on you, near your mouth, on your breath. Lizards have a great sense of smell.


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## teguboy77 (Jul 7, 2011)

Yeah thats a great point there still animals and you never know what they might do,just have to becareful and respect them.I think her gu will be fine.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 7, 2011)

Yes I did. I had a hot dog I am not sure if I touched my face after I cut it before I washed my hands. That's why I was saying I thought he must have smelled something. He has just started really havig an appetite lately he is still very shy he has hibernated most of his first year and never handled.


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## Kebechet (Jul 7, 2011)

Is it possible he was yawning, and accidentally closed his mouth on your cheek?


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## reptastic (Jul 7, 2011)

I feel jinxed now, cause rayne bit me today lol, it wasnt an aggresive bite(like my red use to give me) she did the same thing as chevy tounge flicking really fast and before i knew it whack, i was fixing the water dish they somehow knocked over, she immediatly let go and went to bask lol


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 7, 2011)

It was very light bite it left the smallest red mark. At this age they seem like they go through a huge growth spurt anything that smeels like food probably gets then going. He has been great since then.


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## reptastic (Jul 7, 2011)

Thats how rayne's bit was it didnt hurt much, and i know how hard a tegu could bite from personalo experience and that tegu was only 2' and rayne is 3' lol, it drew a few specks of blood nothing maor


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 7, 2011)

When I was offering Tonka a mouse on tongs he got very excited and somehow bit my toe pretty hard. It left a four scratches one on top of the other and swelled a little but it is fine now. I yelped and he was as startled as I was. He just bit and released so the scratches were like you would get from a rosebush.


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## Jefroka (Jul 7, 2011)

herpgirl2510 said:


> Yes I did. I had a hot dog I am not sure if I touched my face after I cut it before I washed my hands. That's why I was saying I thought he must have smelled something. He has just started really havig an appetite lately he is still very shy he has hibernated most of his first year and never handled.



Beauregard's appetite for the last 6 weeks or so has been absolutely tremendous.

I believe he is going through the terrible twos/puberty. If I don't take him out to roam every day now he grows upset trying to push the door of his enclosure open.

He is taking some amount of food every day now but mostly he just wants to prowl, apparently he's hoping to find a prospective mate!

Seems like everyone's tegus are going through something this time of year.


...Jefroka


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## teguboy77 (Jul 7, 2011)

herpgirl2510 said:


> When I was offering Tonka a mouse on tongs he got very excited and somehow bit my toe pretty hard. It left a four scratches one on top of the other and swelled a little but it is fine now. I yelped and he was as startled as I was. He just bit and released so the scratches were like you would get from a rosebush.



Darn glad nobody got bit to serious geez,it must be tegu bit month idk.


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 7, 2011)

I can't leave my B&w Tonk in his enclosure at all. He likes to be out all day basking at the screen door. My extreme just started to sratch to come out. I get nervouse because he is smaller than chevy I worry I will lose him like my first tegu.


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## reptastic (Jul 7, 2011)

Rayne has learned to scratch to come out too, i learned yesterday it means she has to poop lol, raynes appetite is picking up too, i feel another growth spurt coming on *rolls eyes* storm has his days were he demolishes his food, i think between the 2 they put away about 3lbs of food a week(not including mice) oh and you know what i realized i hadnt fed them yet when i got bit, she was just hungry


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## herpgirl2510 (Jul 7, 2011)

My B&W the last few days follows me around the kitchen whenever I go in their like my dogs. He was looking up at me begging just like my dogs. Too cute I had to feed him a few huge horn worms.


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