7 month old tegu seems to have started guberty, how do I work with him?

[Kijkijpi]

Over the past week my young tegus demeanor has changed completely, he’s becoming increasingly territorial even charging my hand whenever i put it in his enclosure and his food drive is through the roof, he ate 7 blueberries and an entire jumbo shrimp in like 2 minutes, he’s 27 inches long roughly and has turned into a total hellion overnight, he does not tolerate handling at all whereas he did a week ago, he will death roll constantly and is just generally a little over 2 feet of pure unkempt rage. I know behavioral changes are to be expected with guberty but it seems I have the worst kind lol, how do i work with him?

 

[Josh]

Just be patient with him and remember that there can be seasonal and monthly changes that affect his mood as well. Things like weather, temps, shed, can all make him "grumpy". So just take your cues from him. When he's over it, but him away and let him be. When he's agreeable, try to do positive reinforcement.

 

[Debita]

Over the past week my young tegus demeanor has changed completely, he’s becoming increasingly territorial even charging my hand whenever i put it in his enclosure and his food drive is through the roof, he ate 7 blueberries and an entire jumbo shrimp in like 2 minutes, he’s 27 inches long roughly and has turned into a total hellion overnight, he does not tolerate handling at all whereas he did a week ago, he will death roll constantly and is just generally a little over 2 feet of pure unkempt rage. I know behavioral changes are to be expected with guberty but it seems I have the worst kind lol, how do i work with him?

Lololol....this is totally normal behavior that the reptile stores don't tell you about. Each tegu is different - by a wide contrast sometimes. Like a dog that comes from the same litter - they can be totally different. I have a male that thought "if I death roll on her, and whip my tail in her face, I'll win and find myself back in the Florida everglades". He did this for 10 months. No less. He hated me, and it was a battle from the start. The only reason I stayed with it was because of the members in this forum - helping me to cope. Today, my male (Skully) treats me like I'm his breath of fresh air. He visibly relaxes when I come to him. He's not the lap version of tegus, but is unexpectedly sweet and shows no aggression at all. I couldn't be happier with him - our bond now, is quite apparent to everyone who knows us. My husband is well aware that he is not the preferred human in Skully's life.

Lots of patience is required. Be careful feeding - I got a nasty bite after Skully "over"-lunged at the mouse I was dangling and took my thumb clear up past the knuckle. I had to pry his jaw off with my left hand. He didn't want to let go. When they're in puberty - it's as if they've had too much caffeine. Everything is exaggerated, and they're angry at the world. By the way - my female went through it like an angel. Some of us are just lucky I guess. Don't give up! I'm positive you'll be glad you hung in there.