***Sorry if you already read this, I am reposting b/c I posted it in the wrong place before!***
Hi guys,
So it seems obvious that anyone wanting to hibernate is probably going to be little grouchy when they're awake. Gozar seems so different though, I just wanted to check on a few things.
I've had him since about sept. When he first got to my house, he was shy and tentative, hissed a lot and raised his back when I reached into his cage, no matter how slowly. He seemed to get used to me fairly quickly though, I spent a lot of time near his cage and he was out during the day a lot. Looking back, I'm wondering if it was too overwhelming for him. I did let him settle in for a while before I started taking him out. Anyway, he still would occasionally hiss and raise his back when I put my hand in his cage. When he was out, he would sit on my shoulder while I walked around the house (again, maybe this actually scared him and i thought he was comfortable, but he was just scared?), he sat with me often, and was very social! If I put him down in my room, he would walk around for awhile and then hide. I wondered if I should let him out by himself anymore at this point, since his hiding meant I had to disturb him when he was sleeping, which I didnt want to do.
If I had to put him away when he was out of his cage, he would often hiss at me. Anyway, none of this seemed too irregular for a tegu in the process of being tamed.
What is concerning me more and more is that it seems he is getting more untame. Since its gotten colder, I barely see him at all,but the strange thing is he's often AWAKE, I know this because I can see him in his little cave, looking out at me. He peeks out to bask, doesnt eat... all normal for hibernation. Then, this past week, he started coming out for a couple of hours, and trying to get out. I took him out the other day and we sat on the couch, where he was content to lay in the sun with me for awhile, before crawling down on his own to my floor. Then, and this is whats confusing to me, he looked at me, and started shaking as if in terror, then darted into me room where he hid. I thought the best thing to do would be put him in his cage where he felt safe. When I picked up my sheets, he was cowering at the sight of me... I really cant things of anything I've done to warrent this. I move slowly with him.
Along with this, in the same time period, whenever I put my hand in the cage to get his water dish or see if he wants to climb up it, he hisses, cowers, or darts over to it and tries to do a death roll on it. While he will hiss and stuff outside his cage, he never bites me outside his cage, but will bite it now 100 percent of the time he sees it inside his cage. Bobby suggested its the "terrible teens", but isnt he too young for that?
What gives? I feel awful, I cant think of anything I'm doing wrong.
Two more things: I dont feed him in his cage, I wash my hands after touching his food. I fed him a live mouse once, a few weeks ago. Otherwise it's been already dead. Thought maybe those two things would get asked about.
Hi guys,
So it seems obvious that anyone wanting to hibernate is probably going to be little grouchy when they're awake. Gozar seems so different though, I just wanted to check on a few things.
I've had him since about sept. When he first got to my house, he was shy and tentative, hissed a lot and raised his back when I reached into his cage, no matter how slowly. He seemed to get used to me fairly quickly though, I spent a lot of time near his cage and he was out during the day a lot. Looking back, I'm wondering if it was too overwhelming for him. I did let him settle in for a while before I started taking him out. Anyway, he still would occasionally hiss and raise his back when I put my hand in his cage. When he was out, he would sit on my shoulder while I walked around the house (again, maybe this actually scared him and i thought he was comfortable, but he was just scared?), he sat with me often, and was very social! If I put him down in my room, he would walk around for awhile and then hide. I wondered if I should let him out by himself anymore at this point, since his hiding meant I had to disturb him when he was sleeping, which I didnt want to do.
If I had to put him away when he was out of his cage, he would often hiss at me. Anyway, none of this seemed too irregular for a tegu in the process of being tamed.
What is concerning me more and more is that it seems he is getting more untame. Since its gotten colder, I barely see him at all,but the strange thing is he's often AWAKE, I know this because I can see him in his little cave, looking out at me. He peeks out to bask, doesnt eat... all normal for hibernation. Then, this past week, he started coming out for a couple of hours, and trying to get out. I took him out the other day and we sat on the couch, where he was content to lay in the sun with me for awhile, before crawling down on his own to my floor. Then, and this is whats confusing to me, he looked at me, and started shaking as if in terror, then darted into me room where he hid. I thought the best thing to do would be put him in his cage where he felt safe. When I picked up my sheets, he was cowering at the sight of me... I really cant things of anything I've done to warrent this. I move slowly with him.
Along with this, in the same time period, whenever I put my hand in the cage to get his water dish or see if he wants to climb up it, he hisses, cowers, or darts over to it and tries to do a death roll on it. While he will hiss and stuff outside his cage, he never bites me outside his cage, but will bite it now 100 percent of the time he sees it inside his cage. Bobby suggested its the "terrible teens", but isnt he too young for that?
What gives? I feel awful, I cant think of anything I'm doing wrong.
Two more things: I dont feed him in his cage, I wash my hands after touching his food. I fed him a live mouse once, a few weeks ago. Otherwise it's been already dead. Thought maybe those two things would get asked about.
