biting issue

[Devs118]

okay im new to the site and i had an off day with my male b&w.
Everyday when i get home from school i feed my tegu first thing. Usually, he come to the part of his cage that is closest to me and just look at me until i open it. I'll put my hand in and he'll walk over and climb on. I usually hold him for twenty to thirty minutes before i feed him. I'll scratch his back and what not, check to see if he had any issues shedding, and try to get him used to me touching his head and tail. He has never arched his back or whipped his tail the only negative response he had up until today was when i first got him (last year in august) and he jumped and darted.

Today when i walked in the room instead of running over to me he just jumped at the screen. Well i stuck my hand in his cage and he climbed on and while i was holding him he tried to climb up my shirt onto my shoulder. I never let him up there because i dont want him that close to my face and i dont want him to fall either. When i put my hand infront of him to stop him he turned his head and bit my arm. He didnt let go and started chewing so i stupidly put my finger in his mouth and got him to let go of me. i then held him in my nonbleeding hand until i got him in his feeding bin and fed him. I held him for another five to ten minutes after i fed him and he was fine.

What did i do wrong? What is the proper response when i tegu bites you? I heard that you should use the end of a pen where the rubber cushion is to get them to let go is this wrong? Any advice will be much appreciated sorry for rambling so much. Thanks to any of you who read this. -Devs

 

[Tegu Tank]

well i would have to say that he became impatient and was ready to eat on top of that i dont think its a good ideal to hold him then feed him then hold him i think you should feed him then wait then hold him but then again im not a expert maby it was just a fluke but other than that i perty sure thats what y he did and someone correct me if im wrong plz :-D

 

[DaveDragon]

How old is he?? They tend to go through a "puberty" between 6 and 9 months, where they may become much more aggressive for a month or so. You need to wait it out and he'll get back to normal soon enough. Fighting him during this period will only cause him to lose his trust of you. Then it'll take time to earn it back. It's all worth it in the end.

 

[Devs118]

I got him in august and his head was still bright green so hes around that age now.
I might be wrong but i usually dont hold him after he eats because his stomach is full and i like to return him to his tank right away so he can drink and bask.
I basically just ignored the fact that he bit me today... is that all i should do?
I fed him right afterwards i dont want him to think he is getting rewarded for his behavior but i dont want him to not eat... any thoughts as to the best way to react?

 

[VARNYARD]

I could not help but get tickled a bit when I read this "you should use the end of a pen where the rubber cushion is to get them to let go". Now mind you, I am thinking of this being a full grown adult male, and stories of large monitors. I have heard using rubber spatulas, credit cards, and even wooden spoons.

All it takes is a little cold water, or warm water to get most species to turn loose. Just run them under the sink or hose. And there is no need to pry on teeth and gums or even cause him to clamp down harder.

Have you read this?
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And watch these two videos:
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<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlWvpgYzFOE&feature=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlWvpgYz ... re=related</a><!-- m -->

 

[DaveDragon]

Probably born in July so he's about 8 months old, so he's probably in his "puberty" period. He's just showing you who's boss, just as any teenage boy would.

We raised one from a hatchling and he went through the same thing. I feed him on a large plate in his tank to reduce the chance of eating the substrate. When he became aggressive during this period I started putting his food in before he woke up. Otherwise he would charge the glass or the plate when I went to put it in. Trying to get him out was a similar adventure.

You could try putting on a leather glove and slowly put your hand flat on the substrate. He'll do one of two things, he'll attack or he'll be curious and check it out. Or, he might do as ours did, check me out, nudge my hand a couple of time, and them bite! Don't ignore the nudge! What ever you do don't run away! He'll see that he's won and he'll own you!

I always pick them up from the side, getting a finger in front of a front leg in case he decides to thrash or bolt. Picking up from the top is a great way to make him defensive and run or bite you. Picking up from the front (scoop under him) is good if he trusts you, possibly bad if he doesn't (bite!).

 

[Devs118]

He isn't very territorial. When i get him out i just have to set my hand in his tank and he climbs on and waits for me to get him out. While i was handling him today he got angry at me when i wouldnt let him climb on my shoulder, but I'll wait it out and see if he calms down in a few months.
And sorry about the pen thing, I'll make sure I keep water around in case he bites again. I cant just put him under a faucet in my house we only have well and sistren water. Any water i give my animals is usually treated with reptisafe first.
Thanks a lot for the advice guys.

 

[laurarfl]

Mine went through a funky adolescent period like Dave mentioned. She constantly jumped at the screen lid and seemed to be far too interested in my hand. I used a glove to get her out and fed her right away. I didn't have a problem handling her after she ate her fill. She did grow out of it by the way.