feeding a wild tegu

[jparker1]

i will soon have a young adult female columbian tegu, she is very wild and is known to bite. she does not get the time and attention that is required to make her tame. i will change that once she is at my place. i got a feeding cage and plan on using it. i also plan on spending lots of time just sitting by her so that she is used to people, she only see her care giver when its feeding and cleaning time, the care taker is a snake breeder and doesnt want here anymore cause she is so wild/mean and his wife wants one of there rooms back, they have over 300 reptiles, mostly snakes.

i am looking for all the tips on handling the tegu i can get. i dont want to fight the tegu every time i want to feed or clean. i have read here that i might have to feed her in her home for a while. i also have a small room to let her roam with me in it, but if she is going to charge me and bite i dont think i will do it. i do have a nice set of reptile handling gloves and will get to use them now. my chams and leo geckos have never tried to bite me and i use cups and a cricket keeper for my spider when i have to clean that cage.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Honestly if you can't handle being charged or bitten by a reptile, no matter what size then don't get it. If she's not use to being handled then it's just a matter of time before it happens. Colombians are known for being more with drawn, they take more time to come around and accept handling, some temporarily.

There's always that possiblility that no matter how much time you spend working with her she may never be fully comfortable around you or being handled and she will show it. Doesn't mean she'll bite but there will definitley be some postures, huffing, charging or even tail whips.

 

[DavidRosi]

Going from a gecko to a nearly fully grown and clearly aggressive Colombian is a big step to take ! I had mine at 5 months old and he was a wild one; but time and patience have worked... I think you may really be trying your luck with an clearly aggressive sub-adult. If you don't like getting bitten or knocked about; again, maybe better to let this one slide.

 

[jparker1]

I know I can handle the task ahead. Just trying to make this easy as possible for both of us. My iguana as a child got real big and very mean and had a hard time wit him but stuck wit it. Sold him and all reptiles when son was born. Son is now 15 n helps with all pets we have now. I am not scared to get bite or whipped, just don't want to and don't want tegu stressed. I don't plan on her being a lap lizard or roaming freely about my home but I do plan on a bite or 2. Plus I got a very fearless son who does all the spider care and he will help.

 

[DavidRosi]

Mm; if you're committed to it then fair enough...