Feeding routine

[Smurph89]

Hey everyone! I got my Argentine B&W tegu baby about 5 days ago, I’m trying to sort out the best way to get a new tegu into a good feeding routine? My overall goal is to be able to open her enclosure and use a dog clicker to signal feeding time and have her come out of her enclosure to me and eat in another location/place. Any ideas on best practices to achieve this? ATM she still in her adjusting phase getting used to her new surroundings and not eating much at all I’ve been leaving a mealworm bowl with mealworms in the enclosure.

• is it to early and should I just keep the bowl in there for a while and let her adjust so she always has the opportunity to eat?

• should I not do this and only feed if she eats from tongues and work her slowly using the clicker and try and get her to eventually get on my hand with out help and then move her out?

 

[AlphaAlpha]

After only 5 days I would be feeding from a dish in the enclosure, Maybe start by clicking as the food goes in and work up from there......and make the routine every with variety.

 

[Godzilla Earth]

don't worry, he'll come out and eat soon. most tegus take about a week to get used to their new home

 

[Dylan koch]

I'd leave the tegu alone for a week or two minimum. Once feeding habit becomes regular try taking out and feeding in a container. It helps with bonding. It has to learn your not trying to eat it. And do you have heat lamp, uvb and a hide on hot and cool side of enclosure? Baby tegus do better too if you put paper or something over sides of tank if glass as well

 

[Debita]

I have one Tegu that won't touch an insect - tried a horn worm once, then frowned at me. None of mine eat meal worms, but my female does like super worms. Just mentioning this because they vary quite a lot from one to the next. Is it able to handle frozen/thawed pinkie mice yet?

Some people here use a clicker and some don't. I'll let them coach and jump in here because I'm a don't. They seem very successful with it. Just like with puppies, they learn through routine.

 

[Smurph89]

Really appreciate all the advice iv been working with her and finally found something she was interested in eating oddly enough it was canned cat food I tried everything from meal worms ground turkey chicken hearts chicken livers crickets roaches and pinky mice and she wasn’t having any of it for almost 10 days then I finally had a breakthrough today with the cat food and I gained some trust she started climbing on my hand so definitely seeing some good improvements

 

[Debita]

Awesome - way to hang in there!