First time Tegu owner looking for some insight/advice

[Insanity0789]

Hey guys, I'm a relatively experienced reptile keeper; I've had multiple species of snakes including red-tail boas, green tree boas, ball pythons, a veiled chameleon, and king snakes. This is however my first Tegu; it's a young B/W Argentine tegu currently about 18-20" from head to tail. residing in a sliding glass enclosure more than big enough for What i'm hoping is a male of his young size. I have his basking area set up at approximately 110 degrees with a slate rock to heat his belly as well as two hide spots one in the cooler area and one in the basking area, I mist his tank every morning to keep the humidity up and ensure his day/night temps and lights on/off are dealt with. his cool side is about 80 degrees and thus far after having him for about a week or so I have fed him crickets, eggs, and attempted to feed a little blueberry and banana but he's not very interested in either of those. I've followed the handling guides I've read and listened to and allowed him to acclimate to his new home for about a week now. My concern is he tends to hide under his repti carpet more than in his hide rocks and seems to eat rather infrequently. The morning i brought him home I offered him crickets with powdered calcium and I know he ate at least one. the next day I offered him egg which he ate a little, the third day I offered him Banana and no luck, fourth day blue berries, no luck either along with some hard boiled egg which he didn't touch either. is this common? How much longer should I give him before attempting to bond with him more? Any suggestions on raising his appetite? or is this kind of behavior common? Any info would be greatly appreciated, and any suggestions or constructive advice is always welcome, thanks.

 

[rantology]

Sounds like you are off to a good start. I would offer him some place with substrate deep enough to bury himself- they don't just like to hide, they like to bury themselves just so that they are barely "submerged" under substrate to feel secure - the lack of being able to do that might be minorly stressing him out. There's a variety of substrates you can use, just make sure it will do well with moisture (This will also help you keep the humidity in the enclosure up as you can keep it damp) - You could also fill his hide with sphagnum moss and keep that damp to ensure good sheds.

For food: Like I said he may have a lower appetite due to stress, but your diet sounds good so far. You didn't mention when you got the animal but during the first 2-3 weeks they have an adjustment period where appetite can waiver and they will want to hide a lot before starting to gain confidence. My only further suggestion would be to start including some kind of whole prey: Repti-links or pinky/fuzzy mice - whole prey should ultimately/ideally be the staple of their diet. You can also offer a variety of meats you can get from the grocery store: chicken hearts, ground turkey, fish (The Big List).

You don't have to wait to keep socializing with them- Just be sure to read body language. Even just resting your hand in the enclosure with them can be a form of socialization - the goal should be just to help build his confidence and trust with you. Some members here suggest putting a piece of your clothing in their enclosure/ hide so they can get familiar with your scent.

 

[Chris & Stitches]

Hey guys, I'm a relatively experienced reptile keeper; I've had multiple species of snakes including red-tail boas, green tree boas, ball pythons, a veiled chameleon, and king snakes. This is however my first Tegu; it's a young B/W Argentine tegu currently about 18-20" from head to tail. residing in a sliding glass enclosure more than big enough for What i'm hoping is a male of his young size. I have his basking area set up at approximately 110 degrees with a slate rock to heat his belly as well as two hide spots one in the cooler area and one in the basking area, I mist his tank every morning to keep the humidity up and ensure his day/night temps and lights on/off are dealt with. his cool side is about 80 degrees and thus far after having him for about a week or so I have fed him crickets, eggs, and attempted to feed a little blueberry and banana but he's not very interested in either of those. I've followed the handling guides I've read and listened to and allowed him to acclimate to his new home for about a week now. My concern is he tends to hide under his repti carpet more than in his hide rocks and seems to eat rather infrequently. The morning i brought him home I offered him crickets with powdered calcium and I know he ate at least one. the next day I offered him egg which he ate a little, the third day I offered him Banana and no luck, fourth day blue berries, no luck either along with some hard boiled egg which he didn't touch either. is this common? How much longer should I give him before attempting to bond with him more? Any suggestions on raising his appetite? or is this kind of behavior common? Any info would be greatly appreciated, and any suggestions or constructive advice is always welcome, thanks.

I’ve had my arg b/w stitches for a little over a month now.he was 15 inches, thin and underfed, and really social with me from day one.it took him about a week to start pooping and eating regularly,I was really worried for no reason realistically.he would also go under his rug, it’s because they’re diggers.i cut up a bunch of fabric into finger and palm sized scraps and filled a tote so he can dig and not get eye infections from substrate(he is sensitive) now he is 20 inches and half a pound.hes three times the weight he was when I got him(pet stores and breeders usually under feed) he also ate crickets only for three weeks.he just wouldn’t eat anything else.now i found a place local that sells live pinkies and hoppers, he’s ate two decent size hoppers and 4 big fuzzies in the last 4 days but he has never touched anything else.i wonder if your dude should be on more of a carnivorous diet while he’s smaller.i know they’re all different but I was told not to even offer him fruit until he’s quite a bit fatter.the little guys need lots of protien

 

[Insanity0789]

I’ve had my arg b/w stitches for a little over a month now.he was 15 inches, thin and underfed, and really social with me from day one.it took him about a week to start pooping and eating regularly,I was really worried for no reason realistically.he would also go under his rug, it’s because they’re diggers.i cut up a bunch of fabric into finger and palm sized scraps and filled a tote so he can dig and not get eye infections from substrate(he is sensitive) now he is 20 inches and half a pound.hes three times the weight he was when I got him(pet stores and breeders usually under feed) he also ate crickets only for three weeks.he just wouldn’t eat anything else.now i found a place local that sells live pinkies and hoppers, he’s ate two decent size hoppers and 4 big fuzzies in the last 4 days but he has never touched anything else.i wonder if your dude should be on more of a carnivorous diet while he’s smaller.i know they’re all different but I was told not to even offer him fruit until he’s quite a bit fatter.the little guys need lots of protien

I feel like there may be some truth to this, I've had him for a week as of today and he's definitely eating which is good, i offered him a small fuzzy yesterday which he devoured with glee. So i'm definitely going to add a lot more meat into his diet. I'm planning on replacing the carpet with some coconut husk based substrate just to hold in more humidity and let him really bury. but after reading up a bit I think he's a pretty healthy guy over all. My only concern right now is socializing him which im going to wait a little bit more on. His body language seems to indicate he's still afraid of me. I of course haven't tried to grab or pick him up. anytime I'm cleaning or putting food in his tank I just talk gently to him while keeping still and letting him come to me but his breathing is still very heavy when seeing me working in his tank.

 

[Debita]

Off to a good start! Good advice from everyone too. Your understanding of body language is important, and crucial to how you move forward with him/her. If nervousness - aggression - fear.... or any other sign of discomfort exists, we all back off which lets the animal know we aren't a threat. Here's my 2 bits:

1 - I think even when they're that young (he's not a baby anymore), the low side temps should be a little lower than the 80dg you mentioned. Like 70-75dg is more normal. One of the trickiest things is figuring out the gradient temps that are really important to their needs in captivity.

2 - Another tricky thing with all Tegus is figuring out what they want to eat. They are far more individual that people expect! I have 2 Tegus, and they have very different palates.

3 - Put an old used shirt of yours into it's enclosure - that way, your scent will be ever-present and hopefully become something he associates with comfort....or at least not threatening. It will surely ruin the shirt, so don't expect to use it again!

 

[Dylan koch]

With my tegus when babies you can do either pick him up to remove him to eat outside of cage which helps with socializing and is a good practice to avoid impaction. Or wait it out. I used a metal screen and food to lure mine out to get comfortable and make them feel like they chose to come out. And once on screen enough I'd lift to a bin

 

[Dylan koch]

But with my babies I mainly feed insects and a few pinkies a week and then started with ground turkey, fish and chicken hearts cut up. They love ground turkey I sprinkle calcium powder on it any time it's not whole prey.

 

[Insanity0789]

Off to a good start! Good advice from everyone too. Your understanding of body language is important, and crucial to how you move forward with him/her. If nervousness - aggression - fear.... or any other sign of discomfort exists, we all back off which lets the animal know we aren't a threat. Here's my 2 bits:

1 - I think even when they're that young (he's not a baby anymore), the low side temps should be a little lower than the 80dg you mentioned. Like 70-75dg is more normal. One of the trickiest things is figuring out the gradient temps that are really important to their needs in captivity.

2 - Another tricky thing with all Tegus is figuring out what they want to eat. They are far more individual that people expect! I have 2 Tegus, and they have very different palates.

3 - Put an old used shirt of yours into it's enclosure - that way, your scent will be ever-present and hopefully become something he associates with comfort....or at least not threatening. It will surely ruin the shirt, so don't expect to use it again!

Thanks for the input I have put a shirt in there already to give him my scent and I will definitely adjust his heat accordingly. I changed out the carpet for substrate today and essentially just gently talked to him while trying my best to 'ignore' him. He would go to the opposite side I was working on and just observe. Anytime he tried to get closer I would remain still and just let him tap me with his tongue. I think I'm doing okay for a start or atleast I hope so haha. I just want my little buddy to feel safe and safe with me eventually but that's a process and we'll get there with time. I really do appreciate all the info you guys are giving!

 

[Chris & Stitches]

I feel like there may be some truth to this, I've had him for a week as of today and he's definitely eating which is good, i offered him a small fuzzy yesterday which he devoured with glee. So i'm definitely going to add a lot more meat into his diet. I'm planning on replacing the carpet with some coconut husk based substrate just to hold in more humidity and let him really bury. but after reading up a bit I think he's a pretty healthy guy over all. My only concern right now is socializing him which im going to wait a little bit more on. His body language seems to indicate he's still afraid of me. I of course haven't tried to grab or pick him up. anytime I'm cleaning or putting food in his tank I just talk gently to him while keeping still and letting him come to me but his breathing is still very heavy when seeing me working in his tank.

Stitches Was a little shy the first week but I would not wait.i still have interacted every day multiple times from day one.they are smart if your tank is a front open you should leave it open and just play in his dirt or whatever.he will come see what your doing eventually but the more easy interaction the better.he really isn’t big enough to hurt you yet

 

[Insanity0789]

Stitches Was a little shy the first week but I would not wait.i still have interacted every day multiple times from day one.they are smart if your tank is a front open you should leave it open and just play in his dirt or whatever.he will come see what your doing eventually but the more easy interaction the better.he really isn’t big enough to hurt you yet

What are some examples or things you do to interact with your buddy? I spent a good 45mins to an hour just now interacting with him and I feel like I made some good progress, At first i just opened his front sliding door and sat patiently while he got accustomed to me being there, he got brave eventually and began to get close to me on his own, once he was okay with that i put my hand in the enclosure and just let him come to me again and explore my hand a little with his tongue, then i slowly but calmly in his eye sight moved my hand closer to him watching for signs of fear or aggression which he allowed. eventually i was able to very gently rub him with the end of my finger until he had enough and went to the other side of his enclosure. Should I be more aggressive in getting him accustomed to me or is this a good pace? What are some techniques or things you guys try? I know someone mentioned putting them in a tub and sitting by, just let them explore and eventually they will want to explore you. is this a good idea?

 

[Chris & Stitches]

What are some examples or things you do to interact with your buddy? I spent a good 45mins to an hour just now interacting with him and I feel like I made some good progress, At first i just opened his front sliding door and sat patiently while he got accustomed to me being there, he got brave eventually and began to get close to me on his own, once he was okay with that i put my hand in the enclosure and just let him come to me again and explore my hand a little with his tongue, then i slowly but calmly in his eye sight moved my hand closer to him watching for signs of fear or aggression which he allowed. eventually i was able to very gently rub him with the end of my finger until he had enough and went to the other side of his enclosure. Should I be more aggressive in getting him accustomed to me or is this a good pace? What are some techniques or things you guys try? I know someone mentioned putting them in a tub and sitting by, just let them explore and eventually they will want to explore you. is this a good idea?

I wouldn’t be aggressive but be persistent if he isn’t seeming too stressed.a big thing that helped at first was feeding him with tongs.feeding time is bonding time to me, many will disagree.keep your fingers away from the mouth but while stitches was occupied eating was when I was comfortable he wouldn’t turn on me.after a few days, he was fine with being picked up, touched, walking out of the enclosure(in a meticulously gone over area with no escapes) but front open glass is great I also didn’t give stitches a place he could hide completely out of sight which I think helped.get on a hoodie and if he will go in the pocket just lay your hand on him and watch tv.peek in on him here and there.after 30-40 days now stitches is out at least every hour for a few minute convo and he walks back in on his own and basks.anytime I go to the glass he comes and scratches to come out.sometimes he just wants to lay his chin on my hand and sit still.very personable lizards.but I would interact as persistently as you can unless he goes nuts / hisses/ gapes at you.i have never had stitches show aggression so I don’t even know the precursors

 

[Debita]

I think you are going at a great pace! What you describe about using your hand slowly inching forward is really a good approach, because you're trying to de-sensitize him from his fears and lack of trust. Once he trusts, the bonding will go quicker. Allowing him to think he's in charge of his world is a good thing for him for now. Initially they are very fearful of things over the top of their heads, or anything coming up their backs or from behind them. Pure instinct on their parts.

You might see him bump at you (quickly lift his hips) if you touch his back side, in an effort to get rid of you. At first I just pulled away, but one day I decided to bump back when I thought I didn't deserve it. I just tapped him back, and for a minute we had a bumping/tapping session. He doesn't do it anymore.

 

[rantology]

Just moved my Darrow to his big boy enclosure this week.... he went from doing pretty good on socialization back to square 1 - terrified of everything. They are so finicky when they're young.

 

[Debita]

Just moved my Darrow to his big boy enclosure this week.... he went from doing pretty good on socialization back to square 1 - terrified of everything. They are so finicky when they're young.

Not surprising! You think they're going to be forever grateful for all that you've done for them, and then they freak out and start spitting. Lol Once, I had to carry an entire enclosure that had been placed outside for some fun in the sun, and Skully loved it . But, he started lunging at the side of the cage every time I'd walk up - (thinking I'd spend some time, and give him a pat). He became so possessive and confrontational that my husband and I had to carry the huge enclosure back into the house, and dump him into his normal enclosure. (heh, that was a whole lot of fun) He wouldn't let either one of us near him. He was literally slamming into the side of the cage, furious that we were taking him away from the outdoors. (Temps get down to 50's even in the summer here)

 

[Insanity0789]

Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for your input and advice, me and my little buddy fluffy had our first big break through today! I was going to attempt to let him sit in my tub with some warm water and see if he liked it, he definitely did not enjoy the trip to the bathroom but as soon as i went to grab him from the small tank i was using to transport him, he wriggled from my hand and went up my arm about midway before slowing down. I just stood still and let him climb from there without any hassles, once he got to my shoulder he became much calmer and eventually relaxed and then began to explore my back as i leaned into frankly uncomfortable positions so he could go where he wanted lol. eventually he went back to my shoulder and then my head. After he was accustomed to my smell i very slowly put one hand towards him. he was a little nervous at first but eventually let me pet him gently and showed now signs of fear when i was touching him. I think he's still a little bit nervous about touching but he doesn't object with hissing or tail whips, or even raising his hips. he just eyes my hand slowly and lets me gently stroke him. I managed to walk him back to his enclosure while on my head (very carefully) and he allowed me to handle him into his tank. So for a first big time interaction I think it went pretty well!

 

[Chris & Stitches]

Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for your input and advice, me and my little buddy fluffy had our first big break through today! I was going to attempt to let him sit in my tub with some warm water and see if he liked it, he definitely did not enjoy the trip to the bathroom but as soon as i went to grab him from the small tank i was using to transport him, he wriggled from my hand and went up my arm about midway before slowing down. I just stood still and let him climb from there without any hassles, once he got to my shoulder he became much calmer and eventually relaxed and then began to explore my back as i leaned into frankly uncomfortable positions so he could go where he wanted lol. eventually he went back to my shoulder and then my head. After he was accustomed to my smell i very slowly put one hand towards him. he was a little nervous at first but eventually let me pet him gently and showed now signs of fear when i was touching him. I think he's still a little bit nervous about touching but he doesn't object with hissing or tail whips, or even raising his hips. he just eyes my hand slowly and lets me gently stroke him. I managed to walk him back to his enclosure while on my head (very carefully) and he allowed me to handle him into his tank. So for a first big time interaction I think it went pretty well!

that’s awesome!! Be careful he doesent jump off your head.titches jumped off my hat and landed in my3 year old daughters hair.lol it was pretty funny.ill add a link of stitches.he runs toward me the waymost people’s smaller tegus run away.today stitches showed aggressive behavior trying to get to me.he seems very attached to us and when he wants out, he will do anything...

 

[Insanity0789]

that’s awesome!! Be careful he doesent jump off your head.titches jumped off my hat and landed in my3 year old daughters hair.lol it was pretty funny.ill add a link of stitches.he runs toward me the waymost people’s smaller tegus run away.today stitches showed aggressive behavior trying to get to me.he seems very attached to us and when he wants out, he will do anything...

He is so cute!! I love how active he is to get out haha. I just got done doing some more training with my little guy, he's alot calmer. Still kinda hesitant to come out at first but I bribed him with some ground turkey to eat shortly after he came up to the edge of his tank on his own and walked right up my hand and onto my shoulder lol. My shoulders/top of my head seem to be his safety place here's a pic of my little buddy hanging out.

 

[Chris & Stitches]

The only issue I have is stitches isn’t food aggressive, at all.like not even with his food lol he won’t eat anything but crickets or very specific hopper mice.he only likes things that move fast.if there’s no chase, he doesent care.
I am glad though he will stop when he’s full.i can put 5 mice in and he will examine all of them closely until he decides who can run fastest, leaves the rest to be removed for another day, or hour, depending on how wrinkly he looks.he will eat until he barely has one horizontal wrinkle down his body.hes pretty wrinkly by morning again every time

 

[Debita]

Great video and pictures! Enjoy that young age - It makes me wish I could get another one. That was so cute the way he went up your arm Chris - and for a minute just used his back legs. My female loved the top of my head too - and my long hair that she would root around on, trying to get underneath. Too dangerous now though. She's 3 ft, and he's about 4ft. I could lose an eye at the least. I remember the times I used to carry my female around in my hoodie. She loved it.

One other thing Chris - most of us don't feed the live mice because of the hunting frenzy (yes they love it) that can get out of hand as they go through puberty, and then adult size. It's fun when they're young and easy to control, but if you can imagine a small aligator acting that same way when it's 4 ft long, misinterpreting your toes as something to eat, or whatever else they could possibly mistake...it's safer for everyone involved to set up their adult life without that issue. If they get hungry enough, they'll eat just about anything....although they're good at holding out.

I'm not judging - just posting my understanding after raising 2 Tegus, and 2 years of experience. I absolutely don't know everything. I would like to influence you though - especially if you have kids.

Insanity - you're doing great. Your instincts are perfect for the best kind of relationship/taming. Keep us posted, we really do enjoy hearing about everyone's experiences, as we look back and remember all of ours. Soon, you'll be the one telling the new people not to worry!

 

[Chris & Stitches]

Ever since stitches tail got heavy enough for him to walk on 2 he does all the time.i think he acts like a little badass for attention because He will walk the length of the doors on his back feet with his nose up in the air I will get a video of it eventually.also today he ate 3 hoppers he is 293 grams a little over .6 lbs.weighing him every day makes you see how fast they grow...he ate Almost 2 ounces today lol