handling

[bfb345]

Hi My tegu chubbs is super tame when on the ground or in his cage but when i pick him up he goes into defcon 4 and freaks squirming and opening his mouth i have tried putting him up to my chest but then he just crawls around and slides down my back and then jumps onto the floor any suggestions and or quick tips

 

[psychocircus91]

how large is he?
Most tegus don't like to be lifted because they are terrestrial and feel unbalanced when picked up. Think of it like picking up a medium-sized dog.
With all things handling, think repitition.
Start lower and work your way up.

 

[Alxsparks]

At about 9 months old Finnegan tolerates being held or carried, but he's not fond of it. He never had a problem with being off the ground though (everytime we pick him up he scrambles to the top of our heads).

In my experience, making sure all feet are supported goes a long way towards comfort. Mine also likes to hide his head in my elbow while i carry.

 

[Rhetoric]

Don't pick him up, tegus arent carry-around animals. They're terrestrial lizards, some will tolerate being carried. I only pick up guru when he needs to be moved otherwise he can get squirmy. Maybe you're not supporting him properly. How are you trying to hold him?

 

[dragonkeeperblue]

Ive got an adult male he does exactly the same thing when you pick him up after he has been out. They like the freedom I think.

 

[BatGirl1]

Niles is still small but will do alligator tail roll if picked up improperly. I have a facecloth i put down for him. Same one always (his "blanky ") . I let him climb onto my flat hand, then support back legs and tail with other. Then place on blanky. I wrap him and hold him in that to carry then put him flat on my lap or so on... he seems secure that way. If yours is large maybe a hand towel or bath towel according to size would help? I find it is also useful to prevent sharp claws from getting you and in case of a poop you have that as a 'barrier '

 

[laurarfl]

Some are more tolerant than others. Charlie will alligator roll and eventually pee on you if you have to hold him for a long time. nice And he's scared of being wrapped in a towel, lol. He's my special buddy. My others are better about being carried but still don't like it. I either have them sideways across my chest, over my shoulder like a baby, football hold for the smaller ones, or baby cradle in both arms in front of me. But definitely having all legs firmly supported makes a difference.

As for being outside, it is not a matter of freedom necessarily. Being outside for a tegu who spends most of his time indoors is extremely over stimulating. There's no roof, lots of moving things, sounds, smells, etc. So they react with that reptilian instinct.