help me please

[Guest]

I have a bit of a situation here that I don't think I can do without some help from more experienced people. A few months back my girlfriend pulled a neglected black and white columbian tegu from this (for the lack of a better word) idiot who had been kepping this guy in the basment and maybe fed him ance a week. The tegu had little to no contact with people minus the five kids they had that banged on his pen and chased him around with their toys. So needless to say he's a little paranoid around us even though we have done as much as we can to make him more comfortable.
When we got him all he had was the year old dirt in his pen, his one heat lamp, and his UV lamp. I've upgraded his tank with a night lamp and a heating pad under his now fresh dirt. We also mist his pen, clean it regular, feed him the foods he's supposed to have(super worms, crickets, ect) on a daily basis. But for the life of us we can't get him to calm down around us. Any help would be appreciated and anything else that tegu needs to be happy that we haven't already gleaned from the online guides.
I almost forgot to mention that this is my first time ever taking care of a reptile period. My animal experience is birds unfoutunatly for this little guy and man my bird is scared witless about this tegu.

 

[carcharios]

From everything I know about Columbian Tegus, you won't be able to get him calmed down. Their disposition is a lot different than Argentine Black and Whites. They had both at the local pet store and the staff wouldn't dare take out the Columbian because it always bit them. On the other hand, they constantly had the black and white out. Good luck. Maybe I'm wrong, but again, everything I've read and seen says otherwise.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't give up so easily as carcharios. I have a columbian tegu and he is a sweet little thing, just as nice as my friend's argentine tegu. If I were you I would just keep at it as long as possible (his whole life if need be) using the guide to taming tegus that is on this website. You've saved the poor things life, don't give up on him too easily! But he may never become dog tame like an argentine because of how he was treated before. He's had a hard life.

 

[Guest]

While Columbians, generally speaking, are harder to tame down (and some can be down-right vicious), there are many people out there who have had very wonderful and tame ones (case in point, Daenerys). That being said, your tegu's behavioral problems are more likely to do with his previous owner's neglect (and absolute abuse, IMO) than his breed. As Daenerys stated, there is a great link on how to tame down your little guy (on the home page, it's called "Taming the Beast"), so I'd read through it, and see if you're able to do any of the things listed. It's most likely going to take a long time, if ever, but I look at it like this; it took X amount of time in a negative environment to foster his attitude, so it'll probably take twice that amount in a positive one to counter it.

You did a good thing by saving him, and I commend you on it. Even if he never turns around though, still give him all the love in your heart.

 

[TEGU_JAKE]

I had a Culombian that was just as tame as any of my tegus. From the start I wore a tshirt and put it in his cage so he would get used to my scent and would change it every few days. Then I made sure I kept him full too. Another thing I did was put him in a warm bath and let him swim around and go to the bath room. After the tub I would hold him for 20 min a day every day and he became really tame within a few weeks.

 

[slideaboot]

Tame colombian tegus are like tame tokay geckos...they're SUPER rare, but they do exist.

 

[eddyjack]

Great advise Nordica! I believe you can (with tremendous patients) tame your Tegu. Just don't give up. And I also agree with Nordica, you are awesome just saving it's life.

 

[Guest]

Tame colombian tegus are like tame tokay geckos...they're SUPER rare, but they do exist.

I don't know about "SUPER rare", but yeah they're not very common...

 

[Guest]

Don't give up yet, you never know the little guy may turn around with plenty of good loving care. I guess I am lucky then, I now have a good natured Columbian and as a kid I had a pair of very handleable tokay geckos. I worked with them from hatchlings as well. Good luck.

 

[mis jaksin]

Do you have a hide in his/her enclosure so it has a place to feel safe?

 

[slideaboot]

Tame colombian tegus are like tame tokay geckos...they're SUPER rare, but they do exist.

I don't know about "SUPER rare", but yeah they're not very common...

VERY rare? VERY uncommon? Super-duper kinda common?

 

[Guest]

Tame colombian tegus are like tame tokay geckos...they're SUPER rare, but they do exist.

I don't know about "SUPER rare", but yeah they're not very common...

VERY rare? VERY uncommon? Super-duper kinda common?

I dunno, but I have come across several people in just the last few weeks who have tame Columbians. Its starting to look like they're not as uncommon as people keep saying they are.