Help

[sunshine22]

So I've had my gold tegu for about 3 months now. When I first got him he was somewhat tame. He would just sit on my shoulder for a while, and occasionally try to walk around and explore.

Now, for some reason, I can't even seem to get him out of his cage. Everytime I try, he huffs and puffs at me, and sometimes trys to bite me, and runs to hide.

I really don't know what to do now. I know you are suppose to hold them with a loose grip and if they try to run just move your hands and stay with them, but I can't even get him out of the cage to do that.

 

[AB^]

Sounds like it's just being a typical teguixin.
You should try just letting it get used to your prescence and let it view you as non threatening (going in the cage and trying to grab it is very threatening) You should just sit by the cage until it's comfortable with that, then you can put your hand in the cage until it gets used to that, I used to sit by my teguxins cage anddump water in the mulch and churn it around with out ever going for the tegu, so it could see that I wasnt "after" it. Your tegu will probably never be something you can just hold, but it can be accustomed to you if you approach it in a non threatening manner, take baby steps. At times you might feel like no progress is being made but it is, just be patient, you will get nowhere but just yanking it out of the cage and pissing it off.

 

[DZLife]

That's why I got chacoans. They tend to be easier than the columbians to work with.

 

[angelrose]

DZ, you hurt my feelings. LOL.

 

[angelrose]

hey sunshine22, all I can say is it takes time. although, I really got lucky with my teguixin right from the beginning and I thought that was unusual. it's going on 3 or 4 years now that she is with me and sometimes it seems like she knows me better then I know myself. lol.
I have my tegus where I spend most of my time so they can see me and it's almost as though they know what time it is.
bottom line is it's like AB^ said above.

 

[leoares27]

How old is she/he?
It takes a LOT of patience to Tame these guys

I'm not familiar with latin names...is she/he columbian or argentine?

 

[ZEKE]

gold tegus are columbian. the columbians are teguixin

i dont remember what the argentine are.

 

[sunshine22]

Sounds like it's just being a typical teguixin.
You should try just letting it get used to your prescence and let it view you as non threatening (going in the cage and trying to grab it is very threatening) You should just sit by the cage until it's comfortable with that, then you can put your hand in the cage until it gets used to that, I used to sit by my teguxins cage anddump water in the mulch and churn it around with out ever going for the tegu, so it could see that I wasnt "after" it. Your tegu will probably never be something you can just hold, but it can be accustomed to you if you approach it in a non threatening manner, take baby steps. At times you might feel like no progress is being made but it is, just be patient, you will get nowhere but just yanking it out of the cage and pissing it off.

Yesterday I put water in his tank like i usually do, but I spent alot more time around and in the tank than usual. Come to my surprise he started to come out and see what I was doing, but didn't make much progress after that. Later on I reached down to pet him and he started huffing and puffing, but then calmed down when I began petting him. Should I continue this?
And is feeding them in their cages really a bad idea. I have thought about breaking that habit, but the problem is that I'm not able to get him out of the cage to put him into a different enclosure to feed him.

 

[AB^]

Sounds like it's just being a typical teguixin.
You should try just letting it get used to your prescence and let it view you as non threatening (going in the cage and trying to grab it is very threatening) You should just sit by the cage until it's comfortable with that, then you can put your hand in the cage until it gets used to that, I used to sit by my teguxins cage anddump water in the mulch and churn it around with out ever going for the tegu, so it could see that I wasnt "after" it. Your tegu will probably never be something you can just hold, but it can be accustomed to you if you approach it in a non threatening manner, take baby steps. At times you might feel like no progress is being made but it is, just be patient, you will get nowhere but just yanking it out of the cage and pissing it off.

Yesterday I put water in his tank like i usually do, but I spent alot more time around and in the tank than usual. Come to my surprise he started to come out and see what I was doing, but didn't make much progress after that. Later on I reached down to pet him and he started huffing and puffing, but then calmed down when I began petting him. Should I continue this?
And is feeding them in their cages really a bad idea. I have thought about breaking that habit, but the problem is that I'm not able to get him out of the cage to put him into a different enclosure to feed him.

I feed mine in the cage, but if you're not careful they can quickly associate a door/lid opening with food.
Just pay attention to the animal, huffing/puffing usually means
"you're pushing it" so back off when they do. Just working in and around the cage your tegu will come check you out as you have noticed already, this would be the building block of what you're trying to attain with the animal, use it to your advantage and know when it's time to back off. Remember baby steps.

 

[angelrose]

I feed Angel in her enclosure and when she is out roaming around as well. when she wakes up she will go and stand where I place her bowl and wait. she also roams around almost all day and when I am cooking she will come in the kitchen and I will hand feed her a little something or place it in her other bowl I keep for her.
the only time she 'huffs' at me is if I wake her up.

I let her call the shots. I don't want to force her / them to be anything their not.
I try to keep it routine with all of them.

 

[DZLife]

DZ, you hurt my feelings. LOL.

Notice I send TEND to, not ALWAYS are XD

I KNEW you'd come comment about it.

*hugs*

 

[angelrose]

DZ, you hurt my feelings. LOL.

Notice I send TEND to, not ALWAYS are XD

I KNEW you'd come comment about it.

*hugs*

hey DZ, I am the colombian advocate ! LOL.

I'm just messin' with ya. I lov'em all !


*hugs always*

 

[DZLife]

DZ, you hurt my feelings. LOL.

Notice I send TEND to, not ALWAYS are XD

I KNEW you'd come comment about it.

*hugs*

hey DZ, I am the colombian advocate ! LOL.

I'm just messin' with ya. I lov'em all !


*hugs always*

hun, I know that! I've been around on the board long enough to know that you have a GREAT columbian, named angelrose
You also love to help others with their columbians, as well as dispelling the rumor that columbians are untamable, and are bad pets no matter what!