Hey Guys!

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

Hey Guys! I was referred here by Bobby Hill, and Pikey.

I actually spoke to Bobby Hill about purchasing a new Argentine B&W Tegu (hopefully High White) this coming season. I'm like a child waiting for his Christmas present. . I'M FREAKING EXCITED!

I think my biggest worry is getting him to be tame... but as I've read it can be accomplished with ease and patience. Now I have to calm down my "Instant Gratification" personality... lol.

Anywho, glad to be here, going to be coming back here often for referencing and information. (I've been reading, writing, watching, etc. about Argentines for the past 7 days, literally hours upon hours upon HOURS of research).

 

[reptastic]

join the club lol, last year i didnt have to wait but 4 days because once i was ready to get one they were already 5 wks old, now im getting 2 this season so i have to wait until they hatch and everything, it hasnt settled in yet but ill bet once they start hatching ill be anxious lol! good thing your doing research, they are awesome to have around! btw this is a great place to be for a reptile lover everyone is knowledgible(spell check?) and always ready to lend a hand with advice, so welcome aboard! btw do you know which pairing you are getting yours from?

 

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

I have no idea, I'll have to ask him. lol. I just know that I'm absolutely freaking excited!

 

[DMBizeau]

welcome to the forum! Most of the issues you might possibly have can be prevented by......

A. Proper Diet

B. Not feeding your Tegu in its cage. As long as it doesn't associate you with food it will become your best friend.

C. Patience, even if your tegu acts like he's going insane when he's a baby they always tame down as they get bigger.

Don't be afraid to ask questions!

 

[reptastic]

I have no idea, I'll have to ask him. lol. I just know that I'm absolutely freaking excited!

lol i swear if i didnt have the tegus i have now i would be a nail biting mess lol!

 

[Pikey]

hey dude and welcome to the site

 

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

Yes, patience is a virtue, and I have a very hard time with it sometimes--because I'm so excited for them to get big.


UPDATE: I totally just put the $75 down for the Argentine Black & White Tegu, so *crosses fingers* hopefully they hatch soon, healthy, and ready.

 

[reptastic]

Yes, patience is a virtue, and I have a very hard time with it sometimes--because I'm so excited for them to get big.


UPDATE: I totally just put the $75 down for the Argentine Black & White Tegu, so *crosses fingers* hopefully they hatch soon, healthy, and ready.

cOngrats, i think the first clutch is slated to hatch in 10 days :drool , thats the one im waiting for hehehe my little rayne :woot :bud , but then theirs the 2 week wait after before bobby ships :bawl :bawl :bawl :bawl :bawl :hifit :hifit

 

[DMBizeau]

Yes, patience is a virtue, and I have a very hard time with it sometimes--because I'm so excited for them to get big.


UPDATE: I totally just put the $75 down for the Argentine Black & White Tegu, so *crosses fingers* hopefully they hatch soon, healthy, and ready.

Only one?!? :lol: :lol:

 

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

Only one?!? :lol: :lol:

Lol, yeaup. I want to make sure that I can handle one, let alone starting with two

I'm super excited... like, I look every moment I get to research more and more. I'm even pre-planning a home built cage (or buying Pikey's, which would be easier, but I have to sell a Hypo Col. Red Tail Boa to be able to purchase that one)


I currently have a Golden Columbian Tegu, and recently found out it was bought at the Reptile Show in Pittsburgh, PA (the latest one they had a few weeks ago).

 

[tora]

Yeah, I spend at least like 4 hours a day for the past few weeks just looking up on tegus. It'll be my first one, and it's going to be like a birthday present to myself, lol. I am so impatient, I can hardly wait... I know I'm going to go crazy when I finally get the box, haha.

 

[DaveDragon]

welcome to the forum! Most of the issues you might possibly have can be prevented by......

A. Proper Diet

B. Not feeding your Tegu in its cage. As long as it doesn't associate you with food it will become your best friend.

C. Patience, even if your tegu acts like he's going insane when he's a baby they always tame down as they get bigger.

Don't be afraid to ask questions!

That sums it up pretty well. Some Tegu's, even from the same clutch, can be wilder than the others. But almost all of them calm down at some point, you never know when it's going to happen. We had a B&W that was freaking insane from 8 months old until about 15 months old, and one day he changed completely, he became the calmest critter we've ever had.

I feed our hatchlings in their tank when they're on newspaper. It's just not practical to take each one out to individually feed them. Once a hatchlings has moved up to mulch I don't feed in the tank, mainly because of the impaction risk. I've been lunged at enough times by hungry Tegu's that it doesn't faze me, I'll pull him out and feed him in a big tub.

 

[DMBizeau]

welcome to the forum! Most of the issues you might possibly have can be prevented by......

A. Proper Diet

B. Not feeding your Tegu in its cage. As long as it doesn't associate you with food it will become your best friend.

C. Patience, even if your tegu acts like he's going insane when he's a baby they always tame down as they get bigger.

Don't be afraid to ask questions!

That sums it up pretty well. Some Tegu's, even from the same clutch, can be wilder than the others. But almost all of them calm down at some point, you never know when it's going to happen. We had a B&W that was freaking insane from 8 months old until about 15 months old, and one day he changed completely, he became the calmest critter we've ever had.

I feed our hatchlings in their tank when they're on newspaper. It's just not practical to take each one out to individually feed them. Once a hatchlings has moved up to mulch I don't feed in the tank, mainly because of the impaction risk. I've been lunged at enough times by hungry Tegu's that it doesn't faze me, I'll pull him out and feed him in a big tub.

Yeah hatchlings are a different story, especially if you have a bunch to feed. :mrgreen:

 

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

I can let you know, that I am going to try my hardest to get him to calm down, hopefully it is quickly, rather than not. I'll be happy either way. ^_^ Thanks for all the encouragement.

I must say, though, kudos to Pikey, he's been helping me out a lot.

 

[DMBizeau]

I can let you know, that I am going to try my hardest to get him to calm down, hopefully it is quickly, rather than not. I'll be happy either way. ^_^ Thanks for all the encouragement.

I must say, though, kudos to Pikey, he's been helping me out a lot.

Taming is a trust thing, just don't try to force him to do anyting and he will come around.

 

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

I've heard of things like the shirt trick, and such.

When... exactly do you even start doing that? That has always baffled me.

 

[tora]

Probably right out of the box.
The shirt trick can mean 2 things, a. leaving a shirt with your scent on it in the hide, & b. putting a sweater on over your shirt, and wrapping a belt around that. Then putting the baby in between the 2 layers. I don't see any need to wait more than a day.

 

[reptastic]

wel you should give your baby tegu some time to adjust, after all its terrified after its been stuffed in a box for almost a whole day now this giant is trying to eat it, i usually wait about 2 weeks before trying anything besides feeding, bathing and of course pictures!

 

[Herplings]

Your animal is a baby, it sees you as a predator that might eat it. Putting a shirt with your smell on it in the Tegu's cage, does not mean that your Tegu will learn your smell by smelling your shirt and begin to not be afraid of you.

It means your smell, the smell that your Tegu associates with something that might eat it, will be in it's cage all day stressing it out, instead of just when your in the cage, or handling him.

This more times then not, makes the animal eat less, sleep less, hide more and have even more of a bad attitude when you are around the Tegu. More often then not the "shirt method" makes it take longer to tame your pet.

The only thing that is going to tame your Tegu is age, time and consistency. Since each animal is an individual how long it takes, or what has to be done to achieve this is different.

One of the biggest things I do with baby Tegus and Monitors if hand feeding. I just hold food in front of them in the palm of my hand. They will not eat it at first, but I try everyday. If after a few minutes they don't eat the food. I put it in their bowl. After a while, they will start coming to you and into your hand to eat.

I have been taming reptiles for almost 20 years. Since I was 11 years old. I have also worked as and with dog trainers and horse trainers. One of the biggest rules when taming a wild animal, or an animal that don't have trust built with you is, to let the animal make first physical contact with you.
Try it out you might be surprised.

 

[AlbatrossTrevelyan]

Your animal is a baby, it sees you as a predator that might eat it. Putting a shirt with your smell on it in the Tegu's cage, does not mean that your Tegu will learn your smell by smelling your shirt and begin to not be afraid of you.

It means your smell, the smell that your Tegu associates with something that might eat it, will be in it's cage all day stressing it out, instead of just when your in the cage, or handling him.

This more times then not, makes the animal eat less, sleep less, hide more and have even more of a bad attitude when you are around the Tegu. More often then not the "shirt method" makes it take longer to tame your pet.

The only thing that is going to tame your Tegu is age, time and consistency. Since each animal is an individual how long it takes, or what has to be done to achieve this is different.

One of the biggest things I do with baby Tegus and Monitors if hand feeding. I just hold food in front of them in the palm of my hand. They will not eat it at first, but I try everyday. If after a few minutes they don't eat the food. I put it in their bowl. After a while, they will start coming to you and into your hand to eat.

I have been taming reptiles for almost 20 years. Since I was 11 years old. I have also worked as and with dog trainers and horse trainers. One of the biggest rules when taming a wild animal, or an animal that don't have trust built with you is, to let the animal make first physical contact with you.
Try it out you might be surprised.

I see.

The only thing that concerned me is the whole eating out of your hand thing... considering they would associate your hand with food, in fact I think it was part of the "Taming the Beast" section of Bobby's topics when you first come on to the site. I may be wrong, but isn't that frowned upon? It could cause a food aggressive Tegu, as far as I have read. However, they're young, but still... that would worry me. Not questioning your 20 years experience, but just going off of what I have read, then again, it is good to explore the realm of taming animals.