How Is Everyone's New Tegu Coming Along w/ Taming?

[CaseyUndead]

Just curious how everyone else's tegus are warming up to handling. Loki's pretty skittish still, but today i did at least manage to get him to sit in my hand for a couple minutes(with my hand under his basking spot!). Most of the time when i mess with him much, he ends up crawling off into his burrow. But then if i wait a few minutes he comes back out to bask.

I know he'll eventually come around, though. I remember a few months ago i thought my retic was just going to stay a psycho-snake, and now she's wonderful. So i feel good about it. Plus, i haven't seen many adult tegus in captivity who aren't tame.

 

[Mvskokee]

well they are prey in the wild when they are small so just work with him

 

[PuffDragon]

Why don't you tell me :-D This is their temp. cage while I'm building the big boy. Don't worry the stick on dials are not in use as I use a temp gun and digital hydrometer!!

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[burke0000]

Why don't you tell me :-D This is their temp. cage while I'm building the big boy. Don't worry the stick on dials are not in use as I use a temp gun and digital hydrometer!!

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Wow puffdragon, I wish my ex giant would let me hold them like that. As soon as I would of put my hand next to him like you did mine would of taken off. Mine acts like he is crazy, he goes berserk.

 

[burke0000]

Also how much do your tegus stay out, mine is always burrowed at night when I get home from work. The only time I see him out from his own free will is early in the morning arould 7:00, other wise I always have to dig him up. Even when I go to feed him I have to dig him up.

 

[CaseyUndead]

Mine stays burrowed a lot, too. Is it okay to dig them up? I was kinda afraid that if i did that, he would just get angry at me.

 

[PuffDragon]

Mine are out all day with about an hour break to go into their borrow from 3-4pm. I feed them around 11-12pm then goto work. When I get home and move about the room they are out and ready to be taken out for a few hours.

Give them time and check your day and night temps. They could be showing signs of hibernation. I would leave them alone if are hiding.

 

[JustinZanderRyan]

:mrgreen:
I'm very happy with the way Baby lets me hold her, she is just too damn cute! I never thought I'd say that about a lizard that grows to be as big as these but she is so calm and sweet I can't picture when the tme comes I'll have to return her back to my brother(he saw her fell in love but asked me to take care of her meanwhile) I personally own 6 beardies and adore them so when Baby wind up being exactly as what was said about them....well my heart melted! I have been looking at Bobby's videos and doing what I see and Puff I like the video of yours as well, it was so cute watching how they wanted to keep climbing up to your hand...too cute!

 

[Filphfio]

I got mine climbing on my hand everyday at 1 pm for the first feeding, and then when I get home from work he comes out of hide and climbs on my hand then I feed him again. After he eats we hang out in a big cardboard box for a few hours. He climbs and borrows under me. ItÃ?Æ?Ã?â??Ã?â??Ã?¢Ã?Æ?Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?¡Ã?â??Ã?¬Ã?Æ?Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?¾Ã?â??Ã?¢s nice to see all the attention pay off in such a short period of time. Not to mention how fast heÃ?Æ?Ã?â??Ã?â??Ã?¢Ã?Æ?Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?¡Ã?â??Ã?¬Ã?Æ?Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?¾Ã?â??Ã?¢s growing.

 

[luckdragon]

Give them time and check your day and night temps. They could be showing signs of hibernation. I would leave them alone if are hiding.

I'm new to Tegus, so just trying to understand, why leave a Tegu alone if they are burrowed or hiding?

 

[Filphfio]

think about it as if its his/her bedroom. if it was your bedroom it would stress you if someone went in there and started poke'n at you.
Its a mutual respect thing...

 

[luckdragon]

So if it's feeding time do you just wait until they come out of the ground before you try to feed them?

 

[Filphfio]

if its still in hide its probably not feeding time. find a time that they are out normally and make that the feeding time. I feed Gonzo when he wakes up around 12 - 1 PM and then again around 6-7 PM I got his lights set to kick on at 12 noon and shut off at 12 midnight.

 

[luckdragon]

Great, I will try that and also try adjusting the light schedule for when work is over. Thanks!

 

[PuffDragon]

You should also not reach in and dig them up or go into their hide because it is a place of security for them. If they can't feel safe in their hide than they won't feel safe anywhere. It will set back your bonding and socializing with the animal. How would you like it if someone came into your house and pulled you out all the sudden?

 

[luckdragon]

Another question on taming...when you are trying to get them used to your hands and such, I know it takes a while but can they get too stressed out over efforts to move them into another feeding bin?

 

[Filphfio]

I don't think so, I don't force handle Gonzo. I just wait for him to climb on my hand. Then he moves easily. If i try and pick him up he isn't too happy about that. just rest ur arm in the tank and talk. eventually it will get curious enough to climb on you. It will take less and less time to get them to come to you.

 

[ThePHX]

You should also not reach in and dig them up or go into their hide because it is a place of security for them. If they can't feel safe in their hide than they won't feel safe anywhere. It will set back your bonding and socializing with the animal. How would you like it if someone came into your house and pulled you out all the sudden?

I can reckon no one would want to be pulled out of their "safebox"! Mines getting a lot more used to me, he was smelling my hand today when i was feeding him. And he doesnt run into his hide when my hand goes into the tank Hopefully in a few weeks he'll be used to me.

 

[Exhume2Consume]

Just curious how everyone else's tegus are warming up to handling. Loki's pretty skittish still, but today i did at least manage to get him to sit in my hand for a couple minutes(with my hand under his basking spot!). Most of the time when i mess with him much, he ends up crawling off into his burrow. But then if i wait a few minutes he comes back out to bask.

I know he'll eventually come around, though. I remember a few months ago i thought my retic was just going to stay a psycho-snake, and now she's wonderful. So i feel good about it. Plus, i haven't seen many adult tegus in captivity who aren't tame.

every single reptile show ive been to they have adult black and whites that are just mean!
theres this local pet store next to where i live called prehistoric pets.
every single black and white they have there is mean ive asked to see some of them out of their cage to see their temperaments and they never made it past the cage door.