How often do you handle your tegus?

[Rhetoric]

More of a curiosity question/poll. It seems like most members handle them daily or every other day.
Personally I have some kind of interaction daily. I try to have them out for a minimum of an hour. Usually the 2 smaller ones are out at the same time for 2-3 hours while I surf the internet or watch tv in the spare room. The bigger male Guru comes out for about an hour or so every day. If they're behaving themselves I'll let them all hang out together, if he's a bit more grumpy he gets his own time.

 

[Orion]

I have 3 Tegus. I work from home and I have them in my office so we stare at each other all day. I get them out and put them in the shower ,every day, and let them soak for about 20 minutes and check them often because most of the time they do their business in there, so with 3 I have to clean it up quick or one ends up stepping in it. I feed them and then after my big male (Bob) usually opens on the shower door and goes back to his cage to sit under the heat lamp. This is around noon, the other 2 roam. I have 2 daughters and when they get home from school they open the cage and pet the Tegus while they are under the basking lamp. When its warm I have them out in the yard.

 

[Rhetoric]

aw its always nice to hear about kids and reptiles. its so cute! are all your tegus adults?

i forgot to add, if you handle them how long do you do so?

 

[reptastic]

With Rayne and storm it more like every other day, its been a Lil cool here and they Dont come out much so i have to handle them when i can catch them out basking lol, but when i had Nero and the others once they got acclimated it was daily, especially Nero and gozar because they would only poop outside(i think it was trick to get me to take them outside lol)so with feeding, soaking and outside time they got handled more because they were well out more

 

[Rhetoric]

do u plan to handle the newer ones daily when the settle in more?
LOL its crazy how quickly they catch onto different things.

 

[Orion]

I dont hold mine very much. I pet them for a bit and let them wander on their own when they get to far out in the yard I go and try to coax them back by walking near them ,which usually does not work since they are accustomed to me, so I have to pick them up and put them back in the middle of the yard. I do try to pet them alot and so do my girls. My male is mature I think he is over 2 years old and weighs over 6 pounds and 42 inches. I the 2 females I have are under 2 years but are getting bigger every day. The females are 39 and 37 inches.

 

[james.w]

I rarely handle mine. I do take him out about twice weekly to put him in the tub for soaking and to eat roaches. I do pet him almost daily though.

 

[reptastic]

I try to at least pet them daily when i see them out, if they Dont rush bk to their hide i will handle them to put them in the tub or to feed them nothing major just yet

 

[Rhetoric]

Ehh maybe handle wasn't the best term to use then. My little ones don't mind being held. Guru doesn't like being held at all but he likes to hang out in my lap. I probably should have said something more general like "spend time with".

Are the larger ones pretty fast as well? I haven't let me little ones loose in the yard because they're still pretty quick and I don't want them running off.. Guru is bigger but I'm sure if he wanted to he could haul butt. I have a few harnesses for them but they're just a touch too big, which is why they were in a dog kennel the other day lol.

 

[reptastic]

Oh yeah even the big ones can move really fast lol, i "spend time" with them everyday feeding, spot cleaning, changing water dish, misting ect. I just dont pick them up often just like every other day or so until i feel like they are fully acclimated

 

[Rhetoric]

Well poop! I really should have said spend time more, now its a flawed poll. Booo me!

 

[eddyjack]

Every day! How's that?