i need help with a 1 year old chocoan tegu

[NArKo]

i got him about a week ago and i feed him outside of his enclosure, he bit me twice already(once i forgot to wash after preparing his meal & once i had eat hours ago and didnt wash my hand prior to contact), and although it doesn't hurt, i did bleed and it really has mentally put me on the defense of skin to scale contact, so i now pick him up with a black leather glove, am i rushing the new owner new home feeling for him? or do i have a serious problem with this lovely beast?

 

[Brandon12]

I don't know a whole lot about tegus but i dont think it was the food. He probably just needs time to get used to you, he is probably defensive because your strange to him.

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But i could be wrong, tegus seem to be different than monitors.

 

[NArKo]

thanx, i hope that is the case, cause i really wanna keep him, but i dont wanna feel hes a threat to my passion for his species or my trust in him being able to not associate my hand with food

 

[Brandon12]

I hope he calms down for you, tegus make an interesting pet and it's much better if they like you =P

 

[james.w]

If you have only had him for a week, I would try letting him settle in for a week or two with minimal contact. How was he with the previous owner? Did he get handled often? What was his old feeding situation, fed in the cage, in a bin, or just out on the floor? Does he attempt to bite when you go in the cage for other reasons besides feeding or is it only at feeding time?

 

[NArKo]

he wasn't handled much, but i was told the tegu never bit him, was friendly, was fed in a bin and during feeding he was being pet, after those 2 bites in 3 days, ive given him the benefit of the doubt and now i dont put in his water dish while he's in sight

 

[reptastic]

Chances are as stated b4 she probably just needs to get used to you, not knowing much history about her its hard to pinpoint just what the problem is...just try some of the taming techniques used by some of the members(a quick search will pull them up)...just give her a lil time to adjust...i had a tegu that tried to bite me every chance she got but after a month or 2 she came around and was as sweet as the other tegus...1 last thing how do you know she is a chacoan(extreme giant i presume) She looks like a normal b/w to me, a very nice one i might add...good luck with her!

 

[NArKo]

Chances are as stated b4 she probably just needs to get used to you, not knowing much history about her its hard to pinpoint just what the problem is...just try some of the taming techniques used by some of the members(a quick search will pull them up)...just give her a lil time to adjust...i had a tegu that tried to bite me every chance she got but after a month or 2 she came around and was as sweet as the other tegus...1 last thing how do you know she is a chacoan(extreme giant i presume) She looks like a normal b/w to me, a very nice one i might add...good luck with her!

i must agree, its probably my anxiousness to start bonding that has me possibly exaggerating his way of saying im not settled in yet "give me a chance"....but i only know he is a chacoan because i was told so by the owner (quite possibly under the impression) he said he got him off the teguterra sight and i left it at that. do you know any ways to tell the difference? p.s he has a gorgeous cream coffee color if that helps for distinguishing the types

 

[Moondust]

Im no expert either but I agree with reptastic, that is just a normal black and white tegu...if you go onto bobby's site it'll show the giants/chocoans and that one looks nothing like any that he has.

 

[got10]

i'll come to queens and give him a play date with my other 8 tegus so it can see how to act. LOL. Just handle the Lizard very often

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And dont give up on it

 

[NArKo]

got10... that would be great.... for now its clear he's interested in attacking my hand as i dropped in his water bowl, he notices it was my hand and not the black glove and charged totally ignoring that fresh water was now available.

 

[reptastic]

How big is his enclosure That last post you made reminded me of when i had to keep my red tegu in a 20 gal tank and he became very defensive. Here are some techniques that i used for unrulely tegus that had great results, 1. Place the tegu in a tub of warm water up to the tegus shoulders, allow him some time to calm down then gently rub him, this will allow your tegu to see that you are not a threat, 2. Bring the tegu into an empty room, that has been tegu proofed, just sit on the floor and ignore the tegu while he roams around, 3. Since you are dealing with a charging tegu, replace his water bowl in the morning before he comes out of hididng also try placing a tshirt or something you have worn previously in his enclosure so that he may get used to your scent, 4. Have patience not all tegus will tame down easily, some you have to earn their trust!

 

[NArKo]

Thanx I appreciate the tips, and will certainly begin a routine starting 2 Moro, with the bathroom teqnique, and try to bathe him also, but he is in a 75 gallon tank, seems to have more than enough space

 

[james.w]

How big is he? I don't know the exact dimensions of a 75 gallon, but I'm thinking it might be too small for him.

 

[txrepgirl]

It does help to wash your hands really good before you touch him. How do you get him out of his enclosure ? Do you reach in there fast or go in slow ? Do you come up to him in front of him, on top or from behind ? All of our Tegus are very tame but one ( I don't know why ). When I try to get the wild one ( Spatzi blue/red hybrid ) our of the enclosure I put a old shirt over his head. Reach in there and get him out. Once he is out he is fine. Do you feed him until he is full ?

 

[thomasjg23]

I disagree with the first few posts. My tegu never bites or opens his mouth to me unless I have been handling his food then he does the lick lick lick bite (This has only happened a couple times and was always a result of me not washing my hands.) and if I don't realize what is going on in time...well then it is my fault. Wash you hands, he thinks you're part of his meal