my tegu dont let me handle him

[Steven]

i got my little guy exactly a week ago and he dont really let me hold him he runs around jumps it takes me a while to finally catch him and hold him does anybody knows why? and what i can do for him to let me take him out

 

[DougK]

It can sometimes take a while for a tegu to get used to you and calm down, and it can depend heavily on what kind it is. Supposedly, columbian b/w are a lot more skittish than other kinds. It looks like there's a lot of threads on here about taming (seems there's entire sub-topic for it: http://www.tegutalk.com/forums/tegu-taming-and-handling-discussion.21/ )

The most consistent advice I've heard is to just interact with him very often, and that it can take months or longer depending on the individual.

 

[Steven]

much appreciated i have a Colombian gold tegu by the way

 

[marydd]

Best thing that worked for me was putting a shirt with my scent in it in my tegus cage. She seemed to be calmer after a couple days.

 

[Steven]

Thank you! i will try that

 

[Jackie & Hellboy]

All the shirt thing does is make your scent more familiar to him, if you still go in there terrorizing him by grabbing at him he'll never calm down. If you use the shirt go into the cage to feed or do daily maintenance, don't mess with the tegu don't even worry about where he is, if he comes out to inspect put your hand in a fist an put it on the ground, let it stay there still while he inspects smells then when he has moved on from your hand slowly continue doing maintanance, if you're able to do all of this without him freaking out start tong feeding very gently. This whole process can take a very long time before your tegu LETS or even tolerates being touched let alone picked up, now if there is a serious reason to take him out of the cage (vet visit, moving him for a moment into a box to clean cages or something) then go ahead and try to make it a stress free as possible but limit handling until he trusts you enough to be touched while eating out of a bowl or something. Go slow slow slow and you will have a much higher success opportunity than if you just force him to be in your presence when he's freaked out, it doesn't work with stray dogs you have to earn their trust also, just give him as much time as he needs and he may never come around but he can always get better and better and eventually you may just have a lizard that doesn't hate you but doesn't love you (my red tegu is the same way but I put up with/love him all the same as my B&w who will crawl up my leg arm or whatever he can reach for no reason I can see his rat or fruits are on the floor but he wants on my shoulder I'll never underhand quite why and its cute when he was a foot and a half long but now it can cause blood flow minor though it may be it still hurts me hahah) good luck I know they can be a handful but they're fun when they come to learn you aren't a crazy hungry animal and that you're their food source in a sense, they probably see you as more of a species that eats the same food and just happens to not care if they join in hah.

 

[Steven]

Thank you very much for the advice I really appreciate I'm gonna try that