WildUruguayTegu
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We live in Virginia and my husband is from Uruguay and also a herpetologist (frogs mostly). We have a house on the coast of Uruguay and we are there during their summer season of Dec-March. We’ve always had a Tegu or two roaming around the rural property and a few years ago, one in particular aggressively would chase others away and last year a fierce fight broke out which seemed would end in death, luckily it ended with the victor chasing the other away.
For the past few years Rafael would give them a few chicken eggs or left over meat from a BBQ and this one in particular got used to coming close to the house and watching and waiting in the grass and also patrols the perimeter of the yard. He comes out of hiding from the taller grasses when he knows we are around and now this year since Rafael started giving him some occasional eggs, he’s started to follow us if we walk around the yard and just a few days ago he’s started to quickly run and lunge at us which is freaking me out since I know they can out run us. He predominantly is doing this to ME !!
I believe he sees me as a competitor and like the other Tegus is trying to keep me away. His behavior is definitely different with Rafael but has become more willing to lunge at him if he knows there’s an egg in his hand etc.
I have resorted to yelling and throwing anything at him that might be in my hands like an empty plastic bottle or a towel when he starts running right at me from 20-30 feet away and I have no where to escape because I’m in the middle of the yard. I’ve read that I should stand my ground, but my fight or flight response kicks in and I panic. These guys are several feet long and I know they have powerful jaws. I’m sure it’s an intimidating act and perhaps he wouldn’t attack but I am stressed and freaked out when I’m outside, since it’s always waiting for an egg from Rafael or to chase me away!
My question is what can I do that would completely stop this guy in his tracks or want to avoid me completely?
I believe we should have never started to feed this guy but Rafael is adamant about continuing it. He raised one to adulthood when he was in college in Uruguay and it was sweet and would actually sit on his lap while he studied. I understand all of that and his love of the species, but I need to survive for the next three months here without a damn tegu bite or scratch!
Any advice ?
For the past few years Rafael would give them a few chicken eggs or left over meat from a BBQ and this one in particular got used to coming close to the house and watching and waiting in the grass and also patrols the perimeter of the yard. He comes out of hiding from the taller grasses when he knows we are around and now this year since Rafael started giving him some occasional eggs, he’s started to follow us if we walk around the yard and just a few days ago he’s started to quickly run and lunge at us which is freaking me out since I know they can out run us. He predominantly is doing this to ME !!
I believe he sees me as a competitor and like the other Tegus is trying to keep me away. His behavior is definitely different with Rafael but has become more willing to lunge at him if he knows there’s an egg in his hand etc.
I have resorted to yelling and throwing anything at him that might be in my hands like an empty plastic bottle or a towel when he starts running right at me from 20-30 feet away and I have no where to escape because I’m in the middle of the yard. I’ve read that I should stand my ground, but my fight or flight response kicks in and I panic. These guys are several feet long and I know they have powerful jaws. I’m sure it’s an intimidating act and perhaps he wouldn’t attack but I am stressed and freaked out when I’m outside, since it’s always waiting for an egg from Rafael or to chase me away!
My question is what can I do that would completely stop this guy in his tracks or want to avoid me completely?
I believe we should have never started to feed this guy but Rafael is adamant about continuing it. He raised one to adulthood when he was in college in Uruguay and it was sweet and would actually sit on his lap while he studied. I understand all of that and his love of the species, but I need to survive for the next three months here without a damn tegu bite or scratch!
Any advice ?
