New member, new Tegu - need some help

[Bobbydelaneyiii]

Thanks for the food list. It's not always easy digging around the forums trying to get the right info.

As for the potty training, I have a feeling it's due to the women I bought him from, because he loves to burrow and hide alot, she just kept a bunch of towels in his enclosure. So I'm sure he just got acclimated to crapping on towel-like surfaces, and doesn't think twice about lifting the tail on my floor... Unfortunately due to the diarrhea it's not an easy clean-up.

Now I have to figure out how to get him to acclimate to something else.

And I also try not to take him out right after feeding, I usually give him at least half a day to digest.

 

[reptastic]

yeah feeding the rodents should stop the diarrhea, to much ground meats and the eggs is what is causeing it. as fa as potty training im not exactly sure, i do know my tegu nero had potty trained herself to only go outside, as soon as she hit the grass her tail went up, and she rarely had an accident inside.

 

[Bobbydelaneyiii]

yeah, although i'm afraid to take him outside...

On another note... He's still associating my hands as food or something he can eat. I have big sausage link fingers so it's understandable, but I really need him to get the idea, I'm not food.

I take him out nearly every day, I also have some pretty good leather gloves, are pretty form fitting, he hasn't even opened his mouth while I'm wearing those, but without he always goes in to take a bite out of my hand.

I know that they say it doesnt really work to fight with them, and such, but I was curious if, they're capable of cognitive reasoning, i.e. "I didn't like the reaction I got from biting that thing, I shouldn't do it again"

I need to try any way possible to get him to not bite people before he gets much bigger and is able to do some serious damage to me or someone else.

 

[Guest]

Someone on here already posted the perfect tegu diet. Ground turkey, Chicken, as well as a variety of sweet fruits and vegtables are a vital part of a tegu's diet. In the wild I've read and been told they primary eat bird eggs and baby birds that nest on or near the ground. As well as an occasional rodent or other reptile. Feeding your tegu your table scraps instead of live animals WILL teach your tegu that aggressive behaviors do not grant any reward. Also holding the tegu on a daily basis and not allowing the tegu to intimidate you is very important. Tegus play mindgames so do not let them get the best of you or your pet might become your nightmare.

 

[Bobbydelaneyiii]

well that's the thing, I don't think he's being aggressive... he opens his mouth and goes in at my hand somewhat slowly, of course I move it, and he stops and continues his business looking around and exploring.

Do I let him bite me? I'd like to avoid this if possible, but if it was a sure shot way to get him to not do it again, then I'll endure it.

It's one of those things, I can see him watch me, and recognize me. Pretty sure he knows it is me who feeds him, gives him water and lets him out of his tank, where in his mind would it be a good idea to try to take a chunk out of me?

 

[reptastic]

you do not want to let your tegu bite you, i have been bitten a few times by my red tegu pyro when he was just 14-20" and it hurt like heck, he bit me about a week before he died and that was one of the worst reptile bites i recieved in years (no lie) and he was only 28" those jaws can hurt. i have had nero my calmest tegu open her mouth like she wanted to bite me but she never did, now that was a tegu i definately wouldnt want to get bit by she was huge. trust me if your tegu was aggresive you would know it because they will show it.

 

[Bobbydelaneyiii]

Well then, I'm not gonna let him bite me...

So I need to figure out a way to get him to realize those behaviors towards me will not be tolerated.

Like I said, I don't think he's being really aggressive, since he doesn't actively persue my hand or try to bite me when I go to pick him up off the floor...

 

[chelvis]

Are you feeding him by hand or by feeder tongs, if so alot of tegus will assume your hand with feeding time. Or if you leave a bowl or plate in the cage and then bring food in on different plates or bowls and pour it in they will also assume your hand is food becuase its the only constant at feeding time. I use a dog dish that i put in with food and i remove once he is done. So when he sees me walk into the room with his bowl he comes running up to the door, but if i walk in with no bowl he look at me a walk over the glass and lay down waiting to come out for the day. The biggest differance is when i open the door, if he sees the bowl his digging at the door wanting to charge the bowl which i normally leave on the floor while i open his cage that way if he lunges his going for the bowl and no where near my hand. When no bowl is in site i can open the door and he wait to see if i pick him up or just let him free roam, his in no rush.

As for the diahrea as metion before adding rodents or chicken with bone will help bind that up a bit. Its the left over bone powder and the fur that helps bind their poop. I'm not a big fan of the gound meat diet but hey it works so im not going to knock it, but stay away from cat foods many reptiles die early from owners feeding cat foods, it mucks with thier livers.

Tegus and dogs can be a funny mix... when supervised. My tegu got lose one day and where did i find him, curled up in the dog bed with my hound, lol.

 

[Bobbydelaneyiii]

I put him in a big rubbermaid tub when I feed him. I always put the food in first before he goes in it. So he's really never seen me with the food.

He if he's hungry, he'll be on the constant smelling around, trying to find food. If he just wants out of his tank, he'll stare at the door and crowd around it. I'm sure he knows me, and knows I let him out, feed and give him water and I'm not a threat... so why try nibbling on my hand?

 

[Guest]

Don't let him bite you! Just stare at his face and be the man. Tegus love mind games and you just have to be more dominant and have no fear. If you get bit than so be it but I wouldn't want my full grown female to bite me i've seen her crush a jumbo rats skull with one crunch...

 

[Bobbydelaneyiii]

I'm not gonna let him bite me... I know that... but it's the way to get him to stop doing it is what I need to figure out.

Like I was trying to figure out, if they're able to realize by cause and effect "i shouldn't try to bite that anymore". Like a dog, the dog does something bad, you tap it on the snout and force it to look away. How do I make it clear I'm the dominant.

I know that aggression only is replied with aggression with most lizards so I haven't done anything like tapping him on the snout or whatnot, as to only make the situation worse.

I know when I had my iguana way back when, she was pretty nippy when she was younger, and would open her mouth to bite when I held her. I took the claw clipper I had for her and I'd put it on her mouth, when she bit, she bit metal (which I know doesn't taste very good) I wasn't violent or aggressive, I just placed it near or at the end of her mouth, and she bit down on her own. After a couple times with the clipper she stopped and never did it again. I only got bit once by her and I accidently scared her, so it was my fault, but even then she quickly realized who it was and looked at me as if to say "sorry, I didn't mean it"
I wonder if a method like that would work on a tegu...