Hey guys, quick question. I'd like to get a harness for Zzyzx and start taking him outside to soak up some natural sunlight in the spring, but I've heard that they hate leashes and that sunlight makes them very aggressive. Is that just one of those things that's different for every tegu, or are there steps you can take to desensitize them? What are some techniques that you use?
-
Hello guest! Are you a Tegu enthusiast? If so, we invite you to join our community! Our site is specifically designed for you and it's a great place for Tegu enthusiasts to meet online. Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your Tegu and enclosure and have a great time with other Tegu fans. Sign up today! If you have any questions, problems, or other concerns email [email protected]!
Outdoor Basking
- Thread starter cornking4
- Start date
- Messages
- 2,798
what i did was when nero was still tiny i took him outside almost daily in a small clear shoe box(so he can see around him but couldnt runaway) for about a 1/2 hour to a hour then i tried the leash but he didnt like it and kept getting out that didnt last long also i let him chill out in screened window so he could see outside then when he was about two mo. i started taking him outside w/o a leash so he could free roam a bit on my front porch he is very calm outside and never took off another thing was i offered him bits of his favorite foods while out also i think every tegu is different hopes this helps
- Messages
- 1,083
Sunlight doesn't make them aggressive. I think what happens is people take animals outside that aren't used to it and they get spooked easier. It's a big open area out there and they don't know what predators are lurking around so tend to get the flight response more often than fight when something spooks them. I took Boon out on a leash when he was young(takes a while to get on without stressing him) and he did fine. There was also a time he was basking in the window, a little bird flies past, and he flew off his perch running for cover faster than I thought possible :shock: .. I think when they're young they're more flighty around stuff they're not familiar with. As they get bigger and higher in the foodchain instead of fleeing their initial response to being startled might be to attack hence the "sunlight makes them aggressive" theory..
As for techniques for getting the leash on(I use one like <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/_045663690410-Four-Paws-Reptile-Leash-Large-Black" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/_045 ... arge-Black</a><!-- m -->, with the leather strap for the front legs), it just takes lots and lots of patience and you won't get it on every time if you're worried about stressing your tegu. My method is to basically let them walk into it.. The 1st leg is easy, the tricky part is getting the 2nd leg in before they pull the 1st one out. I find it easiest to put the harness on when Boon is basking and being lazy, not when he's on the go rummaging around, then I can sometimes just slip both legs in without him batting an eye.
Hope this helps, good luck!
As for techniques for getting the leash on(I use one like <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/_045663690410-Four-Paws-Reptile-Leash-Large-Black" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/_045 ... arge-Black</a><!-- m -->, with the leather strap for the front legs), it just takes lots and lots of patience and you won't get it on every time if you're worried about stressing your tegu. My method is to basically let them walk into it.. The 1st leg is easy, the tricky part is getting the 2nd leg in before they pull the 1st one out. I find it easiest to put the harness on when Boon is basking and being lazy, not when he's on the go rummaging around, then I can sometimes just slip both legs in without him batting an eye.
Hope this helps, good luck!
Awesome advice guys!! Zzyzx is about six months old now and fairly sized... he's calmed down 100% and never runs anymore, so do you think he'd be spooked by the outdoors? Also, what size harness should I get? He's about 2.5' now, but he's a B&W so he'll probably grow to be somewhere in the 4' range.
- Messages
- 2,402
- Location
- Las Vegas, NV.
Regardless of his size and whether he's on a leash and harness or not, be prepared for anything. You may also want to have a towel or something in hand or close by to throw over him and pick him up with just in case he does flip out. Even if he doesn't run from you (flight) they'll choose the next best thing fight.
With the leash and harness you might get both responses, since it keeps him from being able to get away if he does choose to run. So he'll try to bite and defend his self when you go to pick him up.
Dino came at me (he was about 7 mths old) mouth wide open :shock: one day ready to take a piece. He had birds flying over and planes going by with nothing but a glance and he continued what he was doing. But when I walked over to get him, he wasn't having it. This was after 15 - 30 min sessions outside when he was little until he got antsy. He's 2yrs old now and he's fine outside but he'll :roll: still posture when I go get him if he's not ready to go in. Even then I just say his name and he relaxes :-D .
As for a good sized harness,..I just took Dino with me and tried some on.
With the leash and harness you might get both responses, since it keeps him from being able to get away if he does choose to run. So he'll try to bite and defend his self when you go to pick him up.
Dino came at me (he was about 7 mths old) mouth wide open :shock: one day ready to take a piece. He had birds flying over and planes going by with nothing but a glance and he continued what he was doing. But when I walked over to get him, he wasn't having it. This was after 15 - 30 min sessions outside when he was little until he got antsy. He's 2yrs old now and he's fine outside but he'll :roll: still posture when I go get him if he's not ready to go in. Even then I just say his name and he relaxes :-D .
As for a good sized harness,..I just took Dino with me and tried some on.
- Messages
- 4,285
- Location
- Connecticut
I don't think it's the sunlight that makes them freak out. It's the new sights and sounds and possibly the clouds in the sky. We have a 3 foot male Cuban Rock Iguana that was terrified some of the times we've taken him outside. Gaping thrashing, lunging, etc. He can be quite an handful, even with a harness on. But some of the times he didn't. The difference was one time the sky was completely overcast and another time there were no clouds in the sky.
