Question about taming and burrowing

[Ripster]

Hey everyone,

I just bought my first tegu (Reptar) three weeks ago and I have a question regarding taming. I understand that tegus burrow a fair amount. The issue that I'm having is he is out and basking when I'm at work during the day. When I get home, he's usually burrowed and asleep. I know that waking him up would only cause more stress but this leaves the problem of how do I get in consistent taming time. I have toyed with the idea of setting his lighting to come on later to maybe compensate for this issue but I don't know how effective that would be. Any help would be fantastic.

Thanks!

 

[Walter1]

I advise against altering light to shift activity to that extent. Tegus are usually out mid-morning. You're smart to not want to stress by waking him, BUT a few times a week for an hour is fine. A tried and true taming tip is to toss a sweated in shirt into his hide so that your scent is familiar and positive. Don't grab from above but rather reach around sides underneath. Let him crawl under your shirt as you sit. That will provide warmth, darkness, and physical contact which they like at rest.