Tegu bites

[iiLOVExTEGUS]

Put on your big boy pants and chest wig and go into the cage in a calm assertive manner like Cesar Milan does with dogs. Let him know you are the boss. Chuck Norris isn't afraid of alligators, so you should be able to handle a 6 month old tegu. Don't be such a wussie. My tegu never whips, hisses, or bites because I always have had my hands in the cage doing things besides feeding. Try to be more like Chuck Norris. That goes for you too, Chitodadon.

I got my big boy pants on but not only does he hiss whip and bite he is in his hide all day an I was told NEVER EVER EVER take a tegu from it's hide

I said chest wig too. Maybe your light and temps are not right. He may want to hibernate.

But he's extremely active at night with the lights off and the night light on

 

[chitodadon]

Kill the night light put him on a schedule

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[iiLOVExTEGUS]

Kill the night light put him on a schedule

from Samsung Galaxy S3

The night light is the red bulb and I was told that they couldnt see the color so they just think its warm out

 

[chitodadon]

Thats y he doesmt sleep of he doesn't need ot dont have it on night bulbs only use to keep temp up

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[iiLOVExTEGUS]

Thats y he doesmt sleep of he doesn't need ot dont have it on night bulbs only use to keep temp up

from Samsung Galaxy S3

Hmmm so basically at night the temp drops so durning the day he is active

 

[Roadkill]

I've been bit by tegus more times than I can remember, and in more ways than most would be comfortable with. Feet and toes mostly (they really seem to have a thing for the smell of feet), quite a few fingers, a couple on the calves, and even a few on the face. A big male caught me by surprise once and due to the size of his gape, and what I was doing, I was cut up pretty good from the bridge of my nose to my chin. As for them removing a finger, I would guess it is possible but highly unlikely. In Brasil a large female latched onto the middle finger of my left hand and then death-rolled, trying to spin it off. I got a bunch of nasty lacerations corkscrewing down the finger but was nowhere near losing the finger, didn't even get stitches. In the lab a male latched onto my thumb, and due to the circumstances, I was in no position to do anything but let him try to eat it. He sure chewed on it hard, it indeed hurt a lot, but I again would say there was no danger in actually losing the digit. I've been chewed on by much larger reptiles, gators and turtles, and although I won't claim to be an expert on being bit, tegus really don't have as much power as many would like to think. Definitely with a very large tegu and a fortuitous clamp down with the teeth between the knuckle-bones there's a chance of losing a digit, but I doubt it is a high risk. More painful than dangerous, in my opinion.

 

[james.w]

I agree that it is not high risk, but truly believe it is possible.

 

[Dubya]

Thats y he doesmt sleep of he doesn't need ot dont have it on night bulbs only use to keep temp up

from Samsung Galaxy S3

Hmmm so basically at night the temp drops so durning the day he is active

Yes, chito is right. Temp drop at night. Keep basking spot aboiut 105-110 duri.g the day.

---

See, Roadkill said you have nothing to worry about. Put on the chest wig.

 

[megasaurus]

I have been bitten by mine, only twice. Once on the neck and once on the arm. The neck was my fault, because I knew it was coming but I was laying on the couch and he crawled up by my face and was smelling my face/neck like crazy (the way he ALWAYS does before he bites his food)... I knew it was potentially coming, but I wanted let him explore me and respect his space just to see what would happen. He did take a huge bite out of my neck. It didn't break the skin but it left a pretty good hickey mark. Now I don't let him anywhere my shoulders/neck or face. I also always wear long sleeves when I am holding him, just to be extra safe. The other time, he was taking a bath and I usually leave my hand and arm under the water incase he wants to come over to me and rest above the water. But this specific time (only that time) for whatever reason, I moved too suddenly and he lunged and bit me in the arm. I still have the scar where he bit me.... The thing about Tegu bites is that their teeth are pretty blunt, rather then shapr puppy or snake teeth.... but they have incredible jaw strength. Both times that I was bitten, the skin was barely broken, you could see the outline of teeth in my skin and only one of the teeth punctured enough to bleed. But because his bite is so powerful it leaves a pretty decent bruise.... its more pressure then sharp pain. But he does bite like a pitbull in that he clamps and shakes his head. I think thats the only reason why the skin did break.

 

[chitodadon]

Damn

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[megasaurus]

Oh, one other note: I have a pretty strong pain tolerance.... however, I try to avoid his bites like anyone else would, but I am not scared of them. It did not hurt bad enough for me to be too scared to touch him ever again. And I do feel that way about hamsters and will not touch or hold them, EVER. Lol. I think it would hurt alot worse if it was a finger rather then on flat skin that is harder to grip. When it was on my arm, I could definately feel it but its not like it made me cry or anything... and I am a 25 year old female, if that helps... lol. I was more impressed by his jaw strength then anything else.... The teeth aren't really what hurts, like when you get bit by a puppy or by a snake with needle teeth. It is a completely different sensation. I have a 3 foot Ball Python, who does not bite, but if he did I would be more intimidated by being bit by him then by my Tegu, because I know that my snakes teeth are like little needles that create a piercing sensation, where as my tegu's bite does not just feels like being squeezed..

Here are 3 pictures... one is immediately after the bite, one is after it scabbed over and one is just for a size reference of his size when I was bit by him.

 

[Renske]

I've been bit by tegus more times than I can remember, and in more ways than most would be comfortable with. Feet and toes mostly (they really seem to have a thing for the smell of feet), quite a few fingers, a couple on the calves, and even a few on the face. A big male caught me by surprise once and due to the size of his gape, and what I was doing, I was cut up pretty good from the bridge of my nose to my chin. As for them removing a finger, I would guess it is possible but highly unlikely. In Brasil a large female latched onto the middle finger of my left hand and then death-rolled, trying to spin it off. I got a bunch of nasty lacerations corkscrewing down the finger but was nowhere near losing the finger, didn't even get stitches. In the lab a male latched onto my thumb, and due to the circumstances, I was in no position to do anything but let him try to eat it. He sure chewed on it hard, it indeed hurt a lot, but I again would say there was no danger in actually losing the digit. I've been chewed on by much larger reptiles, gators and turtles, and although I won't claim to be an expert on being bit, tegus really don't have as much power as many would like to think. Definitely with a very large tegu and a fortuitous clamp down with the teeth between the knuckle-bones there's a chance of losing a digit, but I doubt it is a high risk. More painful than dangerous, in my opinion.

I almost died of a infection of a baby tegu bite. So there is always a risk. My dokter told me I sould never let me bite anymore becouse there is always a risk with animal bites...
My story is somewhere in this topic.

 

[BatGirl1]

Yowch.please, niles, never bite your mommy...

Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2

 

[TeguBlake]

Yowch.please, niles, never bite your mommy...

Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2

Hehehe

 

[Dubya]

If Gwangi lost his lizard mind and bit me, why I'd just wash it off with Wild Turkey 101 and just down a couple of shots of it , then bandage it with a piece of sandpaper.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

In my honest opinion, the fact that Renske "almost died" from a tegu bite is probably due to a lack of proper treatment of the bite after it happened. It's important to disinfect the area to get rid of bacteria. If treated correctly, such a thing shouldn't happen. I've only been bitten once by a tegu, and it was from an adult male red and was a feeding response when I was trying to get him out. Long story but it would have been hard to avoid. It wasn't too bad and I disinfected it and had no further issues.

 

[BatGirl1]

My ball python hooked me with a fang when I was assist feeding her...is it normal for my hand to be green and black after 2 weeks? Maybe I should have washed my hands after. Sorry... was that mean? *dubya, this is your fault* ... :/

Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2

 

[kim86]

I got the top of the tip of my ring finger bit off yesterday by a year old green basilisk... and they have TINY mouths, haha. So much blood.

 

[Dubya]

In my honest opinion, the fact that Renske "almost died" from a tegu bite is probably due to a lack of proper treatment of the bite after it happened. It's important to disinfect the area to get rid of bacteria. If treated correctly, such a thing shouldn't happen. I've only been bitten once by a tegu, and it was from an adult male red and was a feeding response when I was trying to get him out. Long story but it would have been hard to avoid. It wasn't too bad and I disinfected it and had no further issues.

That is exactly why I would use Wild Turkey 101. Disinfect outside first, then inside. Stronger than hand sanitizer.

 

[jondancer]

I've been bit by tegus more times than I can remember, and in more ways than most would be comfortable with. Feet and toes mostly (they really seem to have a thing for the smell of feet), quite a few fingers, a couple on the calves, and even a few on the face. A big male caught me by surprise once and due to the size of his gape, and what I was doing, I was cut up pretty good from the bridge of my nose to my chin. As for them removing a finger, I would guess it is possible but highly unlikely. In Brasil a large female latched onto the middle finger of my left hand and then death-rolled, trying to spin it off. I got a bunch of nasty lacerations corkscrewing down the finger but was nowhere near losing the finger, didn't even get stitches. In the lab a male latched onto my thumb, and due to the circumstances, I was in no position to do anything but let him try to eat it. He sure chewed on it hard, it indeed hurt a lot, but I again would say there was no danger in actually losing the digit. I've been chewed on by much larger reptiles, gators and turtles, and although I won't claim to be an expert on being bit, tegus really don't have as much power as many would like to think. Definitely with a very large tegu and a fortuitous clamp down with the teeth between the knuckle-bones there's a chance of losing a digit, but I doubt it is a high risk. More painful than dangerous, in my opinion.

I almost died of a infection of a baby tegu bite. So there is always a risk. My dokter told me I sould never let me bite anymore becouse there is always a risk with animal bites...
My story is somewhere in this topic.

That most likely wouldn't happen in America.