Tegu learning name

[Spike the tegu]

I have a juvenile argentine b&w how can I teach it to come when I say it's name I would love that as that's why I got a tegu

 

[Josh]

Welcome to TeguTalk! Thanks for joining!
I would guess the easiest way is to find some kind of treat that he likes (that is also good for him) and every time you feed him one of those treats, say his name. Repeat, repeat, repeat, until you can say his name and he knows what it means.

 

[Spike the tegu]

I have been making this attempt for several weeks to no avail he rarely wants food

 

[TeguBuzz]

Teaching a tegu or any reptile it's name is not something that can be achieved in 7 weeks, if at all. It took me over a year to finally get Buzz (my Cyclura iguana) to even react to the word Buzz. Repetition is the key to success. If you haven't heard of Dave Durham on YouTube, check out his videos. He played a key role as my mentor in Cyclura and I consider him a good friend. He doesn't have tegus but many of his reptiles come when called.

 

[Spike the tegu]

Ah yes Dave is a great lizard keeper but he teaches his lizards with food mine won't take anything without a coating of raw egg Macgiyver lizard learned his name very quick but can my lizards food always have egg on the food

 

[TheTeguNovice]

My tegu learned her name after three months, repetition is definitely the key. I used it every time I spoke with her until one day she started responding to it. She would stop and look my direction, then she would just come straight to me. I guess this reaction is dependent upon the personality of the tegu and the persistence of the owner.

 

[Spike the tegu]

Is it harmful to cover his food in raw egg every feed?

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

Is his name something you want associated with feeding time? Mine know their name, but I use it all the time when talking to them, not just feeding time. It was a learned behavior to respond when I called them, but yet all of mine are adults and have picked it up somewhere along the line. I never really tried to teach them that.

As far as the egg feeding thing, no you dont want egg in every meal. Its best to try the tough love approach and wean him off the egg asap. A few things may be adding to why he doesnt want anything without the egg which is very addicting to tegus. What all have you tried feeding him without egg? How hungry was he when you tried? and what are your basking temperatures and are you using a temp gun to measure them?

 

[Deac77]

I agree mine both know their names but it's not a food thing. They also take a cat like mentality, yes the recognize as respond to it but that doesn't mean they always come. Some days I just get weird looks lol

 

[Spike the tegu]

We'll snakecharmer728 I tried all sorts of fruits and veggies ground turkey and beef also chicken hearts and gizzards. His basking temps are around 110 and yes I use a temp gun sometimes he will go about a week without food

 

[Deac77]

I'd up the temps to 120-125 and go with tough love. If he doesn't eat without egg he doesn't eat, he won't starve

 

[Deac77]

Also might try more whole prey instead of that ground meat diet

 

[Spike the tegu]

I feed him mice 3x a week but even those he won't even pay attention to without egg it just worries me that he doesn't like other foods

 

[Deac77]

Kirby used to not eat anything but mice, she went a week without and got hungry enough, now she'll eat anything

 

[Spike the tegu]

I guess I'll just wait for him to accept other items thank you all you are all very helpful any methods you use to teach your tegu to come when called would be great

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

agree on upping the basking temp and tough love.