Vegas Thread

[KritterKeeper]

Just thought id start a thread for my columbian, Vega, so i can share pics from time to time and update how hes doing instead of making new threads. I say 'he' but i dont really know for sure.
I brought him home on Sept 27th at 15". Its hard to get a measurement now as hes still pretty flighty and squirmy but hes in the 17"-18" range now. Hes fed mostly whole ground meats from hare-today but also f/t pinkies(also bought a fuzzy the other day to see if he'd eat it but havent tried it yet) and occasional eggs.
I generally feed him in a tote but have fed him in his cage as well. He'll usually only eat every other day.
Ill admit i havent handled him as much as i probably should and thats something ill be working on. I just moved him into a bigger cage not too long ago and i wanted him to settle in.
Sometimes when i walk by his cage he goes crazy running and jumping and freaking out and other times he just looks at me. Hes never tried but i always feel like hes on the verge of wanting to bite me so Ive been using a leather glove when i take him out and to be honest the glove doesnt freak him out as much as my hand does. He'll crawl right on the glove but wants nothing to do with my hand. I have started just putting the glove in front of my hand when i get him out almost like a shield but i know i need to stop using it.
As far as size goes does anyone have any guess as to how old he might be?
Im gonna put up a couple pics from the other day when he wasnt in freak out mode.
Hopefully with time and more handling he'll settle down nicely.

[attachment=5749][attachment=5750][attachment=5751]

 

[DavidRosi]

He looks awesome !

 

[KritterKeeper]

Thanks =)

 

[KritterKeeper]

Just wanted to give alittle update on Vega. Ive had him for around 4.5 months now and hes gone from 15" to 24". He still seems small to me but other people think hes huge lol. Hes still a bit skittish when i take him out but it seems like he just doesnt like to be held in my hand, he'd rather climb up my arm and sit around my neck. I def think taking him in the bathroom and letting him climb around and come to me on his own has helped alot and i have no regrets about picking a columbian as my first tegu =). I look forward to the day when i can take him back in the store where i got him and show them that the 'crazy monster' they thought they had was just a scared baby and tegus are great animals.
Heres a pic of him eating ground quail *gag* today in a 14"x19" tote
[attachment=6385]

 

[Dubya]

You can feed in the cage. Just don't feed from your hands. If possible, don't let him see you put the food bowl in. I have gotten really lax with Gwangi because he never bites or whips. He just watches the bowl come in and when I put it down, he walks over and eats. Do other things in the cage like rearranging decorations and bedding, petting him, misting him, or whatever. That way, when you open the cage, he will not immediately assume it's food coming in and he will not lunge at your hand.

 

[BatGirl1]

^ what he said

Sent from my ZTE-Z990G using Tapatalk 2

 

[KritterKeeper]

Just wanted to share a recent pic. Hes now a little over 27". His growth has slowed down so hes not shedding constantly anymore but hes def not done growing..
[attachment=6782]

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

My little columbian is only 14 inches!

 

[KritterKeeper]

Oh dont worry, he'll grow..mines grown 12" in 6months. Thats probably nothing compared to an argentine but it was faster then i expected from a columbian =)

 

[bfb345]

yeah he is definetly growing fast and looking good

 

[KritterKeeper]

Thanks

 

[KritterKeeper]

Just a small update and a few pics. Hes now 29"-30" and doing great. Still has an attitude and i think he always will but hes not aggressive so im ok with it. Generally i dont put up pics that im in but i wanted to give a size reference and since most of my face is covered i guess its not a big deal(sorry for the dirty glass lol).

 

[KritterKeeper]

Whoa..those pics are huge! lol

 

[kymzilla]

I disagree with not hand feeding. I hand feed both my boys mice, and ground turkey as well as eggs and they've never gone for my hands thinking I'm food.

Your little gu looks great. Mine don't like to be held either they much prefer neck or head sitting or crawling down my back and legs to the floor.

 

[KritterKeeper]

Thanks, yours also look great =) and from what ive read about yours they sound much more calm than my guy. Youre entitled to disagree but my guy goes insane at feeding time. As you can hopefully see in the pics i def dont starve him but he acts like i do every time he sees his bowl. Ive fed him from tweezers which he lunges at and he knows the tweezers also mean food. Its just my preference not to make that association with my hands. I have absolutely no doubt id be bitten and id just rather avoid it. Ive been feeding in his cage alot more instead of the bin but i have to use a paper towel to block his view of the bowl until i set it down and this has been working out nicely so far but i know hes starting to figure out my trick..

 

[kymzilla]

I'm not saying you should had feed, I'm just saying its a stigma. Mine are certainly calm, but not as cuddly as I wish they were haha.

 

[dragonmetalhead]

Hand feeding is a calculated risk. You have to really know your animal before attempting it. I hand feed Kodo on occasion, and he seems to know my fingers aren't food. I offer food either on my flat palm, as with a horse, or as large enough pieces where I can put significant distance between the end of my finger and Kodo's jaws.

 

[BatGirl1]

I would probably agree that hand feeding any reptile has risks. Did you see what my tamest of the tame ball python did to my hand accidentally when I stupidly reached into his feeding bin? :/

 

[Dirkthejerk41]

wow my comment three weeks ago said my colombian was 14"... now he is 17-18"!

 

[KritterKeeper]

Just wanted to share some new pics