waking up to tame... could use help.

[Dejahsaurus]

my yearling (new to me) is awake and out and about from 9:30am till about 1:00pm, and that is it. So I have been pulling her out of her hiding place (just under the substrate) two or three times a day to be able to interact with her. She has never snapped at me or tail whipped me, I have just heard her breath deep a couple of times.

I'm sure this isn't what I am supposed to do, but I want to SEE my pet if possible. and I know it is important to handle her to keep her tame. Does this change as they get older? should I be avoiding pulling her out of the underground altogether?

could use some help, thanks.

 

[Dejahsaurus]

no one has any thoughts? have any of you had to start digging your Tegu out of the ground in order to get any time with them? seems a harsh thing to do, but else I wouldn't ever have a chance for the little guy to get to trust me better, even though this could also go against it trusting me. so I'm stuck here.

 

[marydd]

I have done it before. Now she seems to come out when I get in her cage. .. probably hoping for food more than attention. I have heard of people turning on the lights earlier or later so the tegu gets on the same schedule as the owner. You could try that also.

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Yeah mine is tough to catch awake cause she likes to burrow as well. I just heard from someone in another group who is at their wits end because they work and the hours conflict. So hes staring at an "empty" cage all of the time. I'm like you, sometimes I say heck with it and dig her up gently becaues shes not 100% tame either. Not to mention I need to feed her sometimes! I dont' know how common or not common this is. Mine is like 17 months old now.

 

[Dejahsaurus]

I've been pretty lucky, Dejah doesn't seem to really care at all when I dig her out. since I have to do it every time she eats and most of the time she is rewarded with a bath, I think it is working ok. I just hate to have to do it every single day. maybe eventually she will hear me when I am moving around in the room and come on out.

 

[Artemille]

If I have to go to work early I'll dig my boy out and give him his morning bath. When I first got him, he would bolt away from me, but now he just huffs a little. In the morning, he barely complains at all because he's still a little cold. He sees baths more of a place to use the potty than a nice thing, so once he's done, I offer my arm and he climbs right up onto my shoulder. Once he's back in his enclosure, he prefers to bask before even noticing the food.

If I sleep in, he starts clawing at the door by 11am to be let out.

 

[Josh]

I'd be careful disturbing your tegu too much. Just be gentle and friendly to them and they will start to get the idea. I wait until my tegu is up and walking around before I pick her up. I could pick her up out of her enclosure though if I wanted to. I just try to disturb her the least amount possible so she doesn't see me as a threat or nuisance.