Weird tail wiggle

[Len]

So, i just saw my bnw tegu vox wiggle their tail weirdly, not whipping like a dog’s tail but zigzaggy like a slow wiggle.

I recorded it but i can’t seem to upload it here. It happened outside of vox’s enclosure and reptile room. I thought they were gonna lose it’s tail, so i thought about putting them back to their enclosure but i was scared me picking them up was gonna trigger it even more so i let them be. Then after a while vox pooped, and then he walked with his body and tail crooked and dragged, makes me more terrified but maybe it was just cleaning their but.

Any idea what’s happening with vox? Becuase i’ve never seen anything like this..

 

[Stef_W]

It's a defensive posture. Sometimes it's because you've spooked them, other times they'll do it just being sassy. It's a "check out my tail, don't bite my face" or "check out my tail so I can bite YOUR face" sorta message. Generally it's the former, but I've definitely had a tegu bust out the tail wiggle just to tell me to piss off. In a youngster, it's sometimes accompanied by huffing or some posturing/strutting.

 

[Len]

I don't know.. they doesn't seem threatened or at least doesn’t show any signs of being afraid, but of course i can't tell for sure.
To me it's kinda like a snake movement.. and i've never seen a lizard do that..

And i've posted the vid on youtube :

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Think he was just brewing up for his poop ....

 

[Stef_W]

Oh, just a tiny tail wiggle. Yeah, that's probably just a poop on the way

 

[Len]

Ok, now i feel dumb for being so worried over that stuff.. but vox is my first reptile other than snakes

thanks for the replies btw!

 

[Walter1]

Ok, now i feel dumb for being so worried over that stuff.. but vox is my first reptile other than snakes

thanks for the replies btw!

Not dumb. You're observant.

 

[rosieuk]

If the tail arches upwards and he stands up on his back legs, that's poop time. If you touch his tail and it arches up, that's an unhappy tegu.
A sinuous side to side motion of the entire tail and/or huffing is a mildly annoyed tegu. A Tegu standing as tall as possible and stamping is a very upset tegu. A mouth gape with either is an excuse to lose fingers (a Tegu bite is very powerful). Wild ones will chase dogs & humans and can run standing up - like a frilled dragon on steroids.
If you take him outside be extremely sure there are no foxes or fox spraint about. If a Tegu smells foxes they will go batsh*t nuts and you will find out that tegu teeth will go through jeans like a hot knife through butter and a very scared Tegu will think everyone and everything (up to and including a small family car) is out to eat it. They're not fun in this situation and can hurt you.
It's better to worry too much about an unfamiliar pet than not enough, things can go bad quickly. It also helps to buy from a good breeder who gives you the right information (mine didn't, tegu are *not* the same as monitors) .
Incidentally has anyone heat gunned their tegu as they get up from basking - I'm curious about how hot they like to be before wandering off to hunt or whatever...