Aggressive eater

[Kfox]

Hi, I got a Argentine black and white tegu at an expo a month ago and I know my tegu still needs to get used to me and I still need to build trust, but he is really aggressive with feeding, like not like he's gonna kill me aggressive, but like he acts like he hasn't ate in weeks and when I hand feed him he jumps on it and sometimes misses and gets my finger. I feed him every other day and he hasn't missed a feed since I got him. I don't know if it's just his normal feeding, I think I'm just over reacting cause he's probably hungry and just so excited to eat, but will he ever grow out of it when he gets used to me and his feeding routine? Thank you for the help

 

[JimB]

My B&W is the same way, I think she's around 9 months old but I've only had her about a month and a half now. I don't hand feed her due to all the advice I've read that it's not a good idea.

 

[Walter1]

By now, your tegu has something of a daily routine. I would set a full bowl of food out for him sometime in the morning before he's up. He's young and should be growing relatively quickly. The goal, I believe, is to keep him growing but not obese.

 

[Kfox]

By now, your tegu has something of a daily routine. I would set a full bowl of food out for him sometime in the morning before he's up. He's young and should be growing relatively quickly. The goal, I believe, is to keep him growing but not obese.

Should I feed him in his cage, cause that's what I used to do when I just got him, but he was getting cage aggressive and wouldn't let me even take the bowl out when he was done. He now roams my room and I usually feed him out of his cage. Thank you for the help

 

[Walter1]

Should I feed him in his cage, cause that's what I used to do when I just got him, but he was getting cage aggressive and wouldn't let me even take the bowl out when he was done. He now roams my room and I usually feed him out of his cage. Thank you for the help

You're welcome.That part is up to you. The important part is that he disassociates you with the food. So, either place, set food in predictable bowl in predictable place while he's asleep. Let us know how it goes.

 

[JimB]

This is PepperJack thinking I've got her breakfast ready ... Since I never hand feed her, she just grumbles cause my hand is empy. LOL!

Then she patiently waits for her breakfast .... I do feed her inside her enclosure for now.

 

[JimB]

That's substrate UNDER her water tub in case you're wondering. I'd never let her water get that dirty and for sure wouldn't take a photo of it.

 

[Walter1]

Very healthy Pepper Jack.

 

[JimB]

PepperJack was rewarded with Breakfast, by the way.

 

[Walter1]

PepperJack was rewarded with Breakfast, by the way.
View attachment 11821

I also like his cinder block retreat. Stability.

 

[Kfox]

You're welcome.That part is up to you. The important part is that he disassociates you with the food. So, either place, set food in predictable bowl in predictable place while he's asleep. Let us know how it goes.

I started feeding him in a certain place and in a bowl and I see a lot of improvement. He's very chill with me now and he's not aggressive with his food anymore, thank you

 

[Walter1]

I started feeding him in a certain place and in a bowl and I see a lot of improvement. He's very chill with me now and he's not aggressive with his food anymore, thank you

You're very welcome.