Columbian is always trying to escape!!!

[bhatcher73]

Hey I have a columbian that is about 5 months old. I have him in a 55 gallon breeder tank until I can get the final tank made (over 6 feet long 3 feet deep). The problem I am having is of late he is always trying toget out. He understands how the cage lid slides open and is always trying to slide it back. I know it is not recommended to have cages that open from the top but until the other get made that whats I have. I worry that the environment is not right and thats why he is trying to get out. But I follow the guides on the forums.

I guess it would not be a problem with him getting out if he was a little tamer. I can reach in touch him and he has crawled up my arm and down again but I would not call him tame.

In summary
Q1: Do most tegus try to escape their inclosure or is this just my tegu.
Q2: What is the tshirt trick in the cage?
Q3: What is the bathtube trick?

 

[TanMan57]

Well as for trying to escape, my Zero used to try and escape all the time, now he doesnt. As for the T-shirt trick you wear it to bed for a couple nights while you sleep and wear no deoderant. But once you wear it for a couple nightsyou put it in the cage for about two days and then replace it. That way they get your scent and see it as safety. The bathtub trick is where you sit in the bathtub with your tegu for about an hour every day and this way they start to get used to you. Just remember to lay blankets on the bottom of the tub because its cold. I personally use both and it works very well.

 

[HorseCaak]

My argentine used to always try to escape too. It amazed me the way she would hoist herself straight up off her tail and climb out. She is in a new cage since then and doesn't try to escape anymore. As for the bath tub, I actually will take a bath (with no soap or anything. Just a soak) with my Tegu. She will swim around in the warm water and climb on me and relax. She seems to enjoy it and get a good amount of moisture for her skin. And the with the t-shirt trick, she would always sleep in it for the first month that I had done that. I would always find her wrapped up when she was sleeping. I was always nervous the first month because I was afraid of escapes so I would look for her sometimes, then find her safe and asleep in the shirt. :morn

 

[Kingwolf26]

Do you guys do the bath tub thing with clothes on? I would think it would be a little unnerving without

 

[rrcoolj]

I couldn't do the bathtub thing because I share a bathtub and my brother who isn't exactly a sensative person. He would scare the heck out of him. I just used a couch. I believe it took longer but it work. As for escaping... my tegu uesd to do it all the time. He would actually hang from the top of his cage and fall down over and over. He stopped eventually though. I would just leave the tub dry when you sit with him.

 

[sulley2009]

get a dirty pillow case or a old shirt with your scent put it there with him for a while like three weeks if he rest it then maybe he will stop thats i did with mine and good luck