Need serious help please!

[echosix666]

So long story short im in the military and my wife is at home taking care of my EGT while im away for school. For the past year i've seen him once and i'll just get to the good stuff.

We've been feeding him in cage for 18 months, because at 6 months old he refused to eat out of cage. I even tried for 8 days straight and not feeding him anywhere else and he refused. My wife usually the day after he eats picks him up and puts him in the bathtub to soak. Its a pain in the *** (I inserted stars) getting him out of his cage, and out of the bathtub. When he's in the bathtub hes calm, when hes in his cage hes basically a snot. if you touch him he freaks out. And this morning bit my wife pretty good. He's 2 years old, 3 - 3 1/2 ft long, guesstimate weight ~15lbs. He eats 1/3lbs turkey with carrots, and peas, cod liver oil, and calcium powder every 2 - 3 days. He hasn't hibernated since i've had him. His cage is 4Lx2 1/2Wx18inH and has 100W thermal heater and a UVA/UVB bulb, sprayed down almost everyday. I'll be home in a month to really deal with him but is there anything she can do to help tame him? She's telling me to get rid of him but i refuse! I know they can be tamed and great animals, I've seen it and experienced tamed tegus and heard great stories. Is it too late for him? If you need anymore information please ask.

I also just learned he doesnt have a hide in there right now since he's outgrown the guinea pig hide before. Any iea's for a new hide that'll fit in the cage for him. Could that be the problem?

 

[james.w]

Could be the fact that the cage he is in is WAY to small. There is no way he can properly thermoregulate in a 4' cage.

 

[reptastic]

its never to late, some people have adult wild caught tegus that tamed down, 1 thing that comes to mind is how much handling has he had in the past 2 years, 2) his enclosure is way to small, 3) are you feeding every 3 days, why? 4) what is his basking temps? My giant is the same age as yours, he's a bit over 12lbs and 4' and he hibernated his 1st year and wasn't ver active this winter, and he can easily put away 1.5 of food in 1 sitting(although I won't give him that much regularly) can you post a pic?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Welcome to the site.

The first thing I noticed is the size of they tegu, cage and activity. You have a 3 1/2 ft tegu in a 4ft cage (I hope 4L is meant to be 4') with little stimulation or activity other than baths and feeding. Which leads to a tegu with a lot of pent up energy, that will put up a fight practically any chance they get. Especially against something they don't want to do like taking them out or putting them back into the enclosure or leave the bath tub when they're not ready.

Calming him down is an easy fix, just takes time, space and exercise. Even if she makes him tread water for a bit, supervised while in the tub.

Hopefully you'll be home soon (no extensions, change of orders or anything) with the season changing and the weather getting warmer. His activity level will only go up and the aggression may get worse if nothing changes.

 

[echosix666]

I know the cage is too small for him, but right now upgrading it isnt an option since i'm being moved to a new base in 48 days. However i'm buying a house where i'm going and do plan on building him an 8ftWx8ftLx6ftH with a "burrowed" hide which I plan on being a box underground about the size of his current cage. (so when he gets bigger he'll be able to fit) I'm trying to think and look for great outdoor cages to keep insects and such out of his hidey hole and biting him. My wife called bobby and got some advice but basically space right now is the only issue. We cant let him out and walk around the house because she currently lives with my in-laws and they have rat terriers and my wife and I have 2 chihuahua's (more she has them) so i imagine it'd be an issue with trust and sully (tegu) will probably kill one of them lol. Will post pics tomorrow.

 

[james.w]

Taming won't happen without space, patience, and spending time with him.

 

[larissalurid]

I don't understand why people get an animal and expect it to do fine in cramped conditions with no attention or way to get exercise or move around even. That tegu is in a cage where he can't even move around or go from a hot to cold area and change his body temperature. You need to have him spend more time roaming, giving him attention, and in a much larger cage. This is something NECESSARY for the health and happiness of your tegu. Even if you can get something a little larger for now, but I'd definitely move him into a proper space asap.

 

[echosix666]

Once we move, I should work 8-12 hrs, sometimes 24 hrs, sleep 3 - 6hrs and be able to work with him for about an hour everyday not including weekends. My wife isn't used to dealing with "bigger" reptiles as I am. I have a 12 ft red tail, helped move full grown burms (for feeding) and a couple retics. As well as my friends ARG B/W and croc monitor. Her comfort zone is about ball pythons, and any boa until about 5ft or so, and bearded dragons. But once sully gets tame then she'll be comfortable. Her only experiences with tegu's is my untame tegu. Had to join the army for personal reasons lol.