Taming question?

[DinoDawg]

I've had my Argentine Red Tegu for about 8 months now. He's about a foot and a half long. He (I'm not sure of the gender at the moment) is my first Tegu, so I'm not very experienced with him yet.

I'm very nervous about him being aggressive when he is fully-grown, due to his constant skittishness at the moment. I've been bitten by him twice so far. The first time he had bitten me was while I was cleaning his tank, the second time was around feeding time, which I believe was accidental for he didn't seem aggressive toward me (just hungry).

He (at times) will climb on my hand when I put it in the tank, and sit on it for a good 20 minutes or so. I try to put my hand in his tank often as long as he's out of his hide (I've heard it's not good to disturb them while they're in their hide?). For a while, he had a habit of running up my arm and attempting to jump out of his tank when I'd put my hand in there. Now, he seems a little aggressive around feeding time, but he never attempts to bite me unless he happens to see me putting a pinkie mouse into his bowl. Other than that, he allows me to (at times) stroke down his back, and handle him. The most he typically does is thrash his tail or appear to hyperventilate/hiss if I startle him. I have an old piece of a blanket in his tank (I used to often sleep with it), to get him used to my sent.

Do Red Tegus tame easily/become more docile as they age? Are Tegus usually a little frisky/more prone to bite you when they know it's feeding time? Or is this an early sign of tank aggression? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Piercedcub32]

Are you currently feeding him in his enclosure? How big is your cage? Have you had since a hatchling?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

It's a phase that you have to work through,.. there will be good days and bad. Maybe even a couple of set backs after you have made some progress,.. he'll come around.

How much are you feeding him and how often? Also since he's some times more willing to approach you to get out,.. you may wanna switch to feeding him outside of his enclosure.

 

[DinoDawg]

Are you currently feeding him in his enclosure? How big is your cage? Have you had since a hatchling?

I do feed him in his enclosure, but will take him out if he's out of his hide (Otherwise I put the food in his bowl/dish, and he usually sniffs it out shortly). The tank is a 40gallon right now. And yes, I've had him since a hatchling.

 

[herpgirl2510]

I would feed out of the enclosure when He goes onto your hand take hin out and feed him. You can also try going in the bathroom or other easily tegu proofed room and let him explore while you sit on the floor. I have been wroking with tonka for a few weeks he is about 3 feet and was not handled. he is coming around alot I can now pick him up and steal a cuddle I mostly let him do his own thing.When your guy gets bigger ou can let him roam around. Also how big is he compared to his cage sometimes they can get aggressive if their enclosure is too small.

 

[DinoDawg]

It's a phase that you have to work through,.. there will be good days and bad. Maybe even a couple of set backs after you have made some progress,.. he'll come around.

How much are you feeding him and how often? Also since he's some times more willing to approach you to get out,.. you may wanna switch to feeding him outside of his enclosure.

I feed him every day once a day, and try to vary his diet. I feed him dubia roaches (have a colony), crickets, fuzzies, scrambled eggs (not very often, but twice a month or so), blueberries, plums, peaches, grapes, waxworms (as a rare "treat"), and sometimes a bit of cooked, grounded, chicken meat from the deli (not very often). All the insects I feed him are gut-loaded and I calcium dust them. I usually feed him until he seems less enthusiastic about the food (Then I take out what is remaining).

 

[reptastic]

How big is he? you shouldnt cook the meat just feed it raw, have you tried other foods like ground turkey, liver, gizzards, hearts ect? perhaps he is still hungry,

 

[Toby_H]

My first and biggest suggestion, get him into a larger enclosure...

If you read this forum carefully, you will see time after time people who keep their Tegus in small enclosures have aggression issues. Then they blame this aggression on everything except the enclosure size.


Keep in mind, in nature, hundreds of Tegus are born for every one that reaches adult size. As babies they are 'wired' to be skittish as a survival tactic. While the threats in captivity are nill, that doesn't overcome the millions of years of evolution that is tellign them to be skittish.

As they grow, the natural threats become fewer thus they are 'wired' to relax as they mature.


Based on your first post in this thread, it souds like you are doing things right. Using a scented blanket, putting your hands in the tank often, handling often but not being forceful... Keep in mind if you move too slowly, he will feel like he is being stalked by a preditor, but moving to quickly makes him feel as if he is being sprung upon by a preditor. The trick is to find that steady medium speed to move that doesn't trigger either reaction.


I've fed my 3 year old Tegu in his enclosure from day one and he is complete docile and is the extreme opposite of food aggressive. It is important to have a prepared area for feeding that will keep mulch out of the food and food out of the mulch, otherwise I don't see a problem with feeding in the enclsoure.

When he was smaller and friskier, I would take him out of the enclosure, then put the food in, then return him to the enclosure. This prevented me from getting nipped when he was going after food.

As an adult, provided he is well fed, he happily approaches the food and eats but with far less "attack" in his approach. Currently I can take his food plate away from him in mid meal and pet his head and he shows me no signs of aggression. He just starts walking toward the food...


In my opinion, based on raising a spoiled rotten Tegu and being an active member here for a few years, as well as having kept reptiles on and off for 25 years... Too small of an enclosure is the absolute most common cause of an aggressive Tegu. It's also 100% within our direct control and is 100% our responsibility.