Biting Baby Tegu

[Tegubaby123]

I have a baby tegu and i am really scared if it bites me hes is about one month and he i very skittish i owned him for about a week now and wanted to know how it feels or if i should start off with gloves for handleing?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

RE: Bitting

At that size it can feel like a bunch of pin pricks at once since they have tiny little sharp teeth. It can break the skin but we usually cause most of the damage by the surprise reaction and pulling away. Weather or not you use gloves is up to you but if or when they want to bite, they're gonna bite gloves on or not.

 

[TeguBuzz]

RE: Bitting

It's so tiny there's no point in using gloves. I never once used gloves with my tegus, even the adults. You just have to accept it and face the fact that you may get bit, having that fear is no good bud!

 

[Tegubaby123]

RE: Bitting

im tryimh lol i have a bearded dragon too and she has puffed at me befor but i think its just cause its my first tegu and i dont know how they are yet

 

[Dubya]

RE: Bitting

[attachment=6801]If you are so afraid of getting bitten, why did you get a big lizard like a tegu? Maybe you should have gotten a Banana slug. Put on your chest wig and man up. Even if you are a girl.

 

[bfb345]

RE: Bitting

those are groose dubya

 

[Dubya]

RE: Bitting

those are groose dubya

Maybe you just are prejudiced against living blobs of flesh and mucus. It is like having a pet sinus with the flu.

 

[Jstew]

When my baby gu bit me i think my laughter scared him. Just take a bite like a champ And getting bit will be your last concern. He can sense that fear it will get you in trouble in the future

 

[dragonmetalhead]

Personally, I don't like using gloves with my pets. If it's an animal you intend to interact with a lot, skin-to-skin contact is the way to go. Better let them get acclimated to the touch and smell of human skin rather than the leather of a glove. Gloves decrease your dexterity and make your hand appear bigger, which I have found actually scares some reptiles. Unless the animal is aggressive and guaranteed going to hurt you, just use your hands. Bites are part of the package when working with animals, even pets.

 

[BatGirl1]

Yes I agree because I was in this boat with my new jungle carpet python. His biting/striking behavior drove me to try gloves. Well it seemed to boost my confidence in handling him BUT he seemed to strike MORE and actually hung onto my thumb with his teeth for one strike. I have decided not to use gloves anymore. Even if I get bit. Because like others said, the animal needs to get used to your warmth and scent so they can trust you as a caregiver and not a danger. They can't do that with gloves.

 

[Tegubaby123]

i am not really scared of getting bitten its just i have a quick reflex so im scared i might hurt him i handled him today and he opened his mouth but i just kept petting him.

---

and i am a boy

 

[Dubya]

So put on your big boy pants and handle the little bugger.

 

[Tegubaby123]

my baby Gu' did something like this today when being handled

 

[Dubya]

He is just teething. Keep up gentle handling. Who is the boss here?

 

[Tegubaby123]

lol, and for me i feel like i have touble handling yet but ill get use to it im just not use to handleing flighty lizards yet

 

[laurarfl]

I agree about ditching the gloves. Colombians like to display and open their mouths, so he might do that for a bit longer. The little guys don't hurt very much and usually bite and let go. Just don't pull away and wait for them to release. If you pull away, you may damage their teeth, you may damage your skin, and they may bite harder.

Each tegu is different. Babies usually aren't a problem. I have received warning bites from adults that weren't a big deal. I got bit my the little guy in my avatar 2 weeks ago and it was the worst bite I've had in a long time. His tooth caught my nail bed and he isn't very tame. If I so much as flinched, he chomped harder. Every time he squeezed his jaws,I saw stars. We just kinda sat there for a few minutes until I could reach something to open his mouth. But in the years I've worked with tegus, the babies are no biggie. They are just scared you are trying to eat them and are trying to protect themselves.