Charging??!

[Tofu]

So ever since Tofu has been put into her new enclosure she has started charging me whenever I put my hand in her enclosure. So far it has only happened when I first put my hand in her enclosure. She does not bite or anything, only charge reaaaaal fast then stop and posture...Does anyone know why and more importantly, what should I do??

Thanks!
Tricia

 

[Rhetoric]

To her, you're invating her space. How long ago did you put her in there? I'd give her a few days to settle in and then slowly start working with her again.

 

[Dubya]

How much is she charging you when you put your hand in? She will keep charging you as long as you keep paying her. Take away her credit card.

 

[bfb345]

How much is she charging you when you put your hand in? She will keep charging you as long as you keep paying her. Take away her credit card.

Don't forget to change the password to the safe I accidentally told her sorry

 

[Tofu]

LOL, she has been in this enclosure for 3 days so far..

Also, when do tegus hit "puberty"?

 

[bfb345]

about a year or so it depends on hibernation if she didn't a year if she did a year and a half plus

 

[Tofu]

Okay, she did hibernate before I got her (I think)..what are some signs of this puberty stage?

 

[bfb345]

Well she will be slightly more aggressive this could explain the charging its odd like Rhetoric said she see's you as an invader in her new territory its an odd display type of thing I would just let her charge you for now I think it is just her bluffing to you trying to look big and strong lol

 

[Rhetoric]

Just being moody mostly. I started noticing sperm plugs from guru. He really started packing on some weight. He was probably around a year when I noticed it but it didn't last long. Maybe a couple months tops and he wasn't always moody.
Let your tegu settle in a little more, if she keeps charging at you call her bluff. Keep your hand there until she realizes you're not afraid of her.

 

[bfb345]

agreed in full she's just being showy showy lol

 

[Tofu]

Hahaha, thanks guys. SoOo..she didn't charge me today. She stayed buried with her head sticking out, let me scritch her under the chin and then fell asleep...-_-'' I swear she is bipolar sometimes LOL XD

 

[chitodadon]

Lol, she loves u man, wit sperm plugs Godzilla produced them at 7 months

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[Teg]

Teg did half heartedly go for me but i raised my voice to him/her and he/she backed off and did the sorry closed eye thing, so maybe a row/telling off is in order !!

 

[HeatherN]

i wouldnt assert dominance over your tegu as much as just show you will not react. you dont want to put an animal like that on the defensive, just let her know you wont be intimidated. Since she is not biting, you can probably just hang there until she chills or even comes over to lick you. "oh, hey, this guy isnt coming to take my new digs, just to say hi"

This is just what has worked for me. my male used to get a bit stand-offish around his basking rock, but i would just sit there, and he got it. i think raising my voice isnt something a reptile would take as dominance. i think it would be taken as a threat; either something to fend off with further aggression, or something to retreat and hide from. Neither being something i wanted from my 'gu! Reptiles dont get in growling or shouting matches, they wrestle, bite, posture, or just plain sit on each other. rather different from mammals such as dogs or humans. behavioral bio is fun!

 

[Teg]

i wouldnt assert dominance over your tegu as much as just show you will not react. you dont want to put an animal like that on the defensive, just let her know you wont be intimidated. Since she is not biting, you can probably just hang there until she chills or even comes over to lick you. "oh, hey, this guy isnt coming to take my new digs, just to say hi"

This is just what has worked for me. my male used to get a bit stand-offish around his basking rock, but i would just sit there, and he got it. i think raising my voice isnt something a reptile would take as dominance. i think it would be taken as a threat; either something to fend off with further aggression, or something to retreat and hide from. Neither being something i wanted from my 'gu! Reptiles dont get in growling or shouting matches, they wrestle, bite, posture, or just plain sit on each other. rather different from mammals such as dogs or humans. behavioral bio is fun!

It wasn't as bad as that !! lol It was more like a naughty, naughty - tut, tut bad boy Teg, well, well i am so disappointed in you ... kind of row !! lol I wasn't shouting ! To be onest I was a bit shaken up at how quick he could move and it was more of a reaction thing on my behalf ... I could swear though that he knew he did wrong and kind of regreted it ! But ... hey ! Who knows !!? :-/

 

[HeatherN]

thats different then! i do that too, though more of an "ah-ahh" type of noise, just to say i dont agree with that behavior. i usually accompany it with a gentle redirect of behavior or direction. i usually only do that when he's about of walk off the edge of the bed or try to eat my quail though. i just kinda mumble "ah-ahh" and use my hand as a wall or redirect him by scooping him up and setting him down elsewhere. wouldnt suggest that for charging though, of course. just an "i can sit here all day" kind of attitude can take you very far with reptiles. ^.^

 

[Tofu]

LOL yeah, she has been buried for the whole day yesterday and hardly comes out (now that I put in an UTH in there for her to keep temps up she likes to burrow and lay on top of that). Perhaps she will wander out today since it is feeding day..

 

[laurarfl]

I'm sure it is the stress of being in a new enclosure. I have a 9yo female B/w that is a charger. She's not as bad as she used to be. I also used the redirect. Since the tegu was already at the door, lol, I just got her attention at the left hand and picked her up with the right. Once she is out of the enclosure, she is super clam and travels with me to events and schools. She doesn't charge as much as she used to, rarely postures, but I would ever uncover her or randomly stick my hand in her cage!

 

[Tofu]

Yeah, it was so weird. This morning she did not charge me at all and I was able to give her scritches under her chin but then later on today (when I got back home from school) I woke her up like how I did this morning. But this time I ended up moving my hand after letting her smell me and she chased my hand and settled down, then I tried to pick her up and she nipped me! I am not sure maybe I smelled like food or whatnot, but I was sure surprised (funny thing is, I handled the nip FAR better than her charges..LOL) I took her out and she squirmed but eventually calmed down. She sure is ugly with all her skin falling off. LOL