Feeding out of tank

[Kasmut]

Everywhere I've read, it says the best method to prevent cage agression is to feed your gu outside of the enclosure in a separate bin. My question is, how can you accomplish this with an un-trusting new tegu that flees at the sight of your hand? I heard force handling doesn't help with the bonding process, so I'm just worried that either way I am screwed.

Right now my gu is several months old and in a temp 20gal tank. I can't approach him at ground level, and always have to reach down to try and interact which probably makes things worse. I know I need to give him time to come to me I'm just afraid that he won't and in the meantime how do I go about feeding?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Whether you feed inside the enclosure or out, do what works for the tegu. Some are more comfortable with feeding inside, cage aggression is not an issue as long as you also spend time doing other things inside the enclosure that are not food related.

Most cage aggression comes from not having enough space and or exercise. As well as when human interaction mainly revolves around feeding time. If pretty much the only time they see you in or around the cage there's food involved then they start to associate you with that.

As long as you spend more time working with them inside the enclosure with out any food involved, it'll be fine. Out of 5 tegus raised from hatchlings and fed inside their enclosure in the beginning, I have never had an issue with cage or food aggression. As long as I didn't have their bowl in my hand, even then they went after that and not me.

Natsuki I got as an adult last year who was fed live prey in his cage and was cage aggressive when I got him. Not so much now, every so often he still has his days where he rushes the door when he hears the key in the lock, but no where close to as often and as hard as he use to.

I don't feed live but if I'm short on time he still eats in his cage.

 

[Kasmut]

Thanks for the advice! I tried feeding him crickets with tongs but he seems to like catching them on his own. Aside from one incident where I tried to feed him outside of the bin (didn't work lol) he doesn't really snap or tail-whip with my hands, he just skitters away. I'll give him more time.

 

[Murkve]

Thanks for the advice! I tried feeding him crickets with tongs but he seems to like catching them on his own. Aside from one incident where I tried to feed him outside of the bin (didn't work lol) he doesn't really snap or tail-whip with my hands, he just skitters away. I'll give him more time.

He may like the crickets more free-range, but it creates a better bonding time to feed with tongs. In this way you can test his boundaries by leading him to your hands, and gradually building up trust.

If you really want to move on to a feeding bin though, I made the transition with a pillowcase. Place it in the enclosure, make sure it is easy to get into, and usually they will go investigate this strange piece of furniture. Once they enter the pillowcase, reach in and swoop it up. Best part is that it doesn't break trust (too much) because your Tegu thinks it is hidden.