Food aggression?

[Nickali21]

So we got our blue tegu back last September and he was about 3 months old. About a month after we got him, he went down into brumation. Totally expected but with that being said, we didn't get much time to work with him to get comfortable around us or to even handle him much.
He is now starting to come out a little more but hasn't fully come out of brumation. We are noticing very aggressive behavior once we come to the enclosure and go to unlock it. He will run off his basking platform and literally run into the plexiglass at full sprint. I am thinking this is mainly food aggression as we haven't been able to train him to eat outside the enclosure yet.
My question is, is this just food aggression, because after he is eating we can touch him and he doesn't even seemed bothered by us? Or is it just because he is young, about 8 months old now and just getting to the tegu teenage phase? Are there any tricks we can use to help him calm down and get use to us, so he isn't so aggressive when come to the cage?

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Sounds to me, more like the grumpy stage at the end of winter when hes just emerging hungry and tired with the added affects puberty and trying to push boundaries / assert authority...... I'm sure it will pass

 

[Debita]

I agree with Alpha - it sounds like you didn't have much time with him, and he's prob wondering why he's confined.

I laughed at your description about him running straight into the glass.....a couple years ago - my adult male did that, and tried to bite me, or scare me, and (that was very successful at the time), I described it as a flurry of substrate that resembled a snow globe. That male is now 3 yrs old, and is my buddy - he acknowledges me differently than everyone else, and is the most relaxed with me. I put in the work that the forum members suggested, and he eventually lost his stubborn battle. After 10 months of aggression - he's a very kicked back king of the world now.

 

[Walter1]

Debita's experience relates directly to the importance of persistance of clear boundaries and cause-effect. They thrive with rules/boundaries.

 

[Debita]

So grateful for you guys!! Not kidding - I didn't want to fail at this. It was important to hang in there, use Alpha Alpha's patience, and Walter1's tricks of the trade. Great combination.