how should i go about this?

[Jer723]

hey guys. im going to try and actually hold my new hatchling tequila tomorrow for the first time, some actual bonding, now since shes been in her new home for almost a week. and my question is how should i go about taming my little girl. whenever i reach my hand in the tank. to clean her water, check temps, ect. she darts into her hide. i just want to know how should i start. what have you guys done? ive read taming the beast several times. i just want to hear from personal experience. and i know some of you are like well doesnt jer have a red tegu? thing with that is when i got him he was totally tame! lol. so this is new for me. ive never had any 1 on 1 experience on taming a tegu. so id like to hear from you guys. your comments are greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

Jerry

 

[Ratchet]

i started by placing a t-shirt in the tank of my tegu when i first got him/her(not quite sure yet)...when i noticed it was actually sleepign in it i started with the pet once every hour or so for a few days...then i picked it up a little bit off the ground everyday for a week then it started climbing up my arm and on my shoulder lol...i did all of this b4 i found this internet sight =P...also the switchign from the cage to the feeding bin and back is also a good tamign process too

 

[Jefroka]

I would go in and remove the hide, set it aside. Put your hand in the cage on the opposite end as your tegu and slowly move your hand towards him, let your hand rest 30 seconds or so, then move a little closer, all the while observing your tegu's body language.

You want if possible the tegu to come to you. If it does, cup your hand and go in underneath its chest area. If it runs away, slowly repeat the process.

This is something you just need to do on a consistent basis, while he is small. When he is larger, his bite will be much worse than now, so do everything you can to tame it now.

Personally, and please don't take offense, I would not have waited a week to pick him up.

You need to handle him daily and just work through the kinks.

You can do this.

Best of luck.


...Jefroka

 

[Jer723]

Personally, and please don't take offense, I would not have waited a week to pick him up.

You need to handle him daily and just work through the kinks.

well i have held her a few times. but not like for 30 minutes or actually holding it. i just held it a little bit, for maybe a minute or two or holding it for transfer to the feeding bin. ut i will try your idea. i know that you need to hold them on a daily basis. i hold my red tegu at LEAST 30 minutes a day. i just wanted the new gu to get used to its new surroundings. am i wrong for doing this? just let me know. its too late now i guess but for future referance. i will try what each of you have said. any others with hands on experience?

Jerry

 

[VenomVipe]

After you can handle him well enough to carry her, then take her to a CLEAN empty bath tub with drain closed with nothing in there. Get in and get comfortable. Then let her go. It is a good way for her to get used to you and and she will eventully come to you.


( results may vary)

 

[Jefroka]

Jerry, sounds like you are doing fine. For future reference, I would wait a day to allow a new tegu to get used to its surroundings, then the whole bonding thing must begin.

It sounds like your tegu is a little shy, with more interaction, and taking things slowly you will develop trust between you. Once trust sets in your tegu will come to rely on you and will be eager to go to you.

These lizards are very smart and once they realize you are the key to taking them out for food or to roam, they do a turn around and can't run to you fast enough. This is exactly what has happened with my little guy, lol!

Keep on moving forward, it'll happen.


...Jefroka

 

[Ratchet]

also try fisting...a little trick i learned that helps with monitors...make a fist and just put your hand in there don't move it or anything and everyday gradually move it closer to Tequila and you'll notice she'll come around soon enoug to sniff ya and just think "What the heck is this thing?" but you make a fist so she knows your not a giant peace of food.

 

[Red Earth Exotics]

also try fisting....

:rofl

 

[ddegatano]

My new Tegu came last tuesday, so it hasn't been a week yet. He is making great progress with being handled and moved to the feeding tank. He has gotten pretty comfortable with his new home. I had a shirt in the tank as soon as he went into the enclosure. That really seems to help a lot. I use a flat hand going under the tegu. he climbs up and just relaxes there. He was jumpy the first couple of times after he ate and I tried to put him back into his home tank from the feeding tank. now I can hold him for extended periods, a little longer each day. When I bring him back to his home tank, my hand is open to he can walk off whenever he wants on his time. everyday he stays a little longer. At first he would walk off, and stroll into his hide (he never darted), now he'll stay for a bit until he gets bored, then will walk back into the tank but not go back into his hide. So far from what I observed, patience is everything, the shirt in the tank works wonders, and the moving to a feeding bin really helps as well.

 

[Ratchet]

also try fisting....

:rofl

:dead -.-

 

[Jer723]

well heres a little update, today, i have made a huge amount of progress! i did the take the hide out tequnique and once i slowly approached her and gave her a few nice pets on the head and back she was fine! now when i reach in the tank she doesnt dart off. i think the real problem was that tequila didnt know if i was a friend or foe yet, but now she can certainly tell that im not gonna hurt her. she will now let me hold her and just falls asleep in my hand. it really is just amazing how quick these animals are and how smart. and how tame they get. so now that ive got the first step under my belt. where should i go from here? im going to try the tub thing. letting her in the tub with me. that should be a project of its own!lol but whats some other tequniqes that worked for you guys. thanks

Jerry

 

[VenomVipe]

have you put the t shirt in the cage yet?

 

[First Time Tegu]

Tai (my argentine red) is about 12 inches right now, and honestly he was the most jumpy lizard I have come across...worse than any gecko I ever owned. At first I was kind of a chicken and figured that if I was too persistant that he would try to bite me, so I wore some leather gloves. After a couple days of him not even attempting to bite me I took the gloves off and it seemed to calm him down a lot. It helped without gloves but he was still pretty jumpy in his cage and when taking him out of the tub after feeding.

I then decided to let him swim around in the tub for a little and everytime I wanted to he let me pick him up and hold him. So I did this for a couple days and within the week he became pretty calm. The only time he freaks out now is if I move a little too fast when he is in the tub. I would say a couple more baths he will be perfectly fine with me....also I have a shirt in his cage at all time (i switch it out every other day).

 

[Jer723]

have you put the t shirt in the cage yet?

i had a shirt in there but crickets kept on hiding in it lol. i guess ill put it back in.

 

[wyattroa]

man a lot of you guys seem like you are having great luck taming the beast... my girl is... lets just say jumpy... when i walk in the room she takes off to the hide.. when i try to pic her up to feed her she goes nuts trying to get away..when i get her she seems to calm down.. i have tried the two shirt trick..she just laid there..today we were in the bathroom for a good hour letting her just walk around...she never tries to climb on me just goes between my legs to hide under my pants..lol...but while sitting there 5 minutes ago she was basking and then walked off and went into the shirt i have laying in the tank.. thats a first..
robert

 

[Jefroka]

Glad things are going better Jerry, congratulations.


...Jefroka