Is this a bonding issue or just a tegu thing?

[Mutablekitty]

I took my boy, Rueben, out for a soak and to wonder around (supervised of course). Typically when we let him out he wonders around and explores but he ALSO will crawl up onto our legs/laps. This time he didn't he was afraid of us or scared etc. He just didn't come up to us like he used to, more of just ignored us lol. The only difference I can think of (besides hes now getting closer to the 1yr mark) is that we used to have a shirt in his enclosure with our scent on it, which he loved! He would almost always be curled up inside of it. I had to remove it when he knocked his water over and the shirt got soaked. I added another shirt to his enclosure hoping he will get his friendliness back.
Is this an age thing or because of the lack of shirt??

Another thing that has been a HUGE step for Rueben and I's relationship is that he now eats off of the tongs compared to when we first got him and he wouldn't even eat if we were in the room!

 

[Wickedtactical]

I took my boy, Rueben, out for a soak and to wonder around (supervised of course). Typically when we let him out he wonders around and explores but he ALSO will crawl up onto our legs/laps. This time he didn't he was afraid of us or scared etc. He just didn't come up to us like he used to, more of just ignored us lol. The only difference I can think of (besides hes now getting closer to the 1yr mark) is that we used to have a shirt in his enclosure with our scent on it, which he loved! He would almost always be curled up inside of it. I had to remove it when he knocked his water over and the shirt got soaked. I added another shirt to his enclosure hoping he will get his friendliness back.
Is this an age thing or because of the lack of shirt??

Another thing that has been a HUGE step for Rueben and I's relationship is that he now eats off of the tongs compared to when we first got him and he wouldn't even eat if we were in the room!

Is it Tegu thing first of all, I tell you it's just an eating machine. That machine does not work properly until the temperature is right all the way to the tip of the tail. Second of all do not get between a Tegu and its food!