Murkve
Member
- Messages
- 186
Hey Everyone.
Keeping with the current trend, I decided that I wanted a place of sorts to log developments with Sigourney, my hybrid from Laura. So here it goes! (Hope you enjoy Laura!)
Sig is growing like a weed. Honestly, I've never seen a living 'ism grow this fast before. I believe that she started out at about 9" or so, and is now sitting pretty at about 19". This was in about 1.5 months. It really is a testament to the wonderful bloodline that she comes from. Have a look at these rather dramatic photos from the first day I got her, compared with a photo from a couple days ago.
[attachment=4892]
[attachment=4893]
I've been working with her close to every day, and she is coming along rather nicely in the taming department. Previously, I was feeding her in a bin, and relied on handling her to and fro' in order to build up trust. I was able to do this with a single, landmark development about 3 weeks ago, wherein she started to walk into my hand if I put it in her enclosure while she was hungry. I have since changed my approach, as whenever she is in an area where she has room to run, she reverts back to being stressfully skittish.
After reading countless Varanus (Monitor Lizard) boards extolling the use of tongs and no forced handling, and Varnyard's popular "Put it in the bathroom and ignore it" method, I decided to combine the two. I made a fence of sorts out of scrap cardboard, and used it to fence off a carpeted area of my den. I put some things in there like empty glass bottles, cardboard strings, wadded up paper, a hose - just Tegu safe stuff that she hasn't seen before. I then got in the pen with her and proceeded to ignore her. When she came up to investigate me, I rewarded her with some food, and would continue to do so with each new investigation. I stopped feeding her just short of her being full. (The reason for this will be apparent shortly.)
After letting her roam in the pen for another 5 minutes or so, I moved to try and handle her, on my terms. I moved my hands slowly towards her, waited for her freeze reaction to finish each time (She was in a new, large, unfamiliar area, and was very skittish) and gently coaxed her onto my hand. As quickly as I could without freaking her out, I rewarded this behavior with some food from my tongs. I then handled her calmly for another 5 minutes or so, and out her back in her enclosure.
After just 4 days in a row, this method had yielded a Tegu that will literally jump onto my lap when she is in the pen and hungry, and will gladly come and investigate me and my hands when full. I was also able to coax her onto my hands, on my terms, with no huffing yesterday. I immediately rewarded her, and she was the calmest she has ever been. She wasn't "frozen" either - her eyes were open, tongue sniffing, head moving, evertything. She was just calm and relaxed in my hands. I truly feel like she is starting to see my presence as benevolent now, and she isn't even 3 months old yet. I can't wait until she gets bigger and more self-confident.
Please, enjoy some of her glamour shots :
[attachment=4894]
[attachment=4895]
[attachment=4896]
Also, I remodeled her enclosure 3 days ago. New substrate, gave her some new cork bark hides, and moved old things around. I also got her a new sleepy-time blanket.
[attachment=4897]
[attachment=4898]
[attachment=4899]
[attachment=4900]
[attachment=4901]
She is so active, you guys. She I have her on a 12 hour cycle, and I think she roams around her enclosure for what must be 7 hours. She digs, she jumps, she sniffs, she gets muddy, she eats rocks. I have to change her water out about 3 times a day. She is so much fun to watch, and pet - though I have to be careful because she will jump on my arm and clamber up, hoping to be taken out. Honestly, I wish I could let her free roam like MacGyver does. However, my house is definitely not Tegu proof, and I have 3 Cats. Not good.
Anyway, thank you for reading. I'll be updating more once I get a good video or two!
Keeping with the current trend, I decided that I wanted a place of sorts to log developments with Sigourney, my hybrid from Laura. So here it goes! (Hope you enjoy Laura!)
Sig is growing like a weed. Honestly, I've never seen a living 'ism grow this fast before. I believe that she started out at about 9" or so, and is now sitting pretty at about 19". This was in about 1.5 months. It really is a testament to the wonderful bloodline that she comes from. Have a look at these rather dramatic photos from the first day I got her, compared with a photo from a couple days ago.
[attachment=4892]
[attachment=4893]
I've been working with her close to every day, and she is coming along rather nicely in the taming department. Previously, I was feeding her in a bin, and relied on handling her to and fro' in order to build up trust. I was able to do this with a single, landmark development about 3 weeks ago, wherein she started to walk into my hand if I put it in her enclosure while she was hungry. I have since changed my approach, as whenever she is in an area where she has room to run, she reverts back to being stressfully skittish.
After reading countless Varanus (Monitor Lizard) boards extolling the use of tongs and no forced handling, and Varnyard's popular "Put it in the bathroom and ignore it" method, I decided to combine the two. I made a fence of sorts out of scrap cardboard, and used it to fence off a carpeted area of my den. I put some things in there like empty glass bottles, cardboard strings, wadded up paper, a hose - just Tegu safe stuff that she hasn't seen before. I then got in the pen with her and proceeded to ignore her. When she came up to investigate me, I rewarded her with some food, and would continue to do so with each new investigation. I stopped feeding her just short of her being full. (The reason for this will be apparent shortly.)
After letting her roam in the pen for another 5 minutes or so, I moved to try and handle her, on my terms. I moved my hands slowly towards her, waited for her freeze reaction to finish each time (She was in a new, large, unfamiliar area, and was very skittish) and gently coaxed her onto my hand. As quickly as I could without freaking her out, I rewarded this behavior with some food from my tongs. I then handled her calmly for another 5 minutes or so, and out her back in her enclosure.
After just 4 days in a row, this method had yielded a Tegu that will literally jump onto my lap when she is in the pen and hungry, and will gladly come and investigate me and my hands when full. I was also able to coax her onto my hands, on my terms, with no huffing yesterday. I immediately rewarded her, and she was the calmest she has ever been. She wasn't "frozen" either - her eyes were open, tongue sniffing, head moving, evertything. She was just calm and relaxed in my hands. I truly feel like she is starting to see my presence as benevolent now, and she isn't even 3 months old yet. I can't wait until she gets bigger and more self-confident.
Please, enjoy some of her glamour shots :
[attachment=4894]
[attachment=4895]
[attachment=4896]
Also, I remodeled her enclosure 3 days ago. New substrate, gave her some new cork bark hides, and moved old things around. I also got her a new sleepy-time blanket.
[attachment=4897]
[attachment=4898]
[attachment=4899]
[attachment=4900]
[attachment=4901]
She is so active, you guys. She I have her on a 12 hour cycle, and I think she roams around her enclosure for what must be 7 hours. She digs, she jumps, she sniffs, she gets muddy, she eats rocks. I have to change her water out about 3 times a day. She is so much fun to watch, and pet - though I have to be careful because she will jump on my arm and clamber up, hoping to be taken out. Honestly, I wish I could let her free roam like MacGyver does. However, my house is definitely not Tegu proof, and I have 3 Cats. Not good.
Anyway, thank you for reading. I'll be updating more once I get a good video or two!