simple taming trick

[napoleone]

First of all hy to everyone of this forum and excuse me for my english. I just tested a new and very simple way to try and get your tegu used to you. The question is very simple: tegu, like alla reptiles, love sunshine. if you sit under a glass door while the sun passes through in a way that your legs and your body are the only points where the sun arrives, the tegu must climb on you if he/she wants to feal the heat of the sun. In this way you don't force him and the tegu itself will come over you to get heat. I know it sounds like a stupid thing, but i saw that is the best way to make the tegu to get used to your body and scent. Also the tegu will associate your body with a nice sensation (sun heat). I usually leave my tegu to roam around the room, and to bask under the glass door by itself, but i try to spend at least an hour a day in this position moving my body to join the sun.

 

[tegus]

good idea, i'll try that after i purchase my first b&w tegu tomorrow. thanks for the tip, best one i've heard that isnt "hold it alot".

 

[napoleone]

Exactly. If you just sit in the room, the tegu will probably (if it has yet some confidence) make a little trip on you and then go somewhere else. If you sit just in the only point where the sun touches the ground he will roam around and then "courageously" try to reach the heated point on the highest part of your legs, where is more soft and comfortable. In this position he/she will be very near to your face and your hands. I usually read a book in this position and occasionally give him a little stroke (?) on the back. I've noticed that for the first moments the tegu is usually suspicious and tends to keep the eye opened and watch if i move, but after a while, he/she just flat his body to enjoy with closed eyes the heat.

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"hold it alot".

That's the problem. Because my tegu don't like to be held and don't have a reason to stay on my knees, i've tried just to give him a natural and valid reason to do so, without forcing or grabbing him to do something.

 

[m3s4]

Great idea, sounds like a very good approach.

 

[dragonmetalhead]

That's not stupid, that's a really clever idea. It's something I wouldn't have thought of, and yet it seems very obvious. I bet it would work with other lizard species, too. Please keep us updated on your progress, I'm interested to see how this turns out.

 

[napoleone]

I am really please with this method. The tegu climbs on my legs, on my neck (even on my face). He love to curls up (?) on my hand. The only thing i'm suprised is a sort of histerical behavior: with slow movements and a little patience we arrive at this point of confidence, but the next day as soon as i open the terrarium it seems like is the first time he sees me. Bah
Anyway this is my little dino (don't know if is a he or a she), i think it might be a blue tegu:

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Awww I had a Dino,.. and there's not doubt about it,.. that's a Blue tegu. Love those burnt noses Blue or not.

 

[HeatherN]

What a beautiful blue! And very interesting method that I will definitely try. And fret not, your English is very good for someone unsure of their skill! Makes perfect sense.

 

[napoleone]

Poor thing, he is without a feet (one of the back ones). Probably in the past he had a bad shedding that ended up with a necrosis, now perfectly healed (?). He moves perfectly and fast (when he is hungry he can jump from a sofa to another). When i saw it in the shop i thought that no one wanted a lizard without a foot, so i took it. I love his black tears on a white head. The thing I've learned in these fiew monthes about this fascinating reptile is that if you expect a doggy tame lizard, you can turn up disappointed. But if you let him come to you when he/she wanted, slowly, he will give you a little trust every day. Under the sun my tegu seems like considering my body and my belly like the highest place where to get it. Please try it and tell me if it works with yours as well.

 

[loweryrr]

My tegu is skittish and an idea I am trying is to let her burrow into a towel and set her on my lap in the towel. She seems to be comfortable with it so far.

 

[Walter1]

Better yet, have her burrow into a towel or shirt you've used, and set that on your lap.

 

[loweryrr]

After some trial and error I finally tamed my tegu. It only took a week. I tried several things such as wrapping her up in a towel and laying her on my lap, tried taking her out first thing and giving her a bath, tried feeding with me watching, tried just getting her out of the cage and letting her explore while giving her some space, and I tried just holding her when she was out of the cage. During the daylight hours most of this failed. She just seemed to anxious for any of it and she would hide if she was down or death roll if I was holding her. As a side not she was never aggressive. What worked was finding out what made her happy. She needed a routine that made her feel more at home. First thing we do in the morning now is go outside and enjoy the sun until she warms up (she will let me hold her for this time) then once she gets warm I take her for her soak in the tub (where she does her business). Afterwards I take her out of the tub and let her free roam until she gets tired and I put her in her cage until she acts like she wants out. We do this several times throughout the day. I usually feed her every other day around 1pm. Around 10pm I turn off moat of the lights and during this time if shes worn out she will let me hold her for an hour or 2. This routine has worked wonders. After a couple of days she will actually approach me and give me attention. If I sit next to her cage she will walk up to me and sit down. I guess the trick to taming is just simply finding out what routine makes your tegu happy.