Taming advice for a weird enclosure!

[Mordi]

Hey, you guys! I was just looking for some advice for making my tegu feel at ease but also not feel like I'm invading his space! My grandpa helped me build his enclosure! It is 8x4x4 with rolling wheels which is absolutely perfect; he did everything I asked for + more and I can't tell you how grateful I am...…. except he didn't think about installing a front door lol. I'm gonna include pictures, but basically there's a latched top that you can prop open. I didn't realize this until he drove down here to build it or I would have done something about it sooner. I can still reach in and go change his food/water so it hasn't really been an issue other than trying to tame the little dude. First, I would put my hand in, but he would try to bite it so I started trying to differentiate between my hand/food. I felt like it was working but he was still very skittish so recently what I've been doing over the last week is climbing in and just sitting there opposite to the side with his main burrow/basking area for like an hour every night so he can come over and check me out if he wants to. The second day into this he came and sat by me and just chilled which is pretty cool! He feels comfortable walking on top of my feet or sitting next to me... but when I reach out to him he runs from my hand, so I've backed up and kept sitting so he can check me out, though recently it seems like now he's kind of bored with me (ouch, haha) so he doesn't really walk over. I've heard putting in a used t-shirt can help so I'm gonna try that, but I was wondering if you guys had any tips or words of reassurance! I just don't want to make him feel like I'm threatening his space?? But I also haven't been able to get him to trust me enough to pick him up so I can remove him and install a front door.

 

[Mordi]

I’VE ONLY HAD HIM FOR 2 MONTHS THOUGH SO I MIGHT JUST BE GETTING ANSTY FOR NO REASON! I know it’s a slow process and stuff!!

 

[Walter1]

Reaching down can be very scary to a small lizard. Think hawk. A worn shirt in his hide is good. So is talking to him while you're in there or appeoaching the enclosure. They are very much aware of things.

 

[Mordi]

Reaching down can be very scary to a small lizard. Think hawk. A worn shirt in his hide is good. So is talking to him while you're in there or appeoaching the enclosure. They are very much aware of things.

OKAY COOL I’ve been trying to talk to him and he seems really aware of my voice/presence so I’ll keep trying that and the t-shirt technique!! Thank you!

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Well done Grandpa the enclosure looks great..... sounds like your doing great to me and your just learning the ways of a juvenile skittish tegu, things will change in time, with size and patience.

does your front glass/plexi just clamp to the inside of its frame??
If so can you maybe clamp it loosely to the exterior and remove a side clip so it will slide out and just use a peg pushed through to lock it shut.

 

[Mordi]

Well done Grandpa the enclosure looks great..... sounds like your doing great to me and your just learning the ways of a juvenile skittish tegu, things will change in time, with size and patience.

does your front glass/plexi just clamp to the inside of its frame??
If so can you maybe clamp it loosely to the exterior and remove a side clip so it will slide out and just use a peg pushed through to lock it shut.

AW THANK YOU SO MUCH !! I KNOW, RIGHT?? I tried to come just pick it up but we realized it wouldn’t fit through the door or windows so he even drove an hour and a half to build it in the kitchen with me!!

OH THATS AN AWESOME IDEA! Yeah! The plexiglass is clamped on the inside and I was thinking about sawing a door but honestly that’s an awesome idea and I think it would save some hassle too!!