So my female Argentine Black and White tegu has become food aggressive and even after i feed her and i'm changing the water or cleaning up her enclosure she still charges at me. She is 3 years old and just started this year but this year after hibernation I started feeding her in her enclosure with tongs and before I would pick her up and move her into a tub. I am going to start doing the tub again but I was wondering will she ever change back to not charging at me because last year after hibernation she was so calm I started leaving the enclosure door open and started to let her roam my room. I could touch her with no problems and now when my hands get close she jumps at them.
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Tegu food agressive
- Thread starter spencer
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- Las Vegas, NV.
She could get over it but it'll take some time.
Have you owned her for the 3 years and always tub fed her? If so, her pattern of feeding outside her enclosure may be well ingrained to her memory. So perhaps it will not be difficult to get her to come back around. You stated you started to tong feed in her enclosure after she came out of hibernation. She was sleeping for months, awakes, is hungry, and starts to get fed in her cage. That may be the problem. Maybe try setting the pattern again. Take her out (if your schedule permits) when she is still cool (low body temp) as she may not be so feisty. Put her in the tub with a lamp overhead to let her warm up and then offer food. Whatever you do, you need to change the current routine. Hope all works out and Im sure other members will chime in to give you recommendations.
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Theres a good chance she'll get over it. For whatever reason, one of my tegus went through a really short phase of charging the glass and biting when it was meal time. I started taking him out as the lights came on, before he had a chance to warm up, and he was so much easier to handle and feed. It only took a couple days of this and hes now fine with me feeding him and pretty mellow when it gets to be meal time. It was really weird and super sudden. Just be consistent with whatever method you decide to try.
Another thing, bring your tegu to the food. Don't put it in the tub then let it see you placing the food there. I always bring my tegus to the food. There have been a couple instances where I had to feed the 2 smaller/newer ones in cage but for the most part I try not to.
Guru also went through a phase, he's always been fed in the enclosure. There were a couple weeks when he was still little where he'd try to chase my hands around the enclosure but that wore off quickly. He doesn't get excited about anything anymore.
Another thing, bring your tegu to the food. Don't put it in the tub then let it see you placing the food there. I always bring my tegus to the food. There have been a couple instances where I had to feed the 2 smaller/newer ones in cage but for the most part I try not to.
Guru also went through a phase, he's always been fed in the enclosure. There were a couple weeks when he was still little where he'd try to chase my hands around the enclosure but that wore off quickly. He doesn't get excited about anything anymore.
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An option if you wish to continue feeding in the enclosure...
Without presenting food, take the Tegu out of the enclosure and let her walk around... Then prepare the food and set it in her enclosure... then place her back in the enclosure.
This way her "food excitement" makes her charge away from you as opposed to at you...
Without presenting food, take the Tegu out of the enclosure and let her walk around... Then prepare the food and set it in her enclosure... then place her back in the enclosure.
This way her "food excitement" makes her charge away from you as opposed to at you...
herpgirl2510
Member
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- 999
I always feed Tonka in the kitchen I put out a bowl while he is free roaming then I bring him to it. I also feed him at random times however I do not know if that is a bad thing he never really knows what time of day I feed him.
