tegu outside

[glk832]

Hey guys I took my red outside tody and she turned into another animal she got a little aggressive and tried to whip me with her tail is this normal........ LOL has this happened to any of your.....

 

[Jason]

this normally happens with all my reptiles. I think it's the added stimuli. new noises, smells and sensations. small things we take for granted, like a slight breeze, are all new to an animal that spent it's life inside in a controlled environment. It's just the natural "fight or flight" reaction. after a couple adventures outside she should relax a little more and be the same lizard as she is inside.

 

[james.w]

Yeah it's normal. More smells, sounds, and things to see outside. It is a whole new world to them.

 

[jerobi2k]

My adult b/W has no change at all being in doors or out, hes always been with me outside since he was tiny, take him to work, walks and shopping. but my smaller red gets a little skittish outside when it hears a siren or loud noise, skittish is something it never is inside. my red is much younger than my b/W im guessing it will grow out of that as it becomes more familiar with outdoor happenings. I even notice when a bird flys over and casts a shadow on us, it tends to act a little defensive. Im sure this is all just natural as they feel they need to be protective in the wild. maybe spending more time with it outside witll change that, maybe put to gether a little play pen or hang on the porch with it a little more. I bet it grows out of that. how old is it?

 

[glk832]

Thanks I was thinking the same thing u guys are saying....... When I brought her back in the house she was back to normal..... She is about 12 months I think.... I got her last month from teguboy77

 

[Toby_H]

Yes it is perfectly normal and typically fades away...

Jerobi2k's experience is no different, he just adapted his tegu to outdoors at a very very young age when he displayed fear in a much different way.

Anything will be defensive when put in a new and unfamiliar environment... even you


I first introduced my Tegu to the outdoors by putting him in a 6' round 300 gal rubbermaid tub. This let him feel the natural sunlight, feel a slight breeze and smell the smells, but he could not see anything outside the tub except the sky. We did this when he was not much more than a hatchling...

As a yearling I let him free roam on an outdoor deck/balcony. This let him feel the sun, feel the breeze and smell the smells as well as see the outdoors... but still kept him one step removed...

Later that summer I took him out in the grass for the first time. By this point he was well introduced to the outdoors and acted no different in the grass than he did on the balcony.

I beleive very firmly that introducing him in stages as I did is what made the experience go so well.