update on Louie

[TeguLouie]

well it has been a minute since i was able to post anything about my little guy, been busy setting up the man garage lol, but have been reading every day.

some new changes i made was that i moved louie from my laundry room, where he was on the floor to my front room where he can see us more often, and is now off the floor and my daughters guinea pigs cage is off the top of his. i did this so that he could get used to seeing us more since obviously we spend more time in the front room than we do the laundry room.

what im worried about is what i had to do to get him to the front room, i would appreciate if someone could let me know if i scarred my Gu for life, i was able to get a work bench for him to be put on and i order to move him i had to take him outto avoid injury. it was time to feed him anyway, well he has always been very resistant to me picking him up and today was worse tha normal, but i had to get him out. so i tried to coax him out with food, and with just laying my arm in his cage to get him out. none worked. he just stayed in his hide and burrowed, so i gave him a couple hours set up my garage a little more and came to try again. he still wouldnt come out. so i took everything out except his mulch and when i picked up his hide he came out. i had to use a plate with some turkey and vitamins on it to lift him out while he ate and placed him in his feeding bin(which he hates). we moved his cage and when i got everything set up again i tried to get him back in and he ran away, puffed up ad even nipped my finger.

obviously i pissed him off and he doesnt like me right now. but he has moved and i hope that the new location will be for the better. the good news is that today he ate 3 pinkie mice in one fell swoop, so i thik its time to move him up to fuzzies or bigger if needed.

he is a burrower and always spends 90% of his day hiding, is there anyway to get him to come out more. all his temps and humidity are correct so i am not sure what to do. anyway i know this is long and i thak you guys for helping me out. any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Neeko]

I had to get my guys out after a week for the feeding bin. They are used to it now, only my female squirms. Once she realized opening her mouth, tail whips had zero impact in me she nearly attempts them anymore. That was my method some wait unfilled their Tegus cones to them. Also I thaw food next to the heat lamp and the look for it till I give it to them. So the guinea pig on top may not be the best idea. Just my opinions hope they help. My guys don't hate the bin.

 

[TeguLouie]

yea i didnt like the pigs there either, because they are always running and it scares him, but i didnt have a choice until recently.

 

[dustintp]

I have been in your situation as well too, I needed to remove mine from his old enclosure to move him into a new one and had to disturb him in his hide. two large enclosures is not reasonable in our living room and I needed to dismantle the old one. I didn't have time to wait him out as it was late and I was making a lot of noise so he probably wasn't coming out until the next day. I agree remove the guinea pigs if possible for the time being both for the noise and if your daughter is like mine she is at that cage a lot. You got to figure everything about use screams predator to a Tegu, our eyes are forward, we make eye contact, we are huge and we reach in for them and grab them. Moving him to a area that he will be more exposed to you is good in the long term, but in the short term it is going to stress him out a little bit. He was in a room where it was quiet and he wasn't disturbed. Now you have people walking by and he is going to feel vulnerable. Give him some time to readjust before pushing yourself on him to much. I don't think you can Scare him for life but you definitely had a set back in taming. If he is putting up a huge fight when you take him out to feed him, find another way to feed him. You can try and feed him in the enclosure get a large Renolds pan for lasagna and use that so he isn't putting it on the substrate or use a paper towel around the plate. if you have tongs try those for a bit and feed him from the door. Just make sure you watch him while feeding are not only opening to go in just for food. You can also just put the food outside the enclosure on the floor and let him come out on his own.
Start by going in the cage and messing around, then move closer to him, don't corner him and always let him get away if he wants flight is always a better response than fight. Once you can touch him start to support him underneath and let him squirm out and work your way to fully picking him up and removing him. He will start understand that you are not trying to "eat" him and he can get away if he wants to, it will stop the aggressive reactions. He will also understand that you are not only there to give him food. He'll come around just be patient, I know it's hard when you see all the pictures and videos.
Not a lot you can do against burrowing all the time, if your husbandry is right he will do whats feels right, as long as his needs are meet burrowing is what feels most safe, keeping him in a well used room will spark his curiosity once he becomes more comfortable and used to people he will start to stay out more and watch you.