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 #1774308


Badtimmyd
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 Help me Please

OK. so i just got my my first ar.B&W tegu, and when i brought him home he was totally chill, he would just fall asleep in my hand and what not about 2 days later he pulled a 180, now he is very aggressive, bites at the glass when you walk up to it and has bit me every time i get him out to feed, i need help.

Ive had many snakes, lizards, and torts. but I’m not sure how the temperament of a baby tegu should be, my Friend brought up a good point saying that it being calm when i first brought him home was a bad sign and that he should be very aggressive as a baby, is this true...i cant find anything about temperament as babys....i know that they are pretty tame as adults....is this normal or is this little guy sick, or what....i need advice
06/26/08  12:48pm

 #1774785


Hazerider
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   Message To: Badtimmyd   In reference to Message Id: 1774308


 Help me Please

More then likely, the reason he was so calm when you first got him was from stress. Being moved from one home to another is quite stressful, especially on a baby. He/She is still adjusting to their new environment. Just give it time. Resist the temptation to make any non-necessary physical contact with it the first few days. Let it acclimate.
06/26/08  06:38pm

 #1774820


Turtle addict
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   Message To: Hazerider   In reference to Message Id: 1774785


 Help me Please

I put mine in a cage for about a week and didn’t touch him. Now we hold him daily and no issues. I also have a arg b/w baby.
06/26/08  07:20pm

 #1775594


Badtimmyd
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   Message To: Turtle addict   In reference to Message Id: 1774820


 Help me Please

its been almost a month now and he seems to want to bite me more and more every day, when i approach the cage he puffs up and hisses, put your hands anywhere qaround the cage and he charges from the other side with mouth ready.......
06/27/08  02:20pm

 #1776644


Hazerider
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   Message To: Badtimmyd   In reference to Message Id: 1775594


 Help me Please

where do you have the cage located?



06/28/08  03:20pm

 #1777510


Lazzo01
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   Message To: Hazerider   In reference to Message Id: 1776644


 Help me Please

thats a good question after the stress of a move if it is in a high traffic area of your home, or if you are going up to check on it alot it wont ever calm down, it will just stay stressed and aggresive.
06/29/08  12:53pm

 #1778063


Mike S
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   Message To: Badtimmyd   In reference to Message Id: 1774308


 Help me Please

Hello badtimmyd

The temperament of your tegu is indeed normal, it is a baby and its instinct is to run ... but since its confound in a small cage, its next defense is tail whipping/biting.

That being said, if you ever want to be able to hold your tegu and have him be affectionate towards you, you are going to have to ... more or less suck it up and grab him. If you go into his cage, go to grab him and he tries to nip ya and tail whip you, and then you pull out close the cage and leave him alone, you are making im think ... hey, if i do this, he’ll leave me alone.
Get a pair of leather gloves if you really have to, once you go in, DO NOT leave that cage without him in your hands. When you are holding him, pet him with one or two fingers on the top of his head between his eyes, if he opens his mouth gently close it, then start rubbing his head again, repeat this until he stops opening his mouth. If i were you i would hold him daily for 45 minutes to an hour.
Once he stops opening his mouth when you pet the top of his head, move to the bottom of his jaw. Start at the top of his head, then move to the bottom. If he jerks, hold him tight until he stops, then start over.. petting the top of his head and then going to the bottom, until he is comfortable with it. And then just progress from there.
As to grabbing them from the cage ... that takes ALOT of time ... just keep grabbing him, dont give up, if you do that negative reinforcement which is BAD!
Eventually he will get sick of biting you, he will get sick of running from you, he will get sick of tail whipping you, and he will finally realize, Hey! hes not guna hurt me, i might even like this mofo.

But yea, enjoy it! Work hard with him and dont give up!
If you have any more questions feel free to drop me a message or post here, the people on here are more than happy to give you the information we have stored in our brains :D

Good luck,
Mike
06/29/08  09:59pm

 #1781665


Badtimmyd
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   Message To: Mike S   In reference to Message Id: 1778063


 Help me Please

hey thanks, that’s what I was thinking..and what I do with all my snakes, after they bite you they give up, also he’s in a separate room....thanks for all the help guys
07/03/08  12:39pm


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