My Tegu is a Terror

Scoobie · New Member Joined: Sep 26, 2005 Posts: 7

My boyfriend bought an Argentinian Tegu and gave me the assurance that this little fellow would be "puppy dog tame." Hence the name Scoobie. He is anything but "puppy dog tame." When he was little I handled him and was able to carry him around on my shoulder. He was a great pet. Then we put him in a large cage. Since then I have been hissed at, whipped, scratched and clawed. Those tail lashings hurt! I want my handleable tegu back. Any suggestions? I try to stroke his head and talk to him in a calm voice as often as possible but once he's had it...the tail starts twitching.

Teiidae · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:37 pm Post subject:

You have posted in another thread that your Tegu is in Cedar - This is toxic and poisoning your Tegu, which may have a impact on your Tegu's behavior and moving him to a larger enclosure will cause stress as well ...
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Scoobie · New Member Joined: Sep 26, 2005 Posts: 7

We had to move him to a larger cage as he outgrew his other very quickly. The one that he is in now is a great fit for him, he has plenty of room to walk around, burrow, bask and sleep. I didn't know cedar was poisonous. What would you recommend? Any suggestions on how to calm Scoobie down?

Diegar · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:15 pm Post subject:

okay first off... as for the bedding, you could do with cypress, aspen, or orchid mulch... those will all work fine.. if you can get cypress mulch, perhaps at your local home depot, that would be great..

As for the temperment.. are you sure that it is argentine? If you are unsure, you can look here: http://thetegu.com/contentid-10.html

If that still doesn't help you, then take some closeup pics of the side of the tegu's face and post them here...

If it is indeed an argentine tegu, then holding it daily should calm it down. If you don't feel comfortable at first, try it with a glove, like a cotton gardeners glove. That way if he bites, then it won't hurt. I, personally, have been hissed at. As for the tail whipping, i have gotten the most of that from him wanting me to put him down, but he has never bitten me, or even tried.

I hope this helps.. prolly not, but i had to try. Good luck with your tegu!!
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Teiidae · Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:12 pm Post subject:

Kinda does sound like a Colombian - Got a pic ? - Repti-Bark is another good substrate as well - What was the size difference in changing the enclosures and how big is the Tegu ? - And are you feeding inside or outside the enclosure ? ...
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Scoobie · New Member Joined: Sep 26, 2005 Posts: 7

Ok, just in case nobody can tell I am new to the reptile world. I went from dogs and cats to tegu's, bearded dragons, gecko's and three different types of snakes. Obviously I will make a few technical errors. The mulch that Scoobie is in is cyprus...it smelled nice when it was first brought in so...I won't embarress myself by finishing that statement. I appreciate all the advice I have received and plan to try the glove idea. The albino burmese that I also "inherited" struck me once and I have no intention of repeating that incident with a much larger-mouthed reptile. Thanks for the suggestions!

drfish · Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 8:47 am Post subject:

jb · Honored Member Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 201

Any tegu can get frazzled and possilby bite, you have to watch the warning signs. It doesnt matter if it is an Argentine-they usually calm down-but one kept outside for breeding and was never handled,etc is going to take some work. Try to pick it up with as little stress as possible, if it gets frantic and starts rushing at you, tail whipping, running away, etc then leave it alone for awhile. As it becomes accustomed to handling, those "episodes" should lessen. Also, i've noticed alot of my male lizards get more feisty when they become sexually active-it's like lizard puberty. good luck.

drfish · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:04 pm Post subject:

I found that walking away and leaving the Tegu after an attack simply compounded the problem. Is the basic lesson here, as with many animals, to let them know that their actions will not have the desired effect. when they charge you, whip you etc, they are basically saying "I don't like you in my space, now beat it !" . For you to turn and walk away at this point, would just emphasise the animals apparent feeling of superiority. Lizards don't sulk. He won't sit and think "Ooh they've left me alone now, it's not fair". They couldn't care less whether your stood there or not, they are for the most part solitary animals anyway. why would they care if they have company. My plan of attack, so to speak, was after the first initial tail whippings, charges etc, stand my ground. Fair enough, I got hit a few times, quite hard as well, but as i've mentioned before, I have 2 staffordshire bull terriers, and a Tegu doesn't hit nearly as hard, or look as menacing when it kicks off. By standing my ground, I have earnt his respect, and he rarely charges me anymore, knowing in his own mind that it won't make a blind bit of difference if I do. At the end of the day, you are 100 times their size. Who's more scared of who really ?

One thing I did find, from experience. If you are uncertain of the reaction, have a jug of water handy. If he charges you, splash his face. He will then begin to associate that when he charges you, it may be a more unpleasant experience than first thought. It was the only way I could prise mine of my shoe the other week, lol.