>>I want a tegu and have a large enclosure but it will see alot of people walking by and I need to be able to handle it as it matures. I do reptile education talks and would like to put a soft fabric rubber band on its nose so that little children can safely touch him. This only happens once in every few months so it would not be a constant thing. Is this unrealistic? I have done this with smaller gators for the last year or two but they get to big too fast. Let me know what you think.

I use tegus in my educational programs and never use anything on their noses. I handle them in a safe manner and sometimes they can touch, sometimes they can't, depending on the mood of the animal and the children. Usually hands-on is fine if the tegu is manageable and held properly.

The key is to having an animal with the temperament for the job. Some tegus are better suited for that line of work than others. Some seem calm and then get startled by the noise of children or being outside. It's better to acclimate them to that sort of work.

I can't imagine they would tolerate anything on their snout. For one thing, the tongue flick is so important to their sense of well-being in determining their surroundings. Secondly, their snouts are more conical than a gator's and a fabric band would likely slide off. I think having a band may cause a tegu to head swing or rub and me more of a hazard than not wearing one. Then again, I've never tried it.

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