Maybe she needs breakfast. If she's calm in the morning, put as much food in a bowl as you think she'll eat and try to put it in before her lights come on. That way, maybe she will get up, bask to warm up, and then eat, and not be so ravenous when you get home. She will also start to associate food with her bowl, rather than with you, hopefully. It just sounds like she's planning a big growth spurt (but then baby tegus seem to always be in a growth spurt). If that doesn't work, maybe try to put some sort of barrier in between her and the bowl (and you!) when you put the bowl in, so she can't get to you. She should learn that she can't eat when your hand is in the cage, as she'll just bump her nose. When your hand comes out, the barrier comes out and it's ok to eat. I really think that in your case the bowl is the way to go, rather than taking her out of the cage to eat. It may be messier, but she won't associate you taking her out with eating, and will be willing to visit with you when you take her out, rather than looking for food. Bowl should mean food, and hands should mean petting and visiting.



I've no guarrantee that this will work, but young critters always seem to wake up hungry, so maybe feeding her early, even if you have to get up a bit earlier, may calm her down a bit.



Leslie

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