Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have three tegus and i was wondering if any of you would have
a good method of taming them i see all the pic of you guys holding them and sit in front of doors sleeping and i am jelous of you guys thank you and i know it takes time but how long i spend about 2 hours a week with them

thanks tony and the tegus

I hope you meant 2 hours a day, try not to 'grab' them, like putting your hand around them, just let em sit in your hand (Or on your shoulder if their too big for that), another thing you can try is just letting them sit in the sun by, a window or a screen, and pet them, its worked for me, the only time you should have to grab them. The way I pick my Tegu up is I put my hand under his chest and lift him up, he pulls his back feet up on his own. Any animal will feel secure if it doesn't feel trapped.

Two hours a week is NOT going to cut it at all. I spend at least an hour a day with each of my guys. I follow the same pattern with each new baby. For the first few months that I have them we spend bonding time in the bathroom (it's an easily enclosed room with not a lot of things to get stuck under, that and they're usually too small to allow them to roam arounnd the apartment yet). As the weeks progress I take them out for longer and longer stretches of time. For the first couple of weeks, time out of the cage is only like 15 min. I want them to have time to adjust to their new surroundings and gradually get used to my presence.

Lindsay

When you say you need to tame them do you mean you don't want them to bite/tail whip you? Or is it that they try to walk away and don't stay put when you pick them up? When tegus are young they are naturally more restless then adults. I can get my adults to lay down with me on the couch for 15 mins (half hour sometimes) without them getting restless. If I'm picking them up to take them somewhere they'll stay calm for a shorter amount of time then when I lay with them. I'm sure it's because it's harder for them to relax with the ground moving beneith them. I have never spent hours a day holding them, I think it'd stress them out if they're trying to get away the whole time. I generally try to put them down if that's what they want. They're to the point now if they start to struggle I could get scratched up on my arms (one's well over 4'!). I generally don't get scratched when I take them down stairs through the living room out to the back yard every day to go the bathroom. If I was to try to carry them a half mile or hold them for half hour they would get restless and I'd get scratched for instance. Try laying down with them on the couch with a blanket sometime you might be suprised how long they stay put. If they're still biting/tail whiping that's a whole different matter. Then your just going to have to slowly approach them, sit down next to them, after awhile try to pet them see how they react, if they get scared back off. First time you pick them up put your hand in front of them and let them step on to your hand.

no i can pick up my red and hold them for about ten mins and then he gets resless but i thought you guy hold yours for hours and the sit their and sleep i havent try to hold my blue yet they are only three weeks old and their fast and i dont want to stress them out but thank you guys that responded to this i dont no what i would do with out this forum.

thanks again

tony,chompers,and the new guys