Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I tried the vinegar thing on my gloves and hands, and it seems to help. He still bites it at least ten times, but each time walks away licking the bad taste away, and wiping face on the ground. If I do this a few more times I think he'll get the idea. Another good thing is he lets me pick him up more now, so I can start feeding him somewhere outside of his enclosure.
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-reptilian9

I was just curious how you transitioned your tegu to let you pick him up? Mine lets me pet him, but thus far darts out of my hands if I ever attempt to levitate him off the ground. Any suggestions?
JonV

I was wondering the same thing a couple of weeks ago. He used to kind of freak out if I tried to pick him up. I had to transition from him accepting my hand as "not an enemy", and just got him to the point where I can pet him without him getting too huffy puffy. He even closes his eyes now when I pet him. Only recently, since he's been good, I tried to pick him up. That's when I started with the gloves. Just a little bit each night (pick up for a few seconds low to the ground, then let go, then repeat a few minutes later). Today, he let me pick him up with no gloves while I was standing up and he stayed still for over a minute! A minute isn't much, but he was calm the whole time, and it's better than before when I couldn't even get my hands under him. I kind of kneel close to the ground so he can climb down me - always do your best to make him comfortable. I'm getting tiny bits of progress every time. Just start picking up slowly, not even for 10 seconds, but to get him used to it. The gloves (now with vinegar) really helped me have the confidence to pick him up more without worrying about getting bitten. The first few times he would bite me as food, but now he's learning I think. Oh yeah, try and slide your hand under him if you can, instead of grabbing him. Also, after each session of picking him up, that's when I would feed him, like a reward. Everything I'm doing is very slowly, and never quickly grabbing (the worst thing you could do in my opinion). It's taken me about a month from a jumpy fast tegu to one that trusts me probably 90%. It's all about trust, and him knowing that after being picked up he will be let down soon and won't be eaten for lunch. It also might help if he's not hungry, they tend to be slower. Let me know if you have more questions, I'm still going through this process and have only been picking him up for a few days, so we are in the same boat.

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-reptilian9

Thanks for the in depth help! I am going to try and get him to let me pick him up so that I can feed him out of his cage. It seems like he is biting me more and more lately, I have to get to the store and get some vinegar to rub on my hands so he stops! I think with feeding him out of his cage he should do better at not biting. I have been handling him after he eats because he is slower, calmer, and is not thinking about food then (and is thus less likely to bite). This also makes it hard to give him a treat for being a good lizard, because he is not hungry. Do you think I should put a sock or something in his cage as you have done with the glove so he can smell people 24/7?
JonV

Keep trying on the handling. I have had good success with latex exam gloves. There's no way they smell like food.

Mike B

That's an awesome idea! I can try that as well. My only question then is what do you do when you stop wearing them? Aren't you going to smell like food again, and he'll start biting?
JonV

JonV, I actually have not left the gloves in his enclosure, because I didn't want him to wear himself out all day trying to tear them up. It still may be an idea, but the vinegar has really helped. Once he's used to handling, it's just as easy to use your bare hands, but watch him and make sure he doesn't start looking as if he's going to try to eat your hand. Once you don't need gloves anymore, you can put vinegar on your hands.

The latex gloves seem like they would still hurt if bitten, but surely would not taste good.

Glad people like the pics - more to come.

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-reptilian9

hard with the latex. They don't seem to like the taste. I use them sometimes when a snake is in shed and I wasn't sure if they would bite when handled. Try it you'll like it.

Mike B