Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently took an Argentine B&W tegu from a friend who was moving away and couldn't take the tegu with her. She never handled him so he has become agressive. He is almost a year old and slightly over 2 feet long. I've had a tegu before, but not such a mean one. He runs away from my hands and tailwhips if I try to pick him up. He also got out of his tank before and when I tried to catch him carefully, he was hitting his tail against stuff making himself sound like a rattlesnake.

Please there is nowhere I can take him and I want to turn him into a nice tegu, I have practically no experience with a tegu this old or agressive. I need as much advice on this as possible, thanks.

Start slowly with him. tinker in the tank alot. Watch him for signs of tail whip or of him getting really aggitated. change the water clean the tank. Things like that set you hand in there and leave it for a few minutes. He will eventually learn that you are not there to eat him or to harm him. Then slowly build up when he no longer reacts to you reaching in the tank to touching him, Not picking him up but just little touches. Eventually you will be able to pick him up and hold him. Now not many Tegus like to be held for long periods of time usually they are wanting down to explore.
You will have to be patient with it and it will take time and some effort but in the end you will have a Tegu that you will be very pleased with and that is very tame. I had one given to me that was that way and after about a month to a month and a half she really mellowed out to the point my 6 year old son can now take her out of the tank and into his room where he sets her down and lets her have free roam. Then he just picks her up and takes her back to the tank no porblems. Good luck and I hope you stick with this as it will be very rewarding.

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Beau W.

"There are no athiests in foxholes. It is not an argument against athiesm but rather one against foxholes." James Morrow