Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been researching red tegus and love them. The only problem is that I have read great things about them and then not so great things. I definitly do not want to deal with the aggresiveness. I do not mind them being pissy until they get used to me. I understand that. What I do not want is a 4 foot giant trying to rip my fingers off. I do not want to try to handle them and they try to bite. Reading the good stuff encourages me, but reading the negative stuff really discourages me. I tend to be drawn to the tegus and monitors. So chameleons are out of the question, lol. PLEASE HELP...

Tegus can be pretty docile if interacted with properly. When I 1st got my Tegu, he was pretty feisty. Here are the steps which I took to calm/"tame" him down:

1-Take it slow. When you 1st get your Tegu let him settle in properly and get used to the enviorment. You can do things like changing his water and stuff(don't handle him yet) to get him used to you.

2- After doing step 1 for a while, you can begin handling. When you 1st handle your Tegu, let him comet to you. Do not force handle him or else you'll lose all trust and will back to square 1. Handle your Tegu this way gently for about 5-10 min a day. Remember, patience is key.

3- This step actually accounts from the begining to the end, don't hand feed. Your Tegu will quickly associate your hand with food and snap at it. Feed your Tegu in another container or you can bowl feed, just don't let him see the food coming from your hand/you.

Follow these steps and your Tegu should be fine and docile. My Tegu can now rest on my shoulders while I walk around!

Where are you planning to get your Tegu from? I'm getting a Red myself from Bert at Agama Intl. Should be getting it in July. Also, do you keep any Monitors? I have a male Savannah and I'm getting an Argus Monitor hopefully in September.

-Jon-

I am getting my red from agama also. He is awesome. Great service and responses too. I used to have a savanah monitor but that was when I was young and lived with my parents. One day my mom saw my pet dinosaur and freaked. Now I have my own home and I'll have as many dinosaurs as I want. I have a seperate room that is about 30'x20'. This will be dedicated to reptiles. So this is my first reptile in years.

Reds are generally known for being docile. Where have you been reading that they are aggressive? Is it referring to one particular animal or reds as a whole?

The tegu usually known for bad behavior is the Colombian tegu.

With reds, you have to feed them a good portion of fruit in their diet - they can develop shedding problems if you don't. And they can take a bit more heat in their basking area - maybe 120 degrees. Cool end 80 - 85.

Reds are great animals.

Bill

There are rarely instances of Red's becoming aggressive unless they haven't been handled throughout their growing. Most of the literature regarding aggressive Tegu's comes from people having Columbian Tegus. My red is like a big baby and is 57" and 25lbs.
Each Tegu has their own personality, but with proper handling when they are small, I would find it difficult for any Argentine Tegu to become aggressive.

Brandon

>>I have been researching red tegus and love them. The only problem is that I have read great things about them and then not so great things. I definitly do not want to deal with the aggresiveness. I do not mind them being pissy until they get used to me. I understand that. What I do not want is a 4 foot giant trying to rip my fingers off. I do not want to try to handle them and they try to bite. Reading the good stuff encourages me, but reading the negative stuff really discourages me. I tend to be drawn to the tegus and monitors. So chameleons are out of the question, lol. PLEASE HELP...

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that is an awesome picture. When he was a baby, how did you feed him. Did you remove him from his enclosure? Also how does he know when he is done eating and does not mistake your hands for food. Another words, you give him 2 mice or so in the morning, then you go pick him up to place him in his enclosure again. What if he is still hungry? I might be thinking too much about this, but I would rather know now than later. Where did you get yours. That tegu is gorgeous.

Thanks When he was a baby, I would feed him twice a day. Normally I fed him pinkys dusted in Mineral, as much as he would eat. He would also get banana's, and ground turkey with freeze dried crickets mixed in with bonemeal. I never removed him from the enclosure while he ate.
I've never had either of my Tegus (or monitors when I had them) mistake my hands for food. The key is to use some sort of tongs to feed them with, that way they don't associate your hands with food. And it's always a good idea to wash your hands before you handle them to get the scent of any food/animal off of your hands.
I get all of my Tegus from Ron & Stella St. Pierre http://www.bluetegu.com
I'm planning on getting a RedXBlue hybrid from this year

>>that is an awesome picture. When he was a baby, how did you feed him. Did you remove him from his enclosure? Also how does he know when he is done eating and does not mistake your hands for food. Another words, you give him 2 mice or so in the morning, then you go pick him up to place him in his enclosure again. What if he is still hungry? I might be thinking too much about this, but I would rather know now than later. Where did you get yours. That tegu is gorgeous.

OH that picture is adorable!
-Meg

AWESOME TEGU! I was going to ask where you got him. Ron has those giant genetics in his Red Tegus. The biggest Reds I've seen came from his breedings. Have you ever had any shedding issues. I've never experienced any of my Reds being aggressive towards me or anyone else.