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Thread: What to do with repeated attempts to bite owner

  1. #1
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    Default What to do with repeated attempts to bite owner

    ive 2 almost 2foot tegus and my male seems to like attempting to bite me when ever i have him out of his cage. I take them out almost everyday from a few minutes to an hour or so. He doesnt rush or lunge or any rapid movement when he goes to bite me, hes kinda slow about it :lol: When i'm holding him and go to pet his head he appears he wants to bite me but stops when my hand is actually on his head and my fingers out of the way. Is there any way i can correct this behavior? my female is an absolute doll and has never in her life tried to bite me so im a little miffed.

  2. #2
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    Well it can take a lot of time to ''tame'' an animal. You could continue this method, or letting the animal to come by himself to you.
    You have also to remember that each reptile has their personality. So there is a possibility that some will never tame down and keep their aggressive behavior.
    But still, continue the taming work and good luck!
    Ben
    0.1.0, 2007, Bearded Dragon (Uresaii)
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  3. #3
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    Jun 2010
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    Do you feed them before hand? I know if I don't feed mine before I let her out she can get a little testy.
    Also maybe make sure you scrub down (brush your teeth and all) before you let them out so you in no way small like something that could be tasty.
    Do you hand feed them? Or does it see you give it food? It might be associating your hands with food and making him curious about having a try at human.

  4. #4
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    I agree with both of Tora's points.

    If hungry, your tegu might not even be in a bad mood -- just thinks your fingers look good. The hesitation is good. That suggests he is putting some thought into whether or not it's worth a try.

    If you have mouse scent on your fingers, you are practically asking to be nibbled. But any strong scent (including toothpaste!) can suggest a new food opportunity to a food-curious tegu. It's their omnivorous nature to experiment with likely new prospects. Sometimes if I'm fresh out of the shower but have used a girly scented soap or shampoo, I've seen Hernando flick his tongue around opportunistically.

    Non-aggressive biting (and this does sound like a mistake rather than a threat or fight) will usually subside after the animal learns there is no reward associated with it.

  5. #5
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    Maybe he just thinks you smell pretty! hehe.
    I know I get less of a reaction if I smell like myself or soaps, and not any sort of food I've eaten/handled. I'd rather be around a tegu with mint breath than hamburger breath for example. Someone on tegutalk posted about his extreme having a go at his face (though not a serious attempt, just a taste so he was okay) because he had eaten some hot dogs earlier and his tegu thought it smelled good.

  6. #6
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    If it is slow, it sounds like an exploration sort of thing rather being agressive. I would go with the other advice: feeding first, wash hands, keep hands away from tegu's face.
    Laura R (FL)
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  7. #7
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    Those make alot of sense now :lol: they do see me set the food down in front of them and he does tend to want to eat everything -.- I did notice that when he eats it sounds like he's crunching through bone or grinding something when he chomps down on whatever i give him. This last time i gave him really lean ground beef and it sounded aweful, his breathing sounded off and everything. Is it time for a vet visit?

  8. #8
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    Can you nab a video of it? That sounds really weird.

  9. #9
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    Yes, a video would help.
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  10. #10
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    Would certain types of food affect their behavior? My male got into my bearded dragon's beardie bites and the next day he went completely and utterly psycho. He lunged at me, he postured, and hissed. I quickly separated him and his cage mate and it took an hour or so for him to calm down. Last night he ate some strawberries and this morning he went insane again, once again lunging at my hands and my face, hissing and everything. Is this possibly food related? In the year I've had these guys he's never reacted this way. :(

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