Handling a hatchling tegu

[chitodadon]

That's what I've been doing today, takin it easy an doing things in my room in front of the cage so he constantly sees me moving around. I clean his poop up, switch the water out and take his food in an out an he runs an hides under the board an kinda watches me. I haven't put my hand there yet or anything like that, should I? Thanks.

Yea start now

from Samsung Galaxy S3

[reptidude]

I got him at a local reptile convention from some guys from San Antonio - who had just bought them from some breeder in Florida - so he was definitely a hatchling -but very vivid in color and busy as a bee. So healthy in fact that I bought him and had no plans to get one just yet.

I swear I am not lying -this little guy in a three week period, has quadrupled in weight. He is ravenous. He eats superworms like 8 in one go - shakes the heck out of them, then has learned to drop and regrip them right beside their big nasty jaws, and he crushes the heads first -you can hear it crunching. Then he drops them and down the thing - immediately looking for the next one.

I fed him grapes, tomoatoes, superworms, eggs, and now he is downing two large pinkie mice along with 5 superworms. I'll limit the pinkies to a couple a week. I just found some good lean ground turkey I'll try next with some scrambled eggs.

The thing is I can't see how he could have grown so fast- he was a sliver of a lizard when I got him, and he didn't eat for three days. He is now about the size of a large leopard gecko and longer.

Wow that's awesome, Kronos will crush any meat but he isn't too sure about fruit, ate some strawberry today and 8 roaches. He's definitely gotten bigger since I got him and he's def a pooping machine. I've never tried superworms though. He does like running around the cage and digging which is a good sign. He doesn't hide as much as he used to either. Hopefully he's warming up to his enclosure. That's pretty cool how fast yours is growing lol hope you have a big cage ready!

[reptidude]

Yea start now

ok I'll try today an I have tomorrow off too to work with him. Thanks.

[reptidude]

FTWTegu how do you keep superworms? I was lookin into them today an wondering how you feed them and house them before they become a meal for the lizard

[chitodadon]

I have mines in a container wit newspaper and carrots

from Samsung Galaxy S3

[reptidude]

I have mines in a container wit newspaper and carrots

That's all they need to stay stay good until ready to be fed? An for handling my tegu, he doesn't mind my hand in the cage but when i go to pick him up he'll run under the board and hide. Any suggestions on that? Thanks!

[txrepgirl]

How are you trying to pick him up ? If you reach for him from above him he will get scared. Try to put your hand ( with the inside of your hand up ) in front of him and then try to scoop him up. Once he is in your hand close it or put your other hand on top of him so he can't jump out of your hand and get hurt. I have our superworms in a plastic bin with some oatmeal. A dish with some fresh veggies or fruits and some water crystals.

[reptidude]

How are you trying to pick him up ? If you reach for him from above him he will get scared. Try to put your hand ( with the inside of your hand up ) in front of him and then try to scoop him up. Once he is in your hand close it or put your other hand on top of him so he can't jump out of your hand and get hurt. I have our superworms in a plastic bin with some oatmeal. A dish with some fresh veggies or fruits and some water crystals.

Well that almost looks too easy haha. How old was he when you did this an how long had you had him? I have been trying to scoop him because that's the same thing you do when your picking up a snake. I will try the sweatshirt technique when I get home after work today and I have been leaving a shirt in his cage to get used to my scent. He has been a little more flighty recently but he also started shedding, I'm not sure if they are more agitated when they shed or not. Thanks for the info. I'll let you know how it goes! Oh if I am able to pick him up how long should I hold him for? I don't want to stress him out.

[dayos80]

Honestly Reptidude, your tegu will teach you how to pick him/her up. if he likes being handled from the front he will let you, if not he wont. and as for the time frame on how long to hold him. Hold him untill he begins to get flighty and tries to get away. thats when he wants to leave.

[txrepgirl]

We just got Shakespeare that day. He was 2 months and 4 days old in this video. The reason why he was so calm is because I use my shirt trick ( in the video below ) as soon as I get the hatchling/baby. It worked well with all of our six Tegus. I also did my shirt trick every time they just wake up because they are still cold. When they are cold they are more slow and will like the warmth of the body. They also feel save because you are the hiding place and he will get to smell you. When they started to move around allot inside the shirt after being in there for a few minutes ( sometimes they were in there for a hour ) I take them out. Let them bask and then feed them in the bin or the bathtub.

This is Venus ( Shakespeare's sister ).



This is Venus a few days later after we first got her. You can see that the shirt trick that I used on them didn't stress her out. I barely have to hold her tight and she ate outside of the enclosure.