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Thread: Stubborn girl!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    21

    Default Stubborn girl!

    These tegus are so incredibly strong. As soon as i go to grab her to try to make her more acostum to me she breaths very hard. And when i do get her she struggles....she is incredibly strong. She never attempts to bite however looking at her teeth when she yawns, makes me not want to get bitten. She's a big girl shes 1.3 feet. Is there anything i can do for a tegu this size to try and get her to not struggle when i hold her?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Central Maine
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    1,689

    Default

    Everyone who has calmed an untamed (unsocialized) tegu has their own method. There are a few ways to do it and no method that works is better then the others, other then perhaps in opinion.

    Holding a tegu to calm it is always a last resort since it only teaches the incredibly smart tegu that it was indeed correct, that you are going to grab and restrain it if you get close enough. Next time it will stay even further out of your reach. Over time this may have worked for some people, but this is not my method. It's a bit too much like telling your child, "Don't hit or I will spank you!", it may work on occasion for some people who like to rule by fear, but it just sounds so silly to me.

    With that said my method is based on patience.

    Teach the tegu, over time, that you are just there to care for it. You have no intention to hurt or control it. It will, in time, come to trust you. Time? How much time will it take? Well, that depends on how much time you put in as well as the tegu itself. All tegus, like all humans, are a little different from each other.

    I am currently working with a Colombian black tegu that huffs, hisses and jumps if I get within a foot of the enclosure. Two days ago it was acting up at 4 feet from the enclosure. I made some progress and I am pleased. My method will probably take a week or two to get this colombian sitting calmly on my lap as I stroke it's chin. If it happens to take 2 months, I will do it.. because I know at some point this tegu will trust me.

    "I'll not force you to trust or respect me. I will earn that trust and respect in time." Rick 2005

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    The Netherlands
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    303

    Default

    I think that is the best way to go about it.
    Just moving calmly and first try and have him calm when you take care of the enclosure. Then try and stroke him in the cage.
    If hes ok with that, try and either grab him or put your hand under its belly if he doesnt want to be grabbed and go from there to grabbing it.
    If he makes any sign he doesnt want to or if hes out and wants to go back in, just let him go in again.
    Our juvenile already comes to the window when we open it to see what were up to. And we only had it for something along 7 weeks.
    When we have moved I will try and get my big red to become even tamer then he already is by this method.
    And hes close to 3 feet...so wish me luck :P
    1.0.0 T.rufescens
    0.1.0 T.merianae
    1.0.0 Testudo horsfieldii
    1.0.0 Stenodactylus sthenodactylus
    0.0.1 Ceratophrys ornata
    0.0.1 Geocholone elegans
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    2.0.0 Mustela Putorius Furo
    0.1.0 Bouvier des flandres

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Amsterdam .NL
    Posts
    35

    Default

    How big is its cage?

    Like I said in ohter posts, dont give a young animal a too large of space untill its trusting you.
    http://img65.exs.cx/img65/9038/sig21et.jpg
    0.0.1 Tupinambis merianae (Argentine B/W Tegu)
    1.0.0 Tupinambis rufescens (Argentine Red Tegu)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    21

    Default

    Well when i pet her in her cage she pumps her back up and trys to run.... As for cage size, she in a 30 gallon tank which is 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and a foot and a half high....

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    49

    Default

    that size seems like a 40 gallon breeder ?
    Kevin
    1.0.0 Blue Tegu

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Central Maine
    Posts
    1,689

    Default

    Get a 10 gallon aquarium. Put an inch or so of substrate in the bottom. No toys or rocks. For a few hours each day sit the tank on the couch and just sit there watching TV, or such, with your hand dangling in the tank. Do not try to touch it, do not attempt to pick it up. Just let it get used to you. When it starts getting used to you it will relax, again.. do not pick it up or touch it, but do move your hand a little and the tegu will tense up. Sit calmly until it relaxes again and move your hand a little again. You want to teach the tegu that your hand will not 'bite' it and that it is safe.

    Once you do this for awhile, in conjuction with my normal taming information, you will easily be able to earn it's trust. Don't have school/work today? Then spend a few extra hours doing this. The more time you put into taming, the better it will work for you.

    Note that the 10 gallon is not the tegus home, just an enclosure for taming in the livingroom that gives the tegu no room to run away.

    Rick

  8. #8

    Default

    wow rick that sounds like a great idea i should try that when i get my tegus.

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