Tegu Training

SilentCartographer · #1 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 01:29 AM

hey guys, i hear alot of reports from monitor owners and herp lovers that you can train a monitor or tegu to learn their name and answer, is this possible? what else can you train a monitor or tegu to do? all suggestions and comments will be great, thanks!

NicoleRussell · #2 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 02:17 AM

call the animal---offer food each time (something small in ration and a personal favorite offred only when the animal responds)...food is usually a great learning tool with tegus.

SilentCartographer · #3 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 02:20 AM

oh but how would i feed him? just straight out of my hand? or would i call him and then place food in front of him?

NicoleRussell · #4 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 02:32 AM

buy a pair of hemostats or tongs...and "hand" feed him this way. Also when you feed him and place the food down use his name as an indication he will be getting fed.
I know of some tegu owners that use a bell---they ring it each time they feed the animal and soon the tegu comes running when the bell is rung--helps when the animal is no where to be found LOL

SilentCartographer · #5 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 05:12 AM

wow, you guys have thought of it all, sounds like Pavlov's Dogs, maybe history repeats itself in more ways than one! lol im working on pics of my tegu right now!

SilentCartographer · #6 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 05:27 AM

NicoleRussell · #7 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 11:09 AM

what's his size ? is that a green head still?
Cute---prepare yourself for a much larger pet LOL
Baby tegus are so darn cute!

SilentCartographer · #8 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 01:32 PM

He is pretty big, still young, yeah a lil greenish red on his head, he's starting to quiet down now, not as flighty as before i think he's getting used to me, lol yeah I can't wait till he get's bigger, do you walk Nico on a leash?? or does he just follow you? and did you train him to do anything? thanks for the suggestions on training my tegu, i'm going to tame him down first, and then work on training him, i like the idea of calling him by name, and the bell ringing would work good if i can't find him, but wouldnt calling his name work the same? I DUNNO WHAT TO NAME HIM?? help?! i like the name Nico but that's my savanna's name and your tegu is already named that lol, i want something new!

NicoleRussell · #9 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 04:43 PM

yeah I walk both Nico and Rocco on leahses when they are outside I use dog harnesses. But this was before I moved--I was in NYC and I couldn't risk loosing him. Now my property is so large and open and grassy I can walk with him out in the open--but not till the spring. It's too darn cold here already

He's a blue/red cross? What about something patriotic? Or am I thinking about another tegu?

SilentCartographer · #10 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 06:02 PM

no you got the right one, he is a blue/red cross, how big do you think he'll get? I've been wanting a fully grown tegu for some time now, but they're so expensive, i got a good deal on this one so i went with it and i'm happy, he just hasnt eaten yet and it's starting to worry me, i gave him crickets, he didn't eat them, eggs, he didnt eat them, and now there is a small mouse in the tank with him and hopefully he'll eat it, im hoping atlease!! something patriotic? hmmm any suggestions?

SilentCartographer · #11 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 06:03 PM

atleast**

NicoleRussell · #12 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 06:51 PM

where are you from? The temps play an important role in feeding.
Try not to handle him untill he eats. Make SURE the basking spot is right (MVB's are perfect for reds and blues)....at least 120...a flat basking rock under the light. Also buy a digital temp gun or min max thermometer--those dial things are terrible. If you have to use one--make sure the animal has 3 choices in temps for basking (make a staircase type basking spot--the highest should be at around 130 the lowest at around 100. This will ensure he can digest his food and have an adequet choice in temps---otherwise he won't eat. Use moist cypress for bedding...and a dish large enough for him to soak (cat litter pans are good).
You can try some ground turkey with raw egg (like the meatballs your mom probably mixes up with her hands)--put like two small enough for him to fit into his mouth and freeze the rest. Sit them on a flat plate in an area near the basking spot (but not under the lights--it will cook)...and leave him be. They eat early so do this tomorrow morning.
My first tegu did not eat for a while--he was in a sleepy state because of the weather. This time of year they will not eat as much anyway.

SilentCartographer · #13 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 09:13 PM

yeah i think the temps are definately off, i have a 65 watt bulb on him now, i need to get a 100W, and he's in a 29 gal. tank, which is very tall, so i dont think the heat is reaching him correctly, should i add a heat rock? or should i put an undertank heater? i'm trying to think of ways to make his tank hotter, thanks for the suggestions, Oh i live in Florida BTW, but it does get cool in my house so right now all i'm worried about is adding heat, I put him in a 10gal. today just because the walls aren't as tall and i put the lamp over him, should i keep him in the 10gal. for a while or try to heat the 29, thanks!

Karnis · #14 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 09:45 PM

Heat rocks are thingies of evil, EVIL I SAY!!!! (Bad experiances with anothers boid) UTH is great though. I am going to convert my tank useing a human heatpad, or find a flipperswitch so I can adjust the graident better (No need in that ATM since the AC has gone down and it is getting in the 50's at night), But with a human heatpad you can adjust the temps better than with a reptil heat pad, Thoes are great for off the wall temps (Mine pulls off 30-40 deg higher than ambient heat) So if ya need a great increase go with reptile mats if not go with human

NicoleRussell · #15 (**permalink**) 09-21-2004, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilentCartographer

yeah i think the temps are definately off, i have a 65 watt bulb on him now, i need to get a 100W, and he's in a 29 gal. tank, which is very tall,

ARE YOU USING UVB OR JUST HEAT--UVB IS VERY IMPOERTANT FOR A GROWING TEGU ESPECIALLY THE SPECIES YOU HAVE. bUY A tREX SPOT--100 WATT FOR YOUR BASKING SPOT FOR THIS SIZE CAGE. THEN YOU WOULD NEED A CHE, NOCT BULB OR SOME OTHER OVERHEAD HEAT FOR THE HIDE AT NIGHT BOTH SET ON TIMERS TO COME ON WHEN THE LATTER HAS TURNED OFF.

so i dont think the heat is reaching him correctly, should i add a heat rock? or should i put an undertank heater?

NEEDS TO BE A FLAT ROCK (LIKE A SLATE LARGE ENOUGH FOR HIM TO BASK ) . I GOT PAVERS FROM HOME DEPOT. tHE HEAT FROM THE BULB WILL WARM THE ROCK JUST THE WAY THE SUN DOES. AVOID UTH'S AND NO HOTROCKS--THEY ARE BAD FOR ANY ANIMAL.

i'm trying to think of ways to make his tank hotter, thanks for the suggestions, Oh i live in Florida BTW, but it does get cool in my house so right now all i'm worried about is adding heat, I put him in a 10gal. today just because the walls aren't as tall and i put the lamp over him, should i keep him in the 10gal. for a while or try to heat the 29, thanks!

HE SOULNDS TOO LARGE FOR THIS SETUP. IF YOU USE IT MAKE IT FOR A FEW DAYS ONLY. GO TO REPTILEDIRECT.COM AND GET SOME SUUPLIES. YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED TAX IN FLA AND THE COST OS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THEN BUYING FROM A LOCAL SHOP.

SilentCartographer · #16 (**permalink**) 09-21-2004, 02:10 PM

yeah i have him on a 65watt UVB, and i'm going to upgrade it to 100watt UVB, right now with the 65 watt the temps are around 90 degrees, so i'll buy one of those flat rocks, they're pretty cheap, and a 100 watt and it should get much hotter, he hasn't eaten yet, i have to buy another mouse for him, i think the heat killed the other mouse or he killed it and didnt eat it, i just want him to eat now, the heat will be fine once i get the bulb, if not i'll get the undertank heater to add some heat, what's UTH's?? sorry never heard that term, after i turned the heat up now he has had alot more energy, so i'm going to feed him, hopefully he'll eat and i'll start to tame him

SilentCartographer · #17 (**permalink**) 09-21-2004, 05:45 PM

oh and what fruits, actually, what should the tegu's main diet consist of, i want to hear from you guys what the best food for them is, and what fruits should i feed him? thanks!

SilentCartographer · #18 (**permalink**) 09-21-2004, 06:36 PM

ok the temps are reading 97 right now with the 65 watt, i put some eggs in front of him and he ate some but not much, maybe he doesn't like eggs? hmm should i drop a mouse in? thanks!

NicoleRussell · #19 (**permalink**) 09-21-2004, 11:09 PM

ok the thing is you sound like the bulbs your using are not UVB bulbs---in which case the heat factor will be different (might be much stronger and will need measuring)----and it will do nothing for your cross. You need to replace the bulb with a good UVB/heat source. Baby tegus need uvb to grow and thrive...ESPECIALLY reds and blues...and you have a cross.
Also, never put live food in there. For all the same reasons you should not put live food in a snakes cage....parasites...rodent inflicting injury...especially now that he's not eating. Try some cubed pork--or chicken. Later you can worry about using a diet like SDZ (SanDiegoZoo) or using some whole prey that's been frozen and thawed.
But now you have a chance to get him into good habits....getting him used to live food is a mistake.
Keep trying some supermarket meat. Then you can add bone meal or egg shells after he begins eating.

SilentCartographer · #20 (**permalink**) 09-22-2004, 03:18 AM

the light i havbe us UVB, but not basking light, it's a night light, so tomorrow i'll get a basking light and a rock for him to heat up on, and i'll try some cubed chicken, i'm just glad he actually ate some of the egg i put in there, what kind of fruit do they like?

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