Green Iguana???

Skink Keeper · 11-02-03, 11:44 PM

I just rescued a green iguana a couple of days ago, he's about 2 feet long and likes to whip and run when you pick him up, do they usually calm down the more you handle them? is there anything else i can do?

Thanks

Dragons & Balls · 11-02-03, 11:56 PM

Handle him, handle him, handle him.
We have had our Iguana for 10 yrs now and he was a little pain in the %*#. But my wife handled him a lot, hand fed him and now he is a real (as my wife puts it) sweetheart.
Good luck ... don't get frustrated... u will probably have a lot of battle wounds.

Skink Keeper · 11-02-03, 11:59 PM

okay thanks. thats really encouraging, i wasnt sure if he would settle down, and i've already got my fair share of battle wounds. i'll keep trying. thanks

ChristinaM · 11-03-03, 08:36 AM

www.anapsid.org best Iggy resource EVER.

Watch yourself, they can cause serious damage. Luckily tho, yours, by the size(if that is including a full tail) is just a youngin. So you should be able to socialize it

Seriously, check out the above site, all you need to know to get you started is there.

Good luck.

silke · 11-03-03, 11:49 AM

patience
When I first got Griffin he was young and small and I spoke to him and almost never handled him at first
I waited until he was more used to me and felt less threatened by me so his stress level diminished over time
I have had him for over 2 years and by reptilian standards he is almost cuddly now.

Phox · 11-03-03, 01:34 PM

Yep, definately be patient with him! I know when I had my Ig he was an angry little bastage

. When I got him he was already a year and a half old, and was neglected/abused. I had to wear full body armor to handle him, but eventually he got used to it. Sometimes I wouldnt handle him for awhile and he stopped trusting me and I had to reestablish our relationship. IMO, Iguanas are not an easy reptile to care for. And as Bichiraddict said, be very careful, they can easily hurt you.

**Aaron_S** · 11-03-03, 02:19 PM

Not all igs will tame down....don't be surprised if yours does not.

Pixie · 11-03-03, 02:51 PM

I'm in the process of working with a rescued ig as well and they are certainly a handful! We are also entering breeding season which makes things harder due to hormones.

Try to let your ig watch you as much as you can. I don't know where your enclosure is setup but mine is in my living room so my Paco can watch me a lot.

When you go up to your ig, don't always pick it up. Go just to pet it for a couple of minutes and maybe give it some treats. Mine goes bonkers for some grated sweet potato.

Patience is key especially around this time of year.

Good luck,
Pixie

Skink Keeper · 11-03-03, 04:07 PM

thanks everyone, i'm gonna keep tryin and i'll let you know how is is in the future.

Thanks

J-Man · 11-04-03, 10:03 PM

www.greenigsociety.org great site... check it out and yes handle them. But taming them can be pretty specific so read about it on the site I jsut gave you.

C.m.pyrrhus · 11-05-03, 04:39 AM

I am personnally one who does not advocate any MK care. When it comes to green iguanas, I believe the owner should realize how "mean" they are as natural, and not as a problem.

The only online source for iguana care I back is IguanaDen.com Iguanas being foliovores should be left to their natural ways, as any herp should be IMO. Taming reptiles is by far a misbelief. Some can be tamed to an extent, but not like it should be practised to over handle them to "tame" them. This is the long run causes more stress than good, and taming them is only for the owners own need to fulfill thier need to handle their herps, which I see as silly and pointless.

By the way, ever really look at MK care sheets? They are actually very wrong in the facts that are being represented. I have never known of an iggy under those care instructions to live a long time, or any other herp for that matter. (Boa constrictore grow to 6 foot in 2 years? Pfffft.... corns snakes eat crickets ???? ...please..LOL)

By the way, what is so wrong with keeping an animal as it is naturally? What is the need to have it "tamed" anyhow? If you want something cuddly, by all means get a dog. After all they are mans best friend. An Iguana is by no means an animal for holding and petting as one could tell by the natural history of the animal. By nature they are aggresive and territorial, that known they should be kept only by folks that understand that as part of their natural behavior.

Pixie · 11-05-03, 09:00 AM

C.m.pyrrhus: I do agree that some of MK's care sheets aren't the best when it comes to snakes and some other species she is not experienced with.

But when it comes to green iguanas, she is one of the most knowledgeable people out there having many many years of first hand experience with these animals. If YOU would read her iguana articles and care information, you would see yourself that they are excellent and very thorough, her site has literally over a hundred pages dedicated to green iguanas. The information found on other iguana sites almost all stem from hers.

Have you ever even had an iguana? And most importantly, have you ever cared for an adult iguana??? If you did, then you would understand how important it is to tame your iguana. If not, just maintenance can become a dangerous task as an iguana can be quite dangerous at a large size.

Taming an iguana has nothing to do with making it cuddly. It's about having a trust relationship between you and the animal where it does not see you as a threat.

By nature, they are not an especially aggressive species, I don't know where you get that from! The only times iguanas will fight is to set a hierarchy and during breeding season.

Pixie

marisa · 11-05-03, 11:08 AM

Well I myself don't agree with MK's diet. She advocates things that are stupid and space wasters when it comes to certain veggies and greens. The other diet, which is HIGHLY debated against MK's is the well known Iguana Den diet. Where MK advocates a lot of vitamin supplements, Iguana Den advocates the use of veggies and lots of greens to achieve the same thing without supplements. He has his research, and articles all well written and many people use this diet. I switched Roxy from MK's diet like two years ago and never looked back.

Personally I don't even read MK's stuff anymore. Although she has a MASS of information on her site, and I do think she knows more about iguanas then most people, I think some of her information is outdated for the fact of pride.

But then again tons of people use MK's diet with great sucess and as long as there are healthy iguanas out there from it, Yay!!!!

Marisa

marisa · 11-05-03, 11:09 AM

Link to Iguana Den:

http://www.iguanaden.com/main.htm

Specifically, his diet area:
http://www.iguanaden.com/diet/index.htm

Anyways its a good read
Marisa

marisa · 11-05-03, 11:11 AM

Sorry another post, while yes I agree a person MUST realize iguanas are unpredictable and can never be "tame" working with an iguana each day especially when young is a MUST.

Roxy had been handled big time as a youngster, now we don't need to give her hours a day to keep this attitude. At 7 she is a well adujsted adult iguana, who we can take to the vet, out of her cage and maintain without being hurt. This is very important IMHO.

Marisa