Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just purchased an iguana Saturday that acording to the breeder, had yet to even be held by a human. It's doing very well and eating well so it appears it's adjusting pretty well. But every time I go to pick it up (try a couple times a day) it goes phyco and flies around his cage at warp speed. I'm asking to those with previous experiance with iguana's that have yet been introduced to humans, how to go about it. I don't know if I should put it through the fear each time until it just gets used to it or if I should just try and let it adjust over some more time and let it be for awhile. Thanks in advance.

Well first it depends on if you are reaching down from above or if you are reaching in from the side even with the iguana. If you are reaching down on it then it will think of you as a predator and will try to get away even a tamer iguana will usually do this. As far as getting it used to you we have always let ours adjust to their new cage for about a week making sure it starts eating okay and everything and seems to be a little more adjusted to its home. Then we start by leaving our hand in its cage longer and letting it see we are not trying to harm it (reaching from beside not above). In most cases at first (sometimes it never changes!) you will have to force it to withstand your touch and holding. If you do not handle it or allow/make it become used to you it will continue to be wild. Also from what I've read when you do hold it instead of putting it down when it is the most wild wait until it has calmed then put it down. This is supposed to teach it that the faster it calms the faster you will turn it loose! Some iguanas may never completely tame/adjust. Others can take from weeks to months to even years. It seems from checking past posts that around 6 months or so is the most common for ones who do eventually adjust. We have had some seemingly calm in one to two weeks and others have not after years!

Sorry to ramble so. If you can buy or borrow James Hatfields book it has a really good section on taming!

Stephanie

In my humble opinion its up to you to decide what kind of relationship you are going to have with your pet.He wants to keep you at a distance but i dont think you should obey him!If you start to obey him from the beggining he will think HE is the master and will continue giving you orders!
If i was you i would treat him like a nasty human child who doesnt want to obey!Very sweet but very firm!Ill handle him without showing him that you are afraid of his bites but WITHOUT FRIGHTENING HIM either. I ll continue doing that for weeks , even months until he starts to understand that although you are strong enough to kill him, you are good enough to be trusted and he will become submissive.If you continue doing that every day for at least one hour (to handle, to sweet talk, to pet the head and the jowls, etc...)and never scare him, this will happen in one or 2 months.