Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello
My gf and I are new iguana owners and we have a couple of questions.
First we rescued a 4 ft long green iguana named Dante off of craigslist. S/he was living with college boys and then kept next to a large screen tv, poor baby so s/he is very scared when being moved and hates loud noise.
I built Dante a 6'tall by4'by.4' enclosure with logs all over to climb and a large basking board at the top. There are 3 lights. Heat, natural sun, and UVB. We have a cat box of water at the bottom and also food and water dishes. The enclsure is made of plywood and plasic coated screen on the door. We give baths and lots of out of cage play time. We supplement food with vitamins.
We have lots of beardies but are new to the iguana world. Do you sex an iguana the same way as a beardie? by looking at the bumps at the base of the tail by the vent? Do iguanas pee? I saw the iguana poop and then what looked like pee...Also has anyone ever had a cat around an iguana. I was hanging out with Dante and the cats wanted come near...Also s/he closes eyes when we stroke his/her back. Is this a happy or scared thing? S/he is very sweet but very scared when i move her/him, can I clip the nails so i dont get scratched up? Should we be doing anything else? I also think his/her arm has an old burn scar or something. the scales are surrounded by more black and kinda of deformed. Should I worry?

Do you sex an iguana the same way as a beardie? by looking at the bumps at the base of the tail by the vent?

Yes, they have the hemipenal bulge, but you should be able to sex your ig by secondary characteristics, like beardies. Males have enlarged femoral pores, a large fatty deposits on the head, larger dorsal spikes.

Do iguanas pee? I saw the iguana poop and then what looked like pee...

They have brown fecal matter, whitish urates, and a liquid portion. The amount of liquid depending upon hydration.

Also has anyone ever had a cat around an iguana. I was hanging out with Dante and the cats wanted come near...

That depends on your cat and your iguana. Males in season can attack cats, and of course, cats can attack iguanas. I have an old cat and a big tegu that can be in the same room, but my ig is too small.

Also s/he closes eyes when we stroke his/her back. Is this a happy or scared thing? S/he is very sweet but very scared when i move her/him, can I clip the nails so i dont get scratched up?

Ummm...not sure. You have to check out the overall behavior of the ig. Hoever, I would encourage you to hold it and interact with it every day as part of the taming process. Yes, you can clip nails, but read up on it so you don't hit the quick...like dogs.

Should we be doing anything else? I also think his/her arm has an old burn scar or something. the scales are surrounded by more black and kinda of deformed. Should I worry?

Yes, you should learn everything you can about iguanas! Seriously, do some background reading and try to be the best owner you can be. I love the Green Iguana Society Page and the Iguana Den. Here are some links. They rock! Iguanas are great when they are cared for properly. One thing that amazes me is that they seem prone to infection compare to other reptiles...Maybe that's just my limited observation. I don't know about the arm, maybe an old wound or burn. Maybe you want a once over by a good vet for a new pet!

http://www.greenigsociety.org/careinfo.htm

thank you so much for the info. i am reading a lot and I do want to be a really good mama. dante is def a boy. he is 12" STV and 34" STT so i think he is about 3. we take him out every day and sit with him, let him look out the window. he loves to be stroked but not held to much. he must be very well hydrated because there is quite a bit of liquid...
the sight you linked is amazing, thanks again
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Corinne & Jess

1 Green Iguana
2:4 Beardies
1 Uro
0:2 Cats

sounds like you're off to a good start! He's probably too big to enjoy being held, although you can train them to get used to that aspect. Pick him up securely with one hand between his front legs and one between his rear legs. Keep his tail under your arm. (it's easier to show than explain, LOL!) When he struggles, keep your grip firm, and when he stops, relax just a bit. Only put him down when he's calm. He might not like to be held, but it's a good thing to learn since he'l need to be picked and carried around at some point in his iguana life!

Enjoy your iggy!

Corinne,
it's kristen again,
... if you can sex and iguana like a beardie I def. don't think you have a male b/c when I was over last week and lifted up your iguana's tail at 90degrees there weren't clear hemipenal bulges. also the iguana does have pores but they weren't as large as I'd expect them to be for a male. my male beardies pores have that waxy stuff oozing out of them. So all in all,... I'd say you have a female. but of course you know I'm not an expert! i've seen pics on the net of typical healthy males too, i looked it up , and males typically have a wider head and squarer jowls, your ig has a more narrow jaw than i've seen in photos, and males have bigger dorsal spikes and your ig's spikes aren't very prominent

just my 2 sense
have a great week you guys
-Kristen
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4.2 Bearded dragons (Lee,Stumpy,Blackie,Spazz,Lynn,Charlotte)
1 Egyptian Uromastyx (Niles)

post a pic and let's see....post a pic of the head and the underside showing the pores.

Whats UP Corrinne..!!
it's Kristen, lol

me and jackie just got a baby one after I met your guy/girl I was in love. I just came on here to look up information to learn more !

dude, he/she ROCKS once he gets used to you guys it'll be the best! I told my parents and jackie ALL about your new lizards and how cool they are
ps. I LOVE your cages, i told jess that if me and jac get a house someday we will hire you to build cages for us! you are so good at it!
peace,
Kristen

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4.2 Bearded dragons (Lee,Stumpy,Blackie,Spazz,Lynn,Charlotte)
1 Egyptian Uromastyx (Niles)