Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi my name is landon this is my second post here i have an iguana that is about 3 to 4 months old and i have a lil problem. see i rescued him from my cousin who had is with a bigger one and it wasnt getting to eat much so he gave it to me in hope for a better life of it. i have fed it collards and all sorts of stuff but most of the time it scatters the food all over the tank.also i have been handeling him daily since i've got him( 3 months ago) and he/ she is still very skittish. can someone please help me out?

Hi,

I also have an Ig about this age. It sounds as though he
is scattering the food to pick out what he likes. Make sure
you are giving him a good diet with lots of different kinds
of dark leafy greens, veggies, squash and such.....no animal
protein. I use small paper plates now but I do not have this
problem with mine. I would try using a dish with low sides on
it. You don't want it too deep but just enough to keep the
food in. I have had mine now for a little over a month and
he still runs from me but is showing progress. I can work
in his cage and he stays on his basking area. If I reach for
him, he will go into the full stance and run like hell! Once
I get ahold of him though he is fine. It does take a lot of
time and patience to tame these guys down. Baby steps!

Hope this helps
Linda and Digit

Do you guys wear gloves when trying to get him?
I ask because i am babysitting an iguana (and he may end up being
mine) who is so scared of me and everytime I go in his tank, he
starts to freak out and run around and go crazy until I'm done doing
what i have to do in the tank.
Also, hhow big is your iguana? what size tank do you have?
I think this guy is about a year old, and about a foot long (with
tail)give or take a couple of inches. Is this normal?

thanks
chargo

Hi,

I do not wear gloves with my baby since I keep his nails trimmed.
I did wear garden gloves when I first adopted my 2 year old Ig
just to keep my hands from getting scratched up while taming.
I do not wear them now.

You said your Ig is 1 year old and only 1 foot long? Do you
mean nose to end of tail? If so I think your Ig is small for
his age. Mine is 6 months old and is 17" but he only weighs
about 80 grams. A good diet will make all the difference if
he is small for his age right now.

Good luck if you decide to keep him Be patient and he will
get used to you

Linda