Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been told plenty of times that iguanas do not need friends and that they are better off alone. I was just wondering if this is true. Often I want a female pal for my 2-1/2 foot male but then again i have also seen the consequences of putting male and female together. Do you think my male iguana gets lonely? I know it may seem like a dumb question, but i would like my pets to be as happy as can be. Thanks Everyone!

Not a dumb question at all. It's reasonable to suspect that any captive animal would want some form of companionship, but in fact iguanas are (or can be) fiercely territorial. As such, they can resent any intrusion into their turf from another iguana, and if such intrusion occurs, it can lead to a fierce struggle for territory. This is particularly true with males, especially during mating season. Females often get along okay together, but even then there is a risk of territorial conflict.

Your male may seem lonely, but he's probably better off being in his own abode with no other competitors to bother him.
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MichaelB

I asked the same question when I bought Fido & my cousin, who had an ig for years told me they are not a social animal & VERY unsociable when 2 males are put together. His brother had a male also & when the 2 of them saw each other the fur would fly. The only thing that pissed it off more was a dog. I also wanted Fido to be his happiest but opted for him to be an only iguana.

Iguanas, like most reptiles (not all, I kno, I kno) are solitary animals.

Put yourself in the mind of a well-kept healthy captive reptile:

> you have your own food aplenty
> you have a reliable water source
> you have your own basking spot to enjoy without need of
protecting it
> you have no predators (taken the animal is now
socialized/tamed) or other animals to keep off your food.

Having said that, you can rest assured your iguana is fairly content in an ideal captive envirnonment. Now, we all now they would be much happier free in the rainforest, but since they got here, might as well keep 'em happy and healthy right?

Reptiles such as Solomon Skinks and others, that are social animals, are encouraged to be kept in groups. Anoles as well in "harem" types of conditions (so I've heard).

Of course, no animal can ever be happy without some stimuli....visual or audio.

Some people keep a small fish tank near the enclosures to give their iguanas some visual stimuli and something to watch.
Outdoor enclosures are the best because with birds flying/singing, winds, sounds, etc. the animal is exposed to a more natural situation. In-door things have to be setup so the animal does not go brain dead (admittedly it's a small brain, but nonetheless).

So a partner is not needed, but some interaction or stimulus with the outer world is indeed required for the animal to be "happier".

Regards,

-IJ

OK, don't laugh...I've posted that my ig, Fido likes to hang out in my front window sill & window screen. His water bowl, food & heat rock are there for him. (It's a big window) He usually likes to climb the screen after the sun comes through the window in the morning & if the weather is nice I open the window for him. (We live in Florida) Along with the typical Cuban anolies we have transplanted some fence lizards that have made homes in the railroad ties around the flower beds & we have a couple different "families" of true green anolies that live on each end of the house.

When Fido climbs & the window is open, this one green anolie always hangs on the outside of the screen within inches of Fido. Always the same anolie. My question...remember, don't laugh...are they aggravating each other?

I've tried to get both in a picture but the anolie bolts when I get near the screen.

What's up with the two of them? Silly but I wonder.....Terri

There are no stupid Q's here.

So ya live in Fla too uh? Cool! I just moved down here and I'm loving it!

As for the anole.....beats me. Just cause the brain is small, doesn't mean it's dumb. Maybe the lizard figured out that your iguana has no way of reaching him, and hangs near him as a "security" measure (little guy hangs around big guy to keep safe).

I find it great that you keep the iguana near the window, and that it is exposed to so much going on outside of that window! Very good job there.

Somethings in the animal world are hard or impossible to explain. Maybe the anole teases the iguana, maybe it is just hanging out with it, maybe it really is a way to feel secure (called symbiotic living....i think... where one animal lives near a bigger one to avoid predators).

If you ever get a chance to photograph the two, post it here!

Hope this answers your non-stupid question

Ciao,

-IJ

IJ, then you'll love the fact that he goes outside with me too.

Our house numbers are on a big (5 foot) piece of driftwood hung on the front of our house & the sun hits it perfectly. (Same spot as my front window) I take him out & he LOVES to hang there & bask. The anolies hide behind that piece of driftwood but never seem to bother him when they actually HAVE the chance. LOL Go figure.

I put him in the hibiscus bushes too but he is more active there & hence harder to keep track of so the driftwood works best.

He was in the hibiscus bushes once & accidently got a blast from the garden hose & that was where we found out exactly how fast he really can be! He made it down the entire front of the house with my boyfriend chasing him & back again to the front porch before I stepped onto the porch & put my hand down & he ran right to me & hopped on. Mike was floored. I LMAO.

We also take our Kingsnakes out in the yard to crawl around 2 days after we feed them. Sometimes we sprinkle them with the garden hose & they always poop. We've only had a mess in their tank 4 times in the 2-3 years we've had them. We repeat taking them out to go for about 3 days until they don't go anymore. Pretty awesome eh?

Lastly...8500 miles of tidal shore, 7800 lakes, 320 springs, 35 rivers & a sub tropical climate...what a GREAT place to live!

Thanks for everything. Terri