Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a 2 year old Igg which seems to be very healthy. He was shedding when I got him. He didn't mind being held and was very calm , but active. After 2 weeks he doesn't like to be held. He doesn't even want to be touched. If you go near his head he really gets jumpy. He shakes his head like he has a bad itch and can't get rid of it. I have checked him for mites very closely, because I delt with them with my other Igg. I can't see any anywhere. He looks like he is loosing a little weight too. He scratches in the corners of the cage like he really wants to get out.I have a really nice cage that is plenty big enough and warm w/uv lighting. I have a very healthy 10 month old Igg. in the cage also, and they seem to get along fine, and my other Igg. doesn't seem to have anything wrong with it. What could be wrong with my big Igg.?

give him time to settle down? also give more info and it will help find out what is wrong but i think he just needs time to settle in.
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1.0.0 water dragon
0.0.1 mali uromastyx
0.1.0 painted turtle
0.0.1 common snapping turtle

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rat
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Thank you. It was about 1 or 2 weeks after I got him that he started acting like that. Before that I could hold him and he seemed fine. I did notice it was after he finished shedding that ha acted this way. I also just noticed there seem to be some scales on his head that aren't shedding easy. His head is real glassy looking because a layer of scales look like their not peeling off well. I was able to get a couple pieces off that were sticking up on the edges. I only took those off because they were loose enough. I left the rest until they start peeling more. I don't want to hurt him. I think that is why he shakes his head the way he does, unless he doesn't like me or is really unhappy. I took out the rabbit food for bedding and put in newspaper for now just to see if that helps. Their cage is 4'L x3'H x2'D. They have stuff to climb on and shelves to sit on. There is an 18" UVB light in the center on top. On each end of the cage are heat lamps. One of them is the dark one for leaving on all night. The uvb and other heat lamp are turned off at night. The temp ranges from side to side ( 85 to 95). They have a big water dish and 2 smaller ones. I feed them the reccomended greens(no iceberg) and I add nutragrow supplement and calcium powder. I try to make sure their food is not dry after a while by spraying a little water on it or giving them new food if it gets to look real bad. I set up a big outside encloser for them so they can be in the sun and fresh air during the day. He seems to like it. I brought him in and it seemed like he wanted to be held. I am going to separate the two as much as possible until I can build a new cage for one of them for inside. He has seemed to stop loosing weight, but I haven't noticed him putting on any weight yet. I'm keeping a close eye on that though. He is about 2 years old( it is possible he could be a she),should he be affected by mating seasons yet? He isn't turning orange or has any wax like substance from his pores. He is scratching trying to get out of the cage. Maybe he's digging looking for a place to lay eggs. I just don't know. I put a small box with cloth in it in there just in case, but he hasn't gone near it. Thank you for any help you can give me. Sorry this is so long, but I hope there is enough information. Thanks Brian

your setup sounds good the only thing that worried me is that from what it sounds like is that yoiu have two iguanas in the same cage?if that is so i recomend that you seperate them imediatley. he could be very stressed. is there a big size diffrence in them? even if their is not igunas are not ment to be in cages together. even tho you see babies in the same cage when they are young does not meant hat they can be in the same cage when they get bigger. think of it this way think of soemone that your really hate and cant stand to be around. and then you get put in a small room witht them and are not allowed to leave. and your food is put in when ever. and some one controlls when your lights go off. you wouldnt like it and your ig feels the same way.(im not saying what you are doing is bad and im not trying to be an a$$)

also do not try and pull stuck shed off of him. place him in a container that he fits in(or your tub(clean with a mild bleach solution after 1 part bleach to about 5 or 6 parts water)) fill it to about the top of his shoulders and soak him for about 30 to 45 min changing the water as offten as you need to keep the water warm. also mist the cage daily to keep the humidity up(i went to walmart and picked up a digital thermomenter with a digital humidity thing on it for about 15 bux i love it all i have to do is look at it and it says exactly what the temp/humidity is) also put a hide on the cool and wamr side and put that moss you can buy in the petstore in it and keep it moist he may do in there and that will help with the stuck shed.

if you are using calcium and are feeding the right greens(dandylion, collard, i also use in small amount kale, escarole, swiss chard, endive, also i use the frozen mixed vegitalbes) using peas will help him put on weight but use them in moderation. then that should be fine. also try and mix it up try new things. my big boy loves grapes carots banana. try using colorful stuff and mix it up good so he cant pick out what he likes the best.

i am not sure at what age they are of breeding age. but you would know if he was a she and was ins season she would be very fat and you could see the eggs in her.

also i know the book is expensive but pick up a copy of "Green Iguanas for dummies" it is the best book on igunas i have ever had.

sorry it is so long just wanted toi make sure that i coved everything. if you have any questions please email me at Zombie2979@aol.com and i will be glad to answer your questuions to the best of my ability. just put Iguanas in the title.

Mike D
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1.0.0 adopted iguana
0.0.1 rescued petco iguana
1.0.0 water dragon
0.0.1 mali uromastyx
0.1.0 painted turtle
0.0.1 common snapping turtle

then the ussual
2 dogs
6 cats
misc fish
hermit crabs
rat
misc. fish

My Email

ITS NOT ABOUT YOU DIEING FOR YOUR COUNTRY, ITS ABOUT MAKING YOUR ENEMY DIE FOR HIS.

HAPPINESS IS LIKE PEEING ON YOURSELF, EVERYONE CAN SEE IT BUT ONLY YOU CAN FEEL THE WARMTH