Everytime I try and take my little 6 month old ig out of his cage he goes crazy and attacks me everytime. How long will it take to socialize him and what can I do if I dont have any "iguana proof" rooms in my house? I want to give him attention but I also dont want him to run away and get hurt or attack me.
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Scared IG
svinarsk
Dec 07, 2003 11:08 PM
Replies (2)
Roger Van Couwen
Dec 08, 2003 10:25 AM
It can take up to a year to tame an ig. They should not be expected to become cuddly, but they all can become tame enough to allow handling without a big struggle.
If you handle him, and he jumps out of your hand, then the room you have him in must be ig proof in that all he hiding spots are blocked from him, so he can't get under a sofa, behind a bookcase, under a door, etc. That way you can retrieve him without a tiresome search.
You should double check his environment and diet to make sure he has everything going for him, at:
http://www.greenigsociety.org/
With a good home, good health, and lots of firm but gentle (never back down in he face of his threats) handling, he will gradually become tame.
Happy herping 
Roger
girlzilla
Dec 08, 2003 04:15 PM
The bathroom can be very easy to ig-proof: close the toilet, cover/remove the waste paper basket, close cabinets and put harsh cleaners away, and make sure the tub and sink drains are closed/covered, and you're set. Also make sure there's nothing on the edge of the tub that he can pull in onto himself or otherwise knock over.
It's a fun place for your iguana to play for beginner supervised play time; my iguana is about three and he still loves to climb up the towels on the towel rack, bob at the mirror, and climb in and out of the tub. If you close the door, you have a small inescapable room that can be made warm and moist very quickly (let the shower run hot for a few minutes before you go in, and my bathroom came equipped with a "heat lamp" for humans to dry off under), and you can just hang out with him and let him explore and get used to you.
Of course, it's going to be a lot more fun for your ig AND you if you ig proof other rooms in your house, too. But that's a good place to start. Just don't let him get near your family's toothbrushes or contact lens cases or anything, and disinfect if he poops anywhere.
Have fun!
