Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, here's the deal, I was told Tahra was gravid when I first got her a couple of months ago, but she didn't lay. So I took her to the vet and had her x-rayed - and there were no eggs. The vet (not a herp vet) said that either it isn't even time for her to be gravid and she was just fat and healthy to begin with, or her previous owner feed her so inadequately that she did not produce a clutch this year. Which of these sounds more viable? She seems healthy so when are females suppose to be gravid?

Also, since she isn't gravid I finally got up the nerve to handle her today. She was very vicious at first, but she got a long warm bath and some petting before I put her back. It was very stressful for me, so I know it was horrible for her. She is the exact opposite of Kermit! She is so strong I could hardly hold her and I worried several times that ones of us was going to have to get hurt, and maybe it would be better to just leave her alone. Should I leave her alone?

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Bel

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Bel

First of all, there is no rule about when a female iguana can carry eggs. I've had females here lay in June, August, November, December, and February. I have 2 gravid right now and one that just finished laying 4 days ago. Not all females will produce eggs every year either. I've had some here for over 5 years that never laid and the one that just finished skipped 2 years between clutches. I've also experienced females that were not in optimal health that became gravid and deposited eggs. Like I said, no rules with eggy iguanas.

Handling her or trying to tame her is a personal decision that you will have to make. That will depend on whether you want a companion animal or strictly a display animal. The taming process can be stressful to both of you but if done patiently and gently it can be a very rewarding experience for lizard and owner. I would think that you'd want some degree of tameness to make vet visits and such more pleasant and less dangerous. With older iguanas it can take months and months, and I've had a couple of lizards here that I decided just couldn't be tamed, at least not by me. Whatever you decide, best wishes for all of you.

Thank you for being so specific, all of that information was very helpful!
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Bel