Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi

im new here but thought this would be a good place to ask a question about my iguana. For some strange reason in the last 2 days when i go to pick my iguana up to put him back in his cage or to move him around (from falling off of things normally) he gets all tough on me..he will lower his dewlap and bob his head at me like crazy and even trys to bite me sometimes and i have no idea why, he used to be fine and let me pick him up with minimum fuss but now..its like he wants to eat me heh..i have changed nothing in his habitat or diet and he gets the correct diet and heating/lighting..i am not exactly sure how old he is since i got him from a pet store but i think hes around 2 or 3 yrs old.

i just find it strange why he is acting this way, he started acting this way yesterday and is doing it today also but before then he would be fine...any idea's??

tia

meth0d

I would guess it's breeding season, but I don't know exactly when that is. Is he an orange color in areas?

hmm..well it does seem he has a little orange on his legs (front and a tiny bit at the back) not sure if you would call it orange but a light brown maybe?

Behavioral changes like that are almost certainly related to hormones, i.e., a breeding response. It usually happens a couple times a year - once around May-June and again around November-December. Could last from a couple weeks to a month or so. The color change varies, with some barely showing any change and others clearly going toward a vivid orange, especially around the legs and dewlap.
-----
MichaelB

ok thx alot for the help..last question is..should i leave him alone in the habitat till it passes?..or have him out like i normally do?

He's letting you know exactly what HE wants you to do! I think I would do just that, and leave him alone with minimal disturbance for the time being. He's under a lot of stress, so further disruption would only compound his problems. He'll come out of it eventually, at which point you can resume your regular routine with him.

One other thing that was pointed out in one of the other threads below is that it would be a good idea to keep him away from other igs - including himself! By that I mean taking away any mirrors and minimizing the chances of him being able to see any other reflections of himself, e.g., off the glass of his enclosure or a nearby window. He sees his own reflection, thinks it's another ig, and tries to go postal on it. See the post I'm referring to for ideas on how to minimize reflections.
-----
MichaelB