Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had Manuel for about two months now. I've done everything I was supposed to to try to tame him. Sometimes when I stick my hand in his enclosure he just looks at it and doesn't really care. Other times, all it takes is for me to open the top and he'll go absolutely nuts. I don't feel like I'm making any progress. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't becoming frustrated. Above all, I want to make sure he's happy, but I also want to make sure he actually likes me before he gets big enough that if he bites, it will actually hurt (he hasn't bitten me yet, but I read somewhere that, while taming the iguana, it's pretty much inevitable). Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to make him more comfortable? Any help is greatly appreciated.

--Mark

Hello , Mark.
I'm not an expert, but let me tell you something. "YOU ARE NOT ALONE". I felt the same way you feel when I got Fulton. Anytime you need advice, just try to talk to any other IG owner. I've been through this situation before. Don't worry.

First of all, you have to make sure that:
- He's eating the right food
- He has the right enclosure
- The temperature is right (daytime and nighttime)

If any of these points is going wrong, it will be reflected in his behavior. Have you taken him to the vet since you got him?
How old is Manuel? Does he look sick?

Check this link. You will find useful information about IGs.
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html

Good luck!!!!

Thomas

The key is: Don't give up!
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I'll shut up now!
Angelina, Licensed Veterinary Technician
"Whatever you want to do, just do it. Don't worry about making a fool of yourself. Making a fool of yourself is absolutely essential." Gloria Steinem
0.1 Green Iguana; 2.2 Spanish Ribbed Newts; 0.0.7 Newt larvae; 3.2 African Dwarf Frogs; 3.1 Cats; 2.0 Dogs

I'm pretty sure he's eating the right food. He has a handful of romaine twice a day.
His temperature could be just a little lower, I think. The thermometer is peeking just a bit above 80.
His enclosure seems to suit him fine for the time being. He's just a little guy right now, so he's in one of those aquarium dealies. I'm in the process of building a larger one now, though.

--Mark

Brand new baby igs probably can't be tamed. When he's four to six months old he'll have enough experience to be able to be tameable.

Right now, when he holds still for your hand he's trying to hide. When he goes nuts he's trying to escape.

I'm just not sure anymore that tiny baby igs can be tamed while they are so small. IMO they rarely start to become tame before four months anyway.

Someone will reply to this post and report that their ig tamed down by the second month. IMO these igs are the exceptions.

At four months, begin taming as described in Anapsid.org

Roger

Are you feeding anything in addition to the romaine lettuce? Or just the romaine?

If you're feeding just the romaine lettuce, that's actually a very poor diet.

Igs need to have lots of dark, leafy greens high in calcium and low in goitrogens and oxalates. In addition, they need a variety of fruits and veggies a few times a week. Here's a sample of my ig's diet: his staple is a salad he gets everyday containing: collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, cilantro, watercress and grated squash. Every day he gets a little bit of some other vegetable or fruit, such as bell pepper, green beans, cantelope, apples, grapes, carrots... but always has more of the salad than anything else. Romaine lettuce is better than iceberg lettuce, but it still has very little necessary nutrients.

As far as taming goes, it can take up to 3 years to tame and socialize an ig, depending on how hard you're working on it and the personality of the ig. We've had Xander for a year and a half, and he's still a bit wild, though I've noticed a lot of improvement.

Just hang in there. It's harder to train prey animals, because of the fear that they have that normally protects them in their natural environment.

Alika

Your temp is also way too low. He needs to have at least one area (big enough for his whole body) that's in the low to middle 90's.

Do some reading at anapsid.org, greenigsociety.org, and iguanaden.com. In addition to proper care instructions, they also have some good articles on taming.

problems, actually. First, romaine lettuce isn't gonna cut it. You need to go to dark leafy greens instead, as Alika poins out above - collard greens (best, IMO), mustard greens, turnip greens. Second, you need to bring the daytime temperature up, not down. They digest best at temperatures of around 85F or better, and should have a basking spot with maximum temperatures around the mid 90s. Third, what kind of lighting are you providing to give proper UVB light? They need that for proper metabolism. Fourth, what time of day do you usually feed him? Late morning to midday is best; earlier and they haven't warmed up yet, later and they don't have an optimal amount of time to digest before going to sleep.

I think that once you have the heating, lighting, and dietary issues in order, you'll be okay. It will most assuredly take a lot of persistence and patience. But remember that igs are wild animals, and can not be "tamed" like a domestic dog or cat. It's more a case of "attitude adjustment." I think the best time to start working with them is while they're small, and the reason many owners don't have success with young igs is simply that it takes months and months of regular working with him/her to see positive results. Keep at it!
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MichaelB

You've all been a huge help. I'm going to try to improve his diet starting today, and I'll keep his heatlamp a little closer to his log (it's higher up and he likes to sit on it.)
Thanks again!

Be careful if your iggy sits on the light. He/she could get burned. My iggys like to sit on the lights too. I made a small platform on the light that they sit on with out getting burned and they still get heat through it.

i know how you feel. im going through the same thing with my new iguana. he whips at me tries to bite me. he doesnt seem to make progress eaither. but i keep trying. eveyone tells me different ways to tame him. some say just pick him up and pretty much show him whose boss. others say to just take it slow and start by just talkin to him and looking at him for awhile. utill he stops freakin out and then a few days later put your hands in the cage. when he is used to that try petting him and eventualy try picking him up. ive tried the just pickin him up thing and it has seemed to make him worse. he seems so scared. and has tore my arm up from the sholder to my fingers. i try not to get fustrated because i know he is very scared. i feel bad for him. it is very hard though. keep me posted on your progress and i will also. maybe we can help each other out.
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brandy