Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had an Iggy once before. He was a rescue of sorts, and very difficult. I got him from A Petco where he had been returned by an owner who stepped on his tail trying to catch him. Needless to say half of his tail was gone, but he was cute and neglected in the back room @ the store so I decided to take him.

It didnt work out. He scratched, bit and whipped every chance he had. And as he got bigger it started to hurt more and more and eventually he started drawing blood. Time to go.

I understand it wasnt his fault, but I have this thing about keeping animals that want to hurt me.

The problem is I've always wanted an Iggy. And I fully know what they entail. And I am ready for it. But I want to know what you guys/gals think would be the best option for me. More than anything I'm looking for some advice.

Do I go with two babies and increase my chances of getting atleast one that'll become docile and calm (and better yet, both)? Do I go w/ a rescue for the obvious reasons, and try to find a nice tempered, older Iggy that probably just became a burden for someone and thats the reason their in a rescue? Or do I go w/ a Rhino or a Rock Iguana, some other variation of the greens?

I'm really in need of some experienced advice here. I'm making the sacrifice of giving up my Retic to get an Iggy. My fiance is pretty uneasy w/ her also. And although she knew coming into this she was a part of the deal, I have to be considering of her feelings (fear). A compromise is never out of the question.

So, if any one can help me out here it would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks A TON!

Ray

you can adopt a tame iguana. but iguanas are very moody and there is always a chance they will bite. scratching is always going to happen. if you dont want to deal with it scratching and biting i dont think an ig is right for you. they go into breeding season and sometimes turn into monsters. this is of no fault of there own it is there nature. but its something you have to deal with if you decide to own an ig. an iguana in season can be more scary then a snake. if your girlfriend gets scared of the ig, it is alot harder to find a good home for an iguana then it is for a snake. in not trying to be rude i just want to help you make the right choice. if you decide an ig is not good for you, there are many other choices. one of my favs being a bearded dragon. they are not scary at all. easier to take care of. and tame very well. good luck. and let us know what you decide.
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brandy

I agree... maybe an iguana isn't the right pet for you. Saying you want an ig that will never scratch, bite and/or whip you is like saying you want a bird that will never make a sound... it's just not going to happen.

Beardies are cool, but if you're into iguanas I'd recommend a chuckwalla. They're in the iguanid family and share many of the same traits as green iguanas, but they don't get nearly as big and they stay pretty easy to handle.

Alika

I totally agree with Brandy.
Igs are awsome lizards, but they are not easy to deal with. Not at all. I understand you like them, but so did I, but I was told to go with the beardies first, and thats what I did. And I loved it. They are so docile and so calm. I would go with them first. Also cuz your fiance will fall in love with it, and it will make things easier when you decied its time to get an ig.
If after all this you still want to get an ig, get one, not a couple. It takes lots of tame to tame one, imagine two of them.
Well, its up to you.
Good luck
Later,
Dan

Just wanted to tell you that although older iguanas may not be skittish like babies and may not have as intense mating seasons like juvies, they may just be all around grumpy. I do not feel that age is any guarantee in mellowing an ig, unfortunately... I think a lot of times they just want to be bothered as little as possible!

Also, you may have trouble finding someone who will adopt to you. No offense, but even if for the best of reasons, it doesn't look good that you gave away two other pets because they were inconvenient.

Hey Ray,

I've adopted 5 Green Igs, all male. Their ages (as far as I know) are 11, 9, 3, 2 and 1. All of them scratch, 4 of them whip and two of them make it a regular habit of biting. The only tame one is the 9 year old (he's been here the longest), and he did not come here that way.

Oddly enough, all of them seemed tame when we handled them before adoption. When each one of them got home, after about a week or two, it was a different story.

But, I know that taming Igs can take a long time. You should see my arms! I work with them everyday, and I've got a regular schedule I keep with all of them. Slowly, but surely, they are coming around. I've been working with the 2 year old for about a year and he still hates when I handle him.

If you don't have lots of time to spend with your Ig, and lots of space, and lots of patience, an Ig probably isn't your best bet.

Peace,
Christine

It depends on your situation. I can tell you that you CAN have an iguana that does not bite, or tail whip. It takes a lot of time though. When we got Iggi, she was about 6 months old, from the pet store. She had no previous owner. I built a 100 gallon enclosure for her, but she really was only in there to poop, or sleep. We held her, carried her, talked to her, rocked her to sleep on my chest, (with a dishcloth for a blanket), while I watched TV. Basically, what you would do with a human child. After about 5 months, she was big enough, she would stand on the driftwood in the enclosure, and hold her arms up, to be picked up. She wanted out of the enclosure. We bought a floor to ceiling cat tree, and made it her bed. She has been a free roamer ever since. My wife still gives her a good night kiss, and tucks her into her blanket each night. The result of raising her like this, is Iggi has NEVER bit us, NEVER tail whipped us, NEVER scratched us deliberately. She does NOT need a leash when we take her outside. We take her with us when we go on vacations. Iguanas take about the same amount of time as raising a toddler. If you and your girlfriend can give your ig the love and attention necessary, the result will be a sweet tempered ig.

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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

that pic is so qute ! my ell lets me hug him but right now he is in season and is pretty mad at me for some reason
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brandy