Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I am new to this forum, My wife and I just got our iguana Spike a few months ago. He is a happy and healthy little guy. Is still young, not sure of exact age, but he is about a foot and a half long so far.

My question is about taming him. If I even put my hand in the cage to fill his water or feed him, let alone try to hold him, he freaks out and runs away. I know this is supposed to be good cause it means he is healthy. But i would like a more friendly lizard. What can I do, and what are the best ways to tame your iguana? I have held him a few times. Even tried to give him a piece of banana to show that me holding him gets him a treat. But to no avail. Help please!!

Jason

My iguana took about a few months after I got him to get him to calm down. I started a "handling schedule" at first, only trying to pick him up the same times each day. And I gradually picked him up and had him outside his tank more and more. Of course at first you get scratched up quite a bit, but 14 years later, my ig is the most docile animal I have ever owned.
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~*Chibi*~
Sir Iggy (El Salvador Blue Iguana), Ryo-ohki, Orion, Bud, & Finnegan (4 crazy kitties), Rosebud (cockerspaniel), and Kayko (leopard gecko)

Well my son's iguana was the same way but he also whipped us with his tail. You must hold the ig everyday and be very patient. The taming takes a lohg time to do. The forum will tell you that taming can taker up to 1 year but I think with you hold and interacting with it everyday you will see impovement in a while. Tiny our iguana is tame and even doing some cool things like going to the bathroom everyday outside on his harness and then running to the door to come in and the newest is that when he is on a chair you can pat your chest and say Tiny and he will climb up onto your chest to your shoulder. IT DOES TAKE TIME and it is worth it.
Good luck and post pictures.
debs

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The addiction can be dangerous. 1 Uro named Buddy aka Big Boy & 1 Ig named Tiny

Thanks for the response! =) He does try to whip me with his tail too. But mostly just runs away and hides under his log hideout. I want to hold him, but dont want to hurt him either, so usally I give up on trying to pick him up. The few times I did hold him he squirmed alot to get free, so I would put him back in his cage. But i will keep trying =) It would be really cool to be able to walk him outside, but I live in Connecticut and its about 15 degrees out right now . I will definatly get pictures up asap, I just got my wife a digital camera for Xmas, cant wait to use it. Again, thanks for the info, I will keep at it =)

Jason

I don't know what everyone else's opinion is, but I was told when we got our ig that it's best not to stop handling/put him away when he does this. It will only teach him that he gets his way when he becomes difficult, and will result in him doing it every time he wants you to go away. I didn't need to test the theory myself as our ig turned out to be very cooperative. Just my 2 cents, and good luck. Just keep handling him and eventually he'll learn that you're no threat to him.

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0.1.0 Ball Python - Shaman
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Ike
0.0.2 Green Treefrogs - Bert, Ernie
2.2.0 Cats - Pumpkin, Furball, Pixie, Stitch
1.0.0 Cockatiel - Ozzy
0.1.0 Budgie - Tweetie
0.1.0 Betta - Isis (Donated to a nephew whose 3 year old betta just died)
1.0.1 Mice - Zeus, Orion (R.I.P. I think... Damn cats)