Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, my son's ig Tiny is now being a pain in the you know where. He is turning orange (1 years old) and now for the past 2 days won't poop outside and does it inside his enclosure on the carpeted ramps. Then he will scratch at the door like he started to about a week ago (this was to go poop) BUT all he does when outside is roam and explore(on leash) and soak up some sun - we live in /miami. So what's up with him. I hope that he will get back on track with the bathroom issue.
I know people have asked the same thing but I thought that he was to young to be going into season. Is this the preteen age or what?Also do females turn orange because I checked his femeral pores and they are very small. I am so confussed.
debs
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The addiction can be dangerous. 1 Uro named Buddy aka Big Boy & 1 Ig named Tiny

First orange is a definite indicator of male in season. Although some males will then stay and orange color. On rare occassions a female will develop the orange color but on them it is permanent. We have had one female in out rescue that turned orange and stayed orange. We had always assumed it was a female and when she laid her eggs (while orange) we had no more doubts.

The femoral pores at that age in a male might not be prominent yet. They do have slightly different ages in maturing depending on health, habitat etc. As far as the pooping in the cage. Many males will do this when in season even some females will start pooping in odd places. If you are patient and calm he should eventually calm down. At that age it seems to be more like puberty than actual breeding season and will "usually" not last too long. Please don't take that as a definite rule because behavior can differ between one iguana and another.

As far as getting him to go outside again, if you notice him starting to go in his cage hurry and take him outside. If he makes a mess clean it immediately so he doesn't associate it with a new "bathroom". Also if worried about the carpet, if you don't already have a tub in his cage this might be a good idea. A clear flatter storage tote from Walmart or another store placed in the bottom of his cage with water in it will sometimes become a temporary if not permanent bathroom. The instead of cleaning the carpet you only have his tub to clean out.

Stephanie
IIRBS

Thank you for your responce. As far as the tub in the cage, we did it and he never went near it let alone used it. I know that he is not really in breeding season that is why I asked is it like pre- teen stage (He is starting to look like an adult but is still a child). I do walk him in the morning like always - 8 a.m. and he does not go anymore. I put him back and take my daughter to school and when i come back he had already gone poop. The weeks before his little regression he would wait until I or my husband could take him out and when he saw us he would scratch at the door and then go. I hope he will go back to his old bathroom ways.
Debs

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

We have had many females here that turn partially orange during breeding season and then return to normal color when season is over. I don't think we've ever had a female here go permanently orange.