Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone
I've wanted an iguana for many years and I've read lots on this forum over the past years, but I never got one... until now. I want to tell you about my new iguana and also ask some questions.

It happend very fast. A friend of mine had an iguana who desperately needed a new home and suddenly I was building a wall in our guestroom to fit a gigant green iguana in there. He lived in an extremely small enclosure in a basement without a window... The enclosure was smaller than he is, his owner had him since he was a baby but got rid of him when they got a child!! So my friend took him even though he wasn't intrested in iguanas and had him until I heard about him and said that I could take him.

A picture of him:

His name is "Flower" and he's over 14 years old, He seems very healthy and he's very beautiful. I have both Hatfields book "The ultimate guide" and Kaplans iguana book, since a couple of years back, so I already know a lot about iguanas. I also have bearded dragons, a chuckwalla and a tortoise, so I'm used to preparing good vegetarian salads.

However I have two problems.
1. The humidity in the room is too low, since I've only put up a wooden board to keep him in the back half of the room (he's got half my guestroom for himself), it's hard to keep it up. It's normally only 25%, very far from the 70% he needs. I've put two humidifiers there, and got it up to 41% now, but it's still too low. I'm a student and my budget is very limited, has anyone any good advice? I give him a bath every morning and I spray him with a spray bottle a few times a day... what more can I do?

A pic of him eating...

2. He's very scared. I got him two days ago, and he closes his eyes every time I come near. When I tried to give him his bath this morning he trashed around and panicked, when I got him out of the bath and tried to carry him back to his home (he's heavy!), he tried to climb up on a door, and I had some trouble getting him back and I think I scared him even more.

What can I do to calm him down? I talk to him a lot and go into the room and sit so he can see me a couple of times a day, without touching him or scaring him. He's been eating very well both today and yesterday, but haven't pooped yet. According to his previous owner he's never bitten anyone his whole life and never whipped with his tail. Sounds good.

Isn't he gorgeous? Since he's 14 years old, I haven't built too permanently in the room, since I don't know if he's going to live for just a couple of months or years... How old are your iguanas?

Any input and advice would be appriciated

Thanks!

2. He's very scared. I got him two days ago, and he closes his eyes every time I come near. When I tried to give him his bath this morning he trashed around and panicked, when I got him out of the bath and tried to carry him back to his home (he's heavy!), he tried to climb up on a door, and I had some trouble getting him back and I think I scared him even more.

He has Change-related Stress. It to be expected and it will resolve in the next three to six weeks. See:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1367&S=4&SourceID=56

What can I do to calm him down? I talk to him a lot and go into the room and sit so he can see me a couple of times a day, without touching him or scaring him.

Keep that going, plus pick him up as often as you can tolerate it, especially after his change-related stress period is over. You kind of have to push through the phase of taming him to you, after his Change-related Stress has resolved.

In the meantime you have to put him in the tub at least once a day. When you pick him up, wear a sweatshirt and let him get a good grip on your arm. Press him against your body at the same time if he likes that. Feeling insecure on a perch makes them squirmy and nervous.

He's been eating very well both today and yesterday, but haven't pooped yet.

Not to worry. His pooping schedule and location have changed, and iguanas hate change. Any day now he'll poop in the tub, if that's the method he's used to. If it's not, then you can train him to poop in the tub, which in the opinion of many people makes cleaning up after pooping a lot more easy.

I don't know if he's going to live for just a couple of months or years... How old are your iguanas?

My one green iguana is 13 years old and has always been healthy.

Some iguanas live to twenty years of age. If his early-life nutrition and UVB was good, he has a very good chance at being one of the long-lived iguanas. You could easily have him for six more years. I'd plan on that regarding the habitat if I were you.

Within one to four months his eating might taper off. IMO that is a common reaction to change-relatd stress. It lets the bad gut organisms overcome the good ones, sort of like his immune respone falls due to the stress. When you notice that change in feeding pattern, take him in to a good reptil-experienced vet for a fecal exam and general checkup.

Happy herping, and congratulations for reading up on iguana care in advance of getting one

Roger

Hi again
I have a question about something my new iguana does. He's 14 years old and a very big male iguana and I got him three days agao. I enter his room several times a day and talk to him from a distance and then leave again. I also pet him a few times a day, I'm trying to build his trust...

I have a question about a behavior I've seen several times...
I was in his room talking to him and spraying him with water. Then I sat down on the other side of the room and read one of my iguana books so that he could watch me without me staring at him. After a few minutes he layed down, as far as he could go, almost flattening himself against the shelf he was on. He put his head down on the shelf and closed his eyes tightly, as if he was scared.

I went over to him and petted him, a few strokes along his back, and immideately he stood up, put his head in the air and pressed his body against my hand.

This isn't the first time he's done this. As soon as I stroke him along his back he presses himself upwards against my hand, stands up, lifts his head and starts looking at me and turning his head.
Why?

Is this a good sign? I've looked in my iguanas books but none of them say anything about this. I take it as a good sign since he often closes his eyes and turns away when I enter the room, and after only a minute of petting his back, he turns towards me, looks at me and stands up straight and starts to move his head and look around.
Has anyone here any ideas about why he does that? Any experiences? Any advice?

Thanks!

Well, your ig sits lays down like that because he could be basking. What my ig does is get on his stick and sprawls out all over it, then closes his eyes and basks. Now when you pet him, he could have been petted alot by previous owners and he likes it, there are many iguanas who love to be touched, like cats. I think mine looks at me to know what is touching him, if he sees that it's me then it's fine. But if a perfect stranger comes in they're in for some trouble. I can see my ig right now and he's on his stick with all his legs hangin down with his eyes closed, right under his basking light.
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1.0 Savannah Monitor - Artimus
2.0 Emerald Swift - Jesus, unnamed
1.0 Baby veiled Cham - Sir August De Winter 1-20-05 RIP
1.0 Green Iguana - King Arthur
1.0 Rose-hair tarantula - Bill
1.0 Basilisk - Adam
0.1 Water Dragon - Lady

yes that is a very good sign. it means he likes it when you pet him
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brandy

i agree, when ever i pet Tiny on his sides, he stands up and LEANS! not a nice little lean, but one that if i moved away he would fall. Tiny loves to be pet on his sides. unlike most iguanas though, he hates his head or chin stroked. i dont nkow why...

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Healthy and fat Igg(Tiny)

Mali Uro(Buddy)

You take a large tray, with raised edges and put inside a large piece of sponge.In my case i cut and adapted an old cushion made of sponge.The sponge must completely fit, completely cover the bottom of the tray.You put water in the sponge to make it wet.Damp wet.You put the tray with the wet sponge inside your igs cage, you can put it under the basking lamp.If your iguana needs humidity he will lay on wet the sponge.

I used to do that with my gecko, than with my uros and now im doing that with my 2 iguanas.The only difference is the size of the sponge!lol!Both my iguanas LOVE the sponge and spend there 9/10 of their time.They even sleep on the wet sponge!