Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone, how long on average would you say it takes for baby iguanas to get over their "run away in terror" stage? my friend has a baby iguana that she has had now for 2 months and she is always very calm around it and holds it every single day and sits and talks with it but as soon as she opens the top of the cage it runs around like crazy. Do some never calm down? thanks so much

It can take a long time, a very long time. some never really tame. Tiny took about 2 months to show some change in his behavior. since then it has gotten better every day. I have had Tiny for about a year and a few months now. he will still take a nip at me every once and a while...

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Healthy and fat Igg(Tiny)

Mali Uro(Buddy)

Part of the problem is mentioned in your post... "opens the top of the cage". A huge hand coming from above is sure to be a predator in the lizards little brain. It's better if the iguana can be approached from the side or scooped up from underneath. Even with that said, baby iguanas can stay freakish for many many months. Time and patience are the payoff.

I have had Digit for almost 2 years. I adopted him from
a shelter at 4 months of age. The tail whipping and biting
stopped a while ago but just now am I able to reach in and
pick him up without a chase. He will lean into my hand and
close his eyes. I had to keep him in a smaller enclosure
for several weeks due to a fracture of his leg from MBD. This
enclosure had an open top. After his cast came off I was able
to move him into his large enclosure (5' X 3' X 6') with
doors that open in the front. This is when I noticed that
he relaxed much more.

It takes a lot of patience sometimes with these guys.

Good luck
Linda

Check out a reply I posted to someone with a freaked out adult:
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=848785,848847

Some stuff there can be applied to your juvenile ig.

-IJ