Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok before I start, may be a lil long....

I am doing all the right things (light heat feeding etc) I have read Igs for Dummies, and researched every website concerning igs and still have a few more questions.

Got him 3 or so weeks ago (hes about 18-20" head to tail) and left him pretty much alone until the other day so he could adjust. He didnt eat for a bit but now eats and goes to the bathroom regularly. When I started picking him up he runs around but pretty much calmed down once I picked him up and held him for a while. I started giving him a bath every other day and he swims around and seems to enjoy it, I stay with him and once he calms down in the water I pet his head and he resists at first but then quickly gives in and stays still while resuming a comfortably paced breathing pace.

NOW.... today as usual I have a hard time getting him out of the cage, he calmed down after 3 or 4 minutes and then I get him in the tub. I left him for a little bit to go clean out the cage and then came back and started petting him. As usual he flips out then calms down. After the bath was done and the water drained it almost looked as if he was in the submission pose pictured in Melissa Kaplan's book and he didnt fuss at all when I picked him up.

I get him out of the bath and for an hour or so start petting him while holding him. I start with his head and then slowly begin to touch his front arms and move towards his rear legs and back to see how much he will let me get away with. He was fine, let me pretty much do what I want. He had his eye towards me closed and the other open (which I read in the Dummies book is a good sign) all while his breathing seemed calm and he seemed relaxed.

I put him back in his cage and pet his head and he FLIPS, tail whipping, dewlap fully out, mouth fully open and NOT running around the cage or away from me, kind of like standing his ground. As I read, I am not to give in because he will know its the way to get me away so I venture forward and.... he snaps snaps and bites (first time he has even shown me an open mouth let alone bite). I continue to struggle with him and eventually pick him up, hold him high, he calms and I pet him again and hes calm. Put him down and its the same story, flips out whipping and biting. He gives in quickly when I get him but getting him picked up and putting him back is a nightmare.

If he continues to freak out when I put him down do I give in? Am I doing the right thing by picking him up again or am I stressing him out by keeping him aggravated? I want to do the right thing and tame him correctly. If he always flips out when I put him down how do I ever get him back in his cage?

Also, how old exactly is a 20" ig? He had his mouth wide and I looked close but couldnt see any teeth (I know I know, they are there.. I just wanted to see them) how bad is getting bit by a 20" ig with no gloves on (I put them on when he started opening his yapper at me)

Thanks in advance

Are you talking snout to tail? If he's snout to tail only 20 inches then he's not that old. I bet he's starting to think of his cage as "his" territory and when you put him back he may have been acting out but if he's that small it's odd that he would do that.
The bite will not hurt if he's that small. In fact this may sound crazy but when mine was that small I would often wear a few layers of bandage pick him up and just let him bite away. After awhile he just gave up because he knew it didn't phase me so why put forth the effort. That only lasted until his third breeding season though. Then he would have chomped me in a heartbeat, especially when I would enter his room. I eventually made the very difficult decision to have him nuetered by a very reputable vet in our area and he has since calmed down a bit but I still have to be on gaurd. I can't cuddle with him anymore but at least I can pet him and pick him up and carry him around a bit without having to worry about losing a finger. JN

you are doing all the right things to try to tame him down. i have a new iggy about the same size, and she (i think she's a she) is very hard to get to calm down. once she has, i hang out with her a bit, then, when i put her back in her enclosure, i dont give her the chance to get agressive with me. i let her walk, or scurry, off my arm onto her branch, and then i dont touch her. if i do, then she freaks out the way you say your lil guy is.
good luck with the training!

yavannaus

Pretty good advice

Tossed him in the tub today as usual, acted all tough at me in the beginning but calmed down faster than usual in the tub while I petted his head.

Left him for a half hour to soak and have some alone bubble bath time (just a term, I know to not use bubbles) and then came back and drained the water and he was nice clean and BRIGHT green, also he was calm as could be. I petted him and picked him up with no problem at all, not even an attempt at running away.

Took him for a walk (holding him) around the house watching his head turn this way and that looking at everything, so cute... UNTIL one of my cats came around the corner and meowed... well the ig didnt see him and we went back to my (and his... or hers) room and I went to put him back in his cage after a half hour or so of CALM petting on my lap.

I got him down on the nice clean cage and he looked up at me, tossed out the dewlap then saw my hand leaving the cage and he calmed down quickly. Ill let him win that fight, he was really good today so tomorrow I think Ill toss in some bananna (I know just a little bit) because he was cute tonight.

Anyway thanks for the advice, it really helped (at least today) and I will have MANY more questions, actually I will post one more......

Considering he is only a baby then his bite will not hurt. As he gets bigger his bites can become quite serious. Stitches are often required.

Now as far as the submission thing... I have never had any problems with my guys. I have two. I have never had to do the domination thing over them. When I put them into their homes that is their area. I put them in their cages and I back off or stand there and talk to them. They are docile to the point where I could sleep with them if I chose. Just practice lots. When you get him into his cage he is familiar with it and considers it his. That is his teritory and of course he will defend it. Taking him back out does nothing but stress him out.
Think of things you are doing. Are you scaring him? Sudden movements? Other animals in the house? Shadows? Anything that could startle him could be the reason he freaks out.

Just my .02....
H

-----
2.0.0 Green Iguana Andy and Vernie
0.2.0 Cats April and Sugar
1.0.0 German Shepard Dog Router

yeah, if you have a cage that opens from the top, he sees you above him as a threat. you should seriously consider getting or building a cage with a side door on it. moving at him from the side rather than from the top will help with the aggressive behaivor.