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I have a question for those of you who have experience with the Lewisi hybrids:

Overall, how well do they respond to socialization? How would you rate their potential to become calm, tame adults compared to that of a Cuban?

There is a two year old male Lewisi/Caymenensis hybrid being offered by Sam Pascucci at Florida Iguana & Tortoise Breeders that I am contemplating adding to the family. I am only hesitating because I am unfamiliar with the general temperament of this species. I currently have an adult Cuban who is a sweetheart; I am wondering if this fellow will have the same potential.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated.

Both of my lewisi hybrids are absolute Sweethearts. I thought maybe Kismet was so sweet because she has Cuban in her, but so far Sebastian is also very nice and he is a lewisi/caymanesis cross.

The one you are looking at is probably a sibling to my Sebastian since I got him from Sam in April and he is turned two years old in October. He's a bit flighty when you first pick him up but he calms down very very quickly. I don't know what he will be like during breeding season, but so far I absolutely love him. He let me put the leash on him by day five and I was able to take him out places to start socializing very quickly.

To show you how tolerant they are, here are their pictures in their costumes from the recent Petco costume contest where Kismet took first place.

Kismet:

Sebastian:

And here they are under more normal circumstances...

Really-

Thank you for sharing that information; it's very helpful to hear from someone who has one of the animals from the same group. I was concerned that having reached two years of age without any significant interaction with humans, he might be more difficult to acclimate, but it sounds like I don't need to worry too much.

All of the iguanas that I have owned have been great (three Greens and one Cyclura). That was in large part due to the fact that I was able to directly observe their disposition and select accordingly. This will be the first time that I have acquired one without being able to asess it firsthand, which makes me antsy.

By the way, your iguanas are beautiful, especially Kismet (the fairy princess outfit is awesome). I've seen your posts before and always admired them. If I may ask, how have you gone about getting young Sebastian accustomed to different people and surroundings? I would be very interested in hearing about your socialization protocol, since it seems to be working so well.

Thanks again!

I wouldn't be too worried about the fact that Sam's iggies haven't had a lot of human interaction. The human interaction they do have involves being brought food and so they have no negative experiences with humans. I was a bit worried about Sebastian because he did have some negative interactions as he had his foot injury and it had to be amputated. However, despite his need for uncomfortable veterinary care, he is pretty good with people. Like I said, he is still flighty when I go to get him and he has yet to crawl up in my lap like Kismet does, but he calms down quickly and gets quite sociable. I do still get the occasional hiss if he doesn't want to be disturbed, but it's become quite half hearted, as if he is testing me. Yesterday, he was on the branch by the window in the kitchen and I was petting him and he hissed softly a couple of times, as if to see if that would make me go away but when it didn't, he stopped and let me scratch his itchy shedding spots.

My socialization protocol... sounds fancy. LOL

Basically, what I do is try as much as possible to just sit with new iggies. This becomes more possible once they are in enclosures big enough to sit in. Sebastian is currently in the master bathroom and I take my Kindle and go sit in there and read, usually out loud. Before that, I sat next to the enclosure he was in just the same way. As soon as I am able to get a leash on an ig, I start taking them outside so that they start associating the leash with something good. You can also offer them a special treat if they let you put the leash on without alligator rolling. Once they will wear a leash outside we start taking them places. The various pet stores and garden centers allow pets and we've also been successful bringing them to Home Depot and I've heard Half Price Books has a pet friendly policy. People start coming up to them and they just seem to learn to accept it. Kismet doesn't just tolerate it but actually seems to enjoy the attention. I know it doesn't stress her because (1) she knows the word car and when out front will run straight for the van and (2) she'll come home from an outing and go straight for her food bowl. She's even been known to eat while out. Recently at the organic garden center, Sebastian had a nice time munching on the hibiscus flowers while they were still on the plants, so I don't think he could have felt too badly stressed. Tazumal has only been on one short outing since the leash is too big for him and I'm afraid of losing him!

As soon as I feel the igs are ready they go to schools and we give talks about iguanas. It wasn't at all long before Sebastian felt comfortable being petted by the kids. My two older igs don't seem to be bothered at all about squealing kids or other loud noises or by people coming in and out. I dont' know if is anything I've done, or if I just got lucky.

Thanks for sharing. It sounds similar to my approach: establish a presence, let them come to you whenever possible, and bribe them with treats to get them to like you. I've never tried using a leash before; how do you go about getting yours to accept it?

I've never really had to put much effort into socializing and training any of the other iguanas that I've had, but then they were all acquired as hatchlings and fairly tame from the get-go. I believe that this fellow will require more work on my part.

He may not require as much help as you think. Remember that Cyclura tend to calm down naturally at around two years old if they have not had a bad experience with humans.

Do you ever have issues with them "having accidents" while out on trips in public or in your vehicle?

Occasionally. Kismet is pretty good about letting us know when she has to go though and I'll take her outside or we'll pull the car over. She gets very frigidity if she has to go. I don't know Seb's signs yet, but I make sure he poops well before we go and we haven't had an issue with him yet.

I agree with Really; I have 3 Lewisi hybrids- one 12-plus year male, one four-year old male, and a hatchling. The two adults are amazingly tame, love to be pet, and will come up to me or anyone in our house to be pet. The oldest even seeks me out when I'm on the couch so he can climb up on my belly and fall asleep. The hatchling is tiny and still figuring out his surroundings but when handled he only takes a minute or so to calm down and become more curious than scared. In my experience the Lewisi Hybrids have the potential to become very tame with regular interaction and handling!
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Bri

Thanks Bri, that's very encouraging to hear. Between you and Really, I am feeling eboldened enough to take the plunge.

Laurie, I found Sam very easy to deal with, btw, and very pleasant.

I've exchanges a few e-mails with Sam so far, and he does seem like a very nice fellow. But then, he would have to be to put up with all of my fussy questions.

I'm pretty sure that you're correct about the iguana in question being one of Sebastian's siblings. Sam said that he was part of a group that started beating the crap out of each other as they got older. This one was the nicest of the bunch (only missing half of a toe), so he was priced the highest and is subsequently the last to go.

Yep, that is one of Sebastian's siblings... maybe even the one who bit Seb's hand off... Who knows? If he is the sweetest, go for it because Seb is so sweet that if that one is sweeter, he must be an angel!

If he did chomp Sebastian's arm, then perhaps Sebastian took the other's toe in retaliation. Not a fair trade to be sure, but a small bit of revenge nonetheless. As you said, who knows?

As for this animals's sweetness quotient, that has yet to be determined. I did go ahead and purchase him though, so I'll be finding out shortly. I've got my fingers crossed!

When does he arrive? Be sure and post pictures and let us know his name! Since our iggies are brothers, that practically makes us family now!

Congrats to you and I'm glad you're giving this guy a good home. I've seen him up in the ads for too long and I was feeling bad for him. Happy he has a family now(and that you have a new family member!)
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Bri

I know what you mean. I was originally looking for another Cuban, but for some reason I kept coming back to this fellow. He was available for so long, it's almost as if he were begging me to pick him. He'll definitely receive as much pampering as he can stand.

He'll be arriving on Tuesday. I'll get some pictures up once I get him settled in.

Awesome! Can't wait to see him! Have you thought of names?

My new ig arrived yesterday without incident. He seems to be settling into his new surroundings without much fuss, and started pooping and nibbling on some food a few hours after being unpacked. I can only imagine what he must think after transitioning from sunny Florida to living indoors in overcast Oregon. At least the forest surrounding Mt. Hood offers some nice scenery.

Here are some pictures of him. I'm still batting around a couple of names.

He is adorable! He is so totally Sebastian's brother! I find myself wishing I'd named Sebastian Francisco. I didn't because I had a dog by that name once.

What names are you batting around?

I know what you mean about recycling names. After a few decades of reptile keeping I've gone through a good number of names, and it's now a lot more work to think of something cool. My husband doesn't see any issue with reusing names from animals that have passed away, but to me it feels weird.

I tend to favor names from mythology as well as books that I've read, and the current three names that I'm considering for the new guy are: Azhdeen, Zair, and Logen Ninefingers. I'm waiting to see which one suits him (unless another comes to mind).

I love Zair! Kismet's middle name is Ramoth.

We must have a similar taste in names. I've made it official; his name is Zair. It has a rather jaunty sound to it that I think suits him well.

So far he's been great. He is already eating from my hand and letting me pet him, and I haven't even put much effort into socializing him yet. He shows a good deal of curiousity about his surroundings, and I've let him out to explore the reptile room a couple of times. Overall he is pretty calm, and hasn't shown any inclination towards defensive posturing when approached. The one curious thing I have noticed is that our cockatiel elicits quite a response from him. As soon as she wanders into view, he puffs up and starts head bobbing like a lunatic. If she gets close to his enclosure, he retreats. It's quite interesting to watch.

I wanted to ask you, how do you go about getting your iguanas accustomed to wearing a harness? I haven't used one before, but I'm thinking about trying it out with this guy when he's ready. It could come in handy when taking him outside, since we live in the woods.

I get the harness and let them see it and become familiar with it. Then, I drape it across them and show them it won't hurt them. If they don't react at all, I try slipping it on. Sebastian took to it as if he's always worn one, but the process has taken anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Love the name! I'll tell Sebastian that his brother has a name!

Cool, I'll have to give it a shot. What brand and size do you use for Sebastian? I'm guessing he and Zair should be about the same size.

I started out with this kind, but he's already outgrown it:

Now I'm using this kind:

A lot of people have described their iguanas doing alligator rolls and making other efforts to get out of the leash. I've noticed just the opposite effect -- that it seems to have a calming effect on mine.

A lot of people also prefer hip leashes, but I don't.