Previous Chapter
Next Chapter [ Home ]
Iguana bites will bleed and do hurt! Iguanas do have teeth, they are just very small. Please note; If your Iguana does manage to bite you. YOU WILL CAUSE MORE DAMAGE IF YOU PULL AWAY! When you pull away, he will instinctively bite down harder, in order to prevent you the dangerous beast from escaping and causing him damage! He is more afraid of you than you are of him! Consequently if he bites you at any time during the taming process you need to remember that he believes you are a Viscous Monster who is sure to devour him! In the wild any larger animals or reptiles, even birds would gladly eat him if given the chance! Do not let it hurt your feelings, the occasional bite is inevitable! You are trying to tame a wild animal, and because of this he will have good days and setbacks. Some days you will be suprised as to how well he is doing, then other days you will wonder who substituted Godzilla, for your Lizard!
Before we start talking about taming your Iguana let me prepare you for the inevitable careless-owner, bite - intentional on the part of the Iguana. When an Iguana bites down the pressure of the bite exposes more tooth area to the wound. An Iguana has several small sharp pointed teeth which are partially recessed into the gum line - looks can be deceiving Those teeth are larger than you think! If you attempt to pull away from his grip, he will only bite down harder and may attempt to twist, shake or alligator roll with whatever part of you it is, that is in his mouth.
So the question is; How do you make him let go? If you decide to wait for him to let go on his own, HE COULD TAKE A VERY LONG TIME!
The best way to proceed is, to be prepared before it happens. If you have Vinegar on hand in the kitchen or a little alcohol such as Vodka or Rum you can try placing a small amount of it in the front of his mouth (you can use a Q-Tip for this) is usually enough to make even the most stubborn let go. I feel that any strong Mouthwash seems to work the best. Do not attempt to pry the Iguanas mouth open, as this will only serve to injure the Iguanas mouth and could possibly break off some teeth. If you attempt to pry the mouth open he will most likley only bite down that much harder anyway! Attempting to force open the mouth could cause Mouth Rot to begin in the area, that would require a trip to the Veterinarian to treat. The teeth normally "Shed" at regular intervals and are replaced with new ones.
When You take your Iguana out of his cage, try to pick him up from above. It is much more difficult for him to try to bite you or tail whip from this angle, than it would be if you were to attempt to pick him up from the front, where he could easily lunge at you. You may need to distract him with one hand while picking him up with the other hand. Always try to be firm and matter of fact in how you pick him up. If you appear nervous and pull away when he takes an interest in you and looks your direction he will believe that you pose a threat to him and he will be that much more inclined to try to bite you!
It is OK to use gloves at first if you feel more confident in using them and are sure that you can effectively judge the amount of pressure that your hands apply. I don't use gloves because I find that I tend to get careless with them and actually get bitten more often. As bad as this may sound, probably the best thing that can happen is for you to be bitten at least once, then realize that no real damage was done other than a little pain and bleeding! You get bitten and suddenly realize that you didn't die as a result of it. Then you are not quite so afraid of being bitten again, should the occasion arise!
If you do choose to wear gloves please use caution to insure that your grip is neither too loose or too tight. You do not want to injure or loose your Iguana! Most lizards will either bite or slap with their tail when they feel threatened. We do not want to give him any other reasons to feel that you could be a threat to his existence. Never hit him! Sometimes the first reaction to being slapped or bitten is to hit the offending creature. This will only serve to reinforce to your Iguana that it is you who are the dangerous one, to be avoided at all costs. This invokes the fight or flight response and will leave you fighting an uphill battle all of the way based on mistrust.
If you began with a calm animal you may find that once acclimated, your once calm animal has suddenly been possessed by the Devil. He will test your patience to the limits. Don't call the EXORCIST he will be unable to help you! You may even wish to give up on him and label him as untamable and wish you could return him to the Pet Store where you bought him from. This kind of behavior in your Iguana is perfectly normal and natural. This comes from his being more comfortable in his new surroundings and he is attempting to assert a little independence. Don't give up on him just yet, with a little perseverance and gentle persuasion he will begin to come around. Remember the key here is patience, persistence and gentle consistent handling. You may find that setting a routine is easier and less stressful for both of you. Regular, predictable handling sessions are usually more successful, as he will come to realize and expect, that he will be taken out of his cage at a regular time and for a specific amount of time every day.
Once out of the cage he will probably be very squirmy and may open his mouth and threaten to bite. Remember, in the wild to be captured and held means that he will be somebody's lunch!
Most Iguanas LOVE to have the sides of their necks scratched, just behind the ear along those bumps. If you rub him firmly in that area, you may find that he actually leans into the hand that is doing the rubbing! He will probably close or partially close one eye usually it is the eye on the side that is being rubbed. Then suddenly he will remember that it is the beast (you) that is causing him so much pleasure and he will frighten himself all over again.
When you notice that your Iguana is calming down, you will also notice that he will usually close one eye. This is his way of saying that he is beginning to trust you. He would never consider closing his eyes to something that he is reasonably sure is going to eat him! You will find that when he does this, he will usually calm down even more if you do the same thing (close one of your eyes). Predators always stare down their intended prey so that they are virtually assured success. Your Iguana could interpret this staring, as the same type of behavior on your part and will therefore consider it a threat posture.
Remember, never take him out of the cage unless you are certain that you will be able to give him the time he will need to calm down. If you return him to the cage when he is "acting up" you only serve to reinforce the negative behavior that you are trying to stop. He will think... when I behave like this... I get to go back in my cage and be left alone!
Too many first time Iguana owners, inadvertently reinforce negative behaviors in this fashion! They accidentally train their animals to bite or tail whip them without realizing it. Don't Make the same mistake! Stop problem behaviors before they become problems!
Never put him back while he his nervous or nippy. ALWAYS praise good calm behavior! Put him back in the cage only when he is calm and relaxed during handling, this will reinforce the positive behavior. Too Many owners make the mistake of rewarding the bad behavior by returning the Iguana to the cage too soon. Don't even do it once! If you feel like you really didn't want to deal with the behavior right now, don't take him out of the cage. He will remember the one time it did work and got him put back, over the hundreds of times that it did not work. He will then misbehave just so you will put him back into his nice safe cage.
Expect occasional regressions! Just like any other living creature Iguanas have feelings, wants and needs. He will have good days and bad days just like you and I do. As the two of you work together to build your relationship, you will learn his body language and know how he feels, just as he will learn to read yours.
There is nothing like the first time your Iguana closes both of his eyes and appears to go to sleep in your arms. This is his way of saying I trust you. If you close one or both of your eyes you will be telling him that you trust him too. Congratulations, you are well on your way to taming your Iguana!
You can now begin training your Iguana everything that he will need to know to become a real pet.
Training? Yes an Iguana can be trained a few basic commands, but it will take more work and consistency than taming him did. I believe that training is essential to all pet animals. It is every bit as important to train your Iguana to behave, as it is to train a Great Dane. An unruly Iguana is no more acceptable to me, than an unruly dog would be.
Once he is noted to be calming down during handling, the next command you can train is the Stay Command. For this I have found that the command "Hold" seems to work best for me. You can use whatever command you wish but be sure that you use the same commands consistently, so that you don't confuse him.
With the Iguana in your hands, whenever he begins to squirm tell him "Hold" in a firm voice, if it is properly said, he will stop for a moment. When this happens, even if it is for a second or two praise him.
This will again take a lot of time and constancy on your part but you will find that it will pay off later. If he does not at first stop moving, continue to give the command while gently restraining him. When he calms down praise him. Remember that an upset Iguana will alligator roll in an attempt to escape, allow him to gently roll in your hands without letting him escape while talking softly to sooth him. When you notice that he is calming down then again tell him hold, and praise him.
We do several educational presentations every year with a number of animals and things can get a little bit hectic while putting on leashes and the like. Sometimes they just get a little nervous and the "Hold" command can make all of the difference in the world when your trying to deal with a struggling, squirming, crawly lizard! During the shows I can put any one of our lizards into almost any position and tell them "Hold" and they will usually stay put until told that it is OK to move.
Iguanas if taken outside, need to learn about Harnesses and leashes just like you would train your puppy. At first they are confused about this restrictive thing that is being wrapped around their body. If your Iguana does well with the "Hold" command, it will really come in handy now. As many Iguanas will become very upset before you've even finished putting the harness on them. You need to make sure that it is tight enough to stay on, without being too tight. Many Iguanas will expand their bodies with air to prevent you from applying it tight enough or alligator roll in a desperate attempt to get loose.
It is therefore recommended, that the first few times that you put a harness on your Iguana, you have him in an area that will preclude escapes into the great outdoors (I like to start this training in the bathroom where he can't get away from you. Once the harness is applied, many Iguanas will become frantic and attempt to bite, alligator roll, scoot backwards or just lay down on the ground like the have been glued there! Let them wear the harness frequently for as long as you are present to supervise. If he is bold enough to walk around let him do so. Do not at this point attempt to guide him in any given direction.
Once he is comfortable with wearing the leash and is no longer attempting to escape, you can begin to give him limits as to how far you will let him walk. You may find that he can be most stubborn and will try again and again to go where you won't let him. When he gives up and attempts to go in a different direction or walks towards you, praise him and tell him how good he is.
You will probably find that when he hits the end of the leash that the alligator rolls will again continue, this is expected and will go away with time. If he is large enough and all of the cage furniture has been removed you may decide to try to leave the harness on while he is in the cage. If you have made sure that all potential harmful objects have been removed this should not be a problem.
Unlike a dog who has the Innate desire to please you the owner, the Iguana does not possess this desire. He can be conditioned to respond the way that you want him to, but he has to think that it was his idea and that it is in his best interest to do so. He will learn to respond to commands the same way that a cat does, Because it suits him to do so. The trick is to make him think that he has no other choice than to do it your way.
Remember the "Hold" command it pays off here also. With an escape proof harness you can put him on the ground to walk around. Do not let him go very far or he may become skittish and excitable and test just how escape proof that harness really is! If he does become frightened you can run your hand along the leash and while telling him hold gently pick him up. Expect that he will open his mouth and frantically alligator roll. Tell him to "Hold" until he calms down then begin again. Once you have instilled the "Hold" command well enough you will find that even while walking calmly on the leash you can tell him "Hold" and he will stop and wait for you! You may think I am nuts and that you can not possibly train an Iguana, but I guarantee if you are persistant you will acheive results
Weather permitting, I encourage walks outside in the sunshine. Especially for the Iguanas, given their propensity for bone problems. All reptiles benefit from natural sunlight and if you look at the top of there forehead you will see what appears to be a clearish scale. This scale is actually a solar lens, which helps them to synthesize the hormone, Cholecalcifercol. This hormone is necessary for the proper metabolism of vitamin B3 and for adequate Calcium absorption.
Most Lizards will typically defecate (poop) in their water bowl. To use this common trait to your advantage might take a little patience on your part. Once your Iguana is tame to some degree. You can start by placing him in his bath for a little while before you take him out to play. If he defecates in the water tell him how good he is, rinse him off, then dry him thoroughly to prevent chilling. It may take him a while before he gets the hang of what you intend for him to do since it is unnatural for them to attempt to hold their stool, rather than just letting it all out. It will of course at first will be at the wrong time and when it is the least expected or prepared for! Once he gets the hang of it (going to the bathroom in the bathtub) you may never have to carry extra clothes with you again (don't count on it! Accidents do happen). If you use this method and put him in the tub at the same time every day you will go far to prevent "accidents".
Next Chapter