Iguana Aggression

[Bedlam]

Hey everyone....didn't see much about this on the search function.

Some friends of mine has a male iguana who's reached adult age and is getting EXTREMELY aggressive. They've tried everything from isolating him, changing his environments and trying to show that they're the dominant ones (which I've read is BS...). Any advice I can pass on would be appreciated!

 

[2bears]

Males can turn very aggressive around female humans during certain times of the month.....
Some males never calm back down and some will with time.
be carefull..........
twobears

Hey everyone....didn't see much about this on the search function.

Some friends of mine has a male iguana who's reached adult age and is getting EXTREMELY aggressive. They've tried everything from isolating him, changing his environments and trying to show that they're the dominant ones (which I've read is BS...). Any advice I can pass on would be appreciated!

 

[mrbonzai211]

There is nothing you can do. Iguanas are just like that. It pains me to see how popular iguanas are because they are not as easy of a pet to keep as their availability makes them seem. Let's just say an, if an owner does realize that their iguana is going to get 6 feet long and are able to accommodate that, they usually get turned off by the fact that it will be 6 feet of fury with a bull whip tale. The only advice I can give your friend is to either come to terms that his pet is for display purposes only, and also, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid trying to "train" it to like him (the whole concept of that pisses me off). I read a post here a few months back where someones friend was drowning their lizard so he could save it at the last moment because he thought it would think that he's his hero or some craziness like that.

 

[P. Novak]

There is nothing you can do. Iguanas are just like that. It pains me to see how popular iguanas are because they are not as easy of a pet to keep as their availability makes them seem. Let's just say an owner does realize that their iguana is going to get 6 feet long and are able to accommodate that, they usually get turned off by the fact that it will be 6 feet of fury with a bull whip tale. The only advice I can give your friend is to either come to terms that his pet is for display purposes only, and also, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid trying to "train" it to like him (the whole concept of that pisses me off). I read a post here a few months back where someones friend was drowning their lizard so he could save it at the last moment because he thought it would think that he's his hero or some craziness like that.

Wow..... :wall:

 

[aracnochicken]

my son in law has two adult male's , one closes its eyes when ever he touches him or does maintance . I guess it figures if he can't see him he'll go away . But the other is like a rabid pitbull . Attacks with his tail and tries to bite . I think its just how some end up like a bad personality .

 

[naturejoe]

There is hope. Green iguanas are my favorite reptile because they all have interesting and unique personalities and there are few reptiles as impressive as a 5+ foot male iguana.

Many male iguanas become aggressive at maturity and during the breeding season, usually toward other iguanas. Iguanas that have been raised alone with no contact with other iguanas can and do become aggressive toward people. Also, iguanas with improper nutrition or habitat can also become aggressive.

I have gotten many aggressive iguanas, both male and female, and given proper care and caging they ALL have become manageable. Not all iguanas like to be picked up, but some do. Almost all iguanas I have dealt with enjoy being sprayed with water and scratched on the head or under the cheeks.

When changes are made to an iguanas life, it takes them time to adjust, sometimes months. They get used to routines and if you pay attention to them, they will become one of the best pets ever.

I once had an iguana that I would let out in the yard like a dog and it would scratch on the door to come inside when it was ready. He would only poop outside or in the bathtub. He loved to crawl in my lap while I was watching tv to get a scratching and he got along fine with the dogs and cats.

To have a great iguana it is so important to understand their behavior and personalities.

Good luck.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Any advice I can pass on would be appreciated!

It's an iguana. They really shouldn't be surprised.

EDIT: Especially males, and especially when it's That Season. They need to do some research, even just wearing the wrong COLORS around an iguana can cause trouble. And yes, the female humans thing is true - they can even detect the change in human's scent before she actually starts menstruating, and may attack anyway.

Gross as it is, they may need to look into how to make certain kinds of toys so the iguana can, ah, relieve himself. It supposedly helps them be less insane until the breeding season ends.

 

[Bedlam]

Well one thing I can say is that they're pretty good with him. He has gone through some changes recently....my friends moving in together a year or two ago, getting married and they just found out they've got a bun in the oven now too. They're telling me they've tried everything and I can understand that they might feel the need to get rid of him with a baby on the way.

The breeding month aggression should've passed by now. This started in November and its getting pretty bad. They're giving him everything they can and every shot they can, but I'm not sure how much more patience they'll have with him once the pregnancy really kicks into high gear.

I'm going to send her this link (Hi Amy!!) so if anyone else has anything else to offer please feel free to drop a note in here. My knowledge is more on the arachnid side and I just recently started getting into reptiles.

Thanks!!

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Unfortunately, this is why I agree with the post earlier in the thread - iguanas really aren't great pet animals, at least for the majority of people, and it's frustrating that society's perception of them is so far off the reality. This is exactly the kind of situation that's resulted in so many unwanted igs.