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So cute, I had to share
- Thread starter Mandi
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cute one haha soo funny
Ravienne
Arachnopeon
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Your dog knows who's boss. 
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Awwwwwwwww
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That's a cool Ig! What is he/she like to handle? I'm interested by these guys but I'm unsure of their temperaments when compared to say, a Bearded Dragon or Blue Tongue Skink. How long does it take to tame them?
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Lol......... {d
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Iguanas are pretty tempermental, Ive had several.. and I noticed that they pick up on female hormones. My females would attack me at certain times in my cycle. If you have a LOT of time to spend with them when you first get them, they can make great pets, but they're slow learners so getting them to be tame takes a long time.
Pogo hasnt whipped at a human in years, (vaccum cleaner, mop ect ect.. another story) He doesnt bite, hes ok around children, he will come up to me (but no one else) for attention, and beg for food (or just climb on you and help himself) until we got the dog, he would get up at some point during the night and sleep in my bed, and for a while if i slept too late he would wake me up to feed him (by nipping at my feet.. which sucked)
these things are really unsualy for iguanas, but for the first year that I had him, I kept him with me ALL the time. So he got incredibly comfortable with being handled.
Potty training takes ages, and they don't always remember it. Males get pretty violent around breeding season, and it helps to get them neutered, although pogo isnt.. (he does however bite onto and hump random inanimate objects when hes in season)
After they reach sexual maturity, they secrete seminal plugs, which is rather nasty to find around your house... so you kind of have to be prepared for that, and iguana proof your house because they will climb anything and everything.. until they reach the age where, they just wanna sit around and bask. Then they wait until you think its okay to put your breakables out, and go exploring.
They will 150% with out a doubt climb your christmas tree, and your curtains, poop on your bed, or in the tub when you bathe them, pop all of the toys in your swimming pool (yes, i take him swimming with me) and shred your arms/back when they use you as a tree/speed bump (even if you've just clipped their claws)
A lot of times, you'll see that people who own iguanas will have them for years and they will still be small, or they'll be incredibly lethargic.
They need a LOT of space (huge set up with gradient temperatures ect ect with higher humidity, and a water dish), Their kidneys are tricky so try to avoid feeding them processed foods (mine loves pizza, french fries, and rx diet dog food :wall: ).
The best diet for them is dark leafy greens, supplimented with high calcium and phosphorous fruits. Pogo has a diet of collard greens, romaine lettuce (dog food that he steals on occasion),figs, banannas, strawberries, and watermelon. I give him bene-bac once in a while, and occasionally kale, and bok choy, but thats only for a calcium boost, (things in the cabbage family tend to constipate them.. and eggplant is a huge no no).
They're really territorial, and will more than likely claim a spot in your house, so Its a good idea to keep a uv lamp and a heat pad there once you figure out where that is. A good hint though is that 1 hour of natural sunlight = 7 hours under a uv lamp (I have an excellent herp vet :worship: )
I think thats all you need to know!!
and to answer the other question.. I tried to walk him on a leash a few times, and he kinda takes off, hits the end of the lead and starts crocodile rolling, so when i let him roam around the back yard I use a retractable leash, mainly to keep him out of the trees and from climbing the fence.
Pogo hasnt whipped at a human in years, (vaccum cleaner, mop ect ect.. another story) He doesnt bite, hes ok around children, he will come up to me (but no one else) for attention, and beg for food (or just climb on you and help himself) until we got the dog, he would get up at some point during the night and sleep in my bed, and for a while if i slept too late he would wake me up to feed him (by nipping at my feet.. which sucked)
these things are really unsualy for iguanas, but for the first year that I had him, I kept him with me ALL the time. So he got incredibly comfortable with being handled.
Potty training takes ages, and they don't always remember it. Males get pretty violent around breeding season, and it helps to get them neutered, although pogo isnt.. (he does however bite onto and hump random inanimate objects when hes in season)
After they reach sexual maturity, they secrete seminal plugs, which is rather nasty to find around your house... so you kind of have to be prepared for that, and iguana proof your house because they will climb anything and everything.. until they reach the age where, they just wanna sit around and bask. Then they wait until you think its okay to put your breakables out, and go exploring.
They will 150% with out a doubt climb your christmas tree, and your curtains, poop on your bed, or in the tub when you bathe them, pop all of the toys in your swimming pool (yes, i take him swimming with me) and shred your arms/back when they use you as a tree/speed bump (even if you've just clipped their claws)
A lot of times, you'll see that people who own iguanas will have them for years and they will still be small, or they'll be incredibly lethargic.
They need a LOT of space (huge set up with gradient temperatures ect ect with higher humidity, and a water dish), Their kidneys are tricky so try to avoid feeding them processed foods (mine loves pizza, french fries, and rx diet dog food :wall: ).
The best diet for them is dark leafy greens, supplimented with high calcium and phosphorous fruits. Pogo has a diet of collard greens, romaine lettuce (dog food that he steals on occasion),figs, banannas, strawberries, and watermelon. I give him bene-bac once in a while, and occasionally kale, and bok choy, but thats only for a calcium boost, (things in the cabbage family tend to constipate them.. and eggplant is a huge no no).
They're really territorial, and will more than likely claim a spot in your house, so Its a good idea to keep a uv lamp and a heat pad there once you figure out where that is. A good hint though is that 1 hour of natural sunlight = 7 hours under a uv lamp (I have an excellent herp vet :worship: )
I think thats all you need to know!!
and to answer the other question.. I tried to walk him on a leash a few times, and he kinda takes off, hits the end of the lead and starts crocodile rolling, so when i let him roam around the back yard I use a retractable leash, mainly to keep him out of the trees and from climbing the fence.
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Great pictures!
I am always intensely jealous of owners with tame iguanas.
I raised one from a baby that grew to about the size of yours. It was a rough journey. I had little experience with lizards, and my ability to research was limited to what little was in print at the time. To give an example, I had to figure out for myself that hot rocks are a tool of the devil, and that I needed to add a dimmer switch to dial it down and that the basking light was probably enough anyway.
The biggest problem I had husbandry-wise was diet, and had a couple incidences of "minor" metabolic bone disease before I got things right. I say minor, because both times I was able to catch the symptoms and get him to a vet for treatment before much damage was done.
But the big problem was disposition. He was a viscious thing and no amount of interraction semed to do the trick, he resisted handling from the time I got him, and as you are undoubtedly aware of, once they reach some size, they can be a handful and borderline dangerous.
Just maintaining his cage became a chore. I usually removed him and got inside the cage for a full scubbing and disinfection, and it got to the point where taking him out was like being stuck in a box with a wet bobcat and trying to make nice.
After 7 years, it all ended rather badly. He developed mouth rot which led to his demise. I think that if he had been a bit more manageable, I probably would have caught it and began treatment sooner.
Overall, it was a pretty disappointing experience. I've been told not to be too hard on myself and that 7 years was a lot longer than a lot of iguanas leaving the stores have to look forward to, but I still broke one of the biggest rules of keeping critters in not knowing exactly what I was getting into before taking on the responsibility. How I wish the internet had been an available resource to me back then!
You may have solved a long-time mystery with your mention of "seminal plugs". On a couple occasions, I found his cloaca (sp?) blocked by a hard, yellowish object, which I assumed was stuck, partially undigested food and removed. (It was obvious that it was not part of the lizard's anatomy) Later, I found these objects on the cage floor now and then. Does this sound like one of these plugs?
I am always intensely jealous of owners with tame iguanas.
I raised one from a baby that grew to about the size of yours. It was a rough journey. I had little experience with lizards, and my ability to research was limited to what little was in print at the time. To give an example, I had to figure out for myself that hot rocks are a tool of the devil, and that I needed to add a dimmer switch to dial it down and that the basking light was probably enough anyway.
The biggest problem I had husbandry-wise was diet, and had a couple incidences of "minor" metabolic bone disease before I got things right. I say minor, because both times I was able to catch the symptoms and get him to a vet for treatment before much damage was done.
But the big problem was disposition. He was a viscious thing and no amount of interraction semed to do the trick, he resisted handling from the time I got him, and as you are undoubtedly aware of, once they reach some size, they can be a handful and borderline dangerous.
Just maintaining his cage became a chore. I usually removed him and got inside the cage for a full scubbing and disinfection, and it got to the point where taking him out was like being stuck in a box with a wet bobcat and trying to make nice.
After 7 years, it all ended rather badly. He developed mouth rot which led to his demise. I think that if he had been a bit more manageable, I probably would have caught it and began treatment sooner.
Overall, it was a pretty disappointing experience. I've been told not to be too hard on myself and that 7 years was a lot longer than a lot of iguanas leaving the stores have to look forward to, but I still broke one of the biggest rules of keeping critters in not knowing exactly what I was getting into before taking on the responsibility. How I wish the internet had been an available resource to me back then!
You may have solved a long-time mystery with your mention of "seminal plugs". On a couple occasions, I found his cloaca (sp?) blocked by a hard, yellowish object, which I assumed was stuck, partially undigested food and removed. (It was obvious that it was not part of the lizard's anatomy) Later, I found these objects on the cage floor now and then. Does this sound like one of these plugs?
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yep, they were plugs!
You did really well imo considering how evil they can be, I had a female that would chase me around the house and bite me lol, pogo was spoiled early on, I guess the trick to that is TREATS TREATS TREATS, and dont pick them up, coax them onto your hand.. i mean... youd freak out if godzilla grabbed you right?
You did really well imo considering how evil they can be, I had a female that would chase me around the house and bite me lol, pogo was spoiled early on, I guess the trick to that is TREATS TREATS TREATS, and dont pick them up, coax them onto your hand.. i mean... youd freak out if godzilla grabbed you right?
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Well, whadaya know! I've always wondered what those things were, and may I add, "EW!". Maybe I am better off knowing after the fact.
On the other hand, maybe I shoulda kept them. Heckuva conversation piece! Wait! I coulda shellacked them and made jewelry out of them!
Sigh. I KNEW I could not maintain a mature, scientific dialogue about something like that! Sorry! :8o
On the other hand, maybe I shoulda kept them. Heckuva conversation piece! Wait! I coulda shellacked them and made jewelry out of them!
Sigh. I KNEW I could not maintain a mature, scientific dialogue about something like that! Sorry! :8o
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Dont feel bad, I was giggling the whole time myself... did you ever catch yours trying to get it on with inanemite objects? they bite them and sorta rub their crotch all over them.. for some reason pogo lusted after the vaccum cleaner. hed latch onto the soft bag.. I wonder if it had something to do with the molt skins that the vaccuum picked up from time to time? He stopped doing it when my female died, now he goes after this pair of pajama bottoms i have with iguanas all over them
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Iguana VS Westie....Iguana wins!
great pics
(I could have gone all day without reading about seminal plugs though!)
great pics
(I could have gone all day without reading about seminal plugs though!)
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yeah.. but he needed to know what hes getting into
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Yeah. Mine had a rather torrid affair with an old houseslipper. He'd sort of "dry hump" it.Mandi said:
I would have taken it away from him, but I was sorta hoping for a litter of lizard-skin boots or something.