speaking of rescues...

[LeilaNami]

Well I rescued an iguana a couple of days ago. They had gotten him as a gift when he was a baby from a less than reputable feed store. As a baby he had to be force fed but eventually recovered. After that, he became really aggressive/defensive and tail whips anything just walking by his tank. The previous owners kept him until he was about a foot and a half and then gave him to me because their daughter was scared of him. (don't blame her, little girl and angry iguana don't really mix) So an empty wallet later, I have a very angry iguana that I'm trying to socialize and I have a funny feeling that it's gonna take a looooong time to calm him. (I named him Precious )

 

[AneesasMuse]

Congratulations!! I love his name! I named my little Tokay guy, "lover" (Habibi in Arabic)... probably for the same effect.

Good luck taming him down and gaining his trust!

 

[bugmankeith]

Keep us posted on his progress.

 

[Tleilaxu]

I wish you the best of luck. Iguanas are not the most sociable lizxards out there despite what the books say, your iguana is behaving normally. Still that DOES NOT mean you won't be successful in your efforts, I think he is still young enough to change, also if he is a male he will be more aggressive during certain times of the year that coinside with breeding cycles. Also I have read that when women are having their periods that males also tend to me more aggressive to them. The theory being they can pick up some chemicles that women are emitting at this time. Again the best of luck and post pics. Keep protien matter to a minium. 90 to 100% veggie diet is best for these guys.

 

[LeilaNami]

oh yeah he's a nice healthy male. At first he would only eat the commercial iguana food but I tried mixing it and he's starting to eat the spinach leaves.

 

[Tleilaxu]

oh yeah he's a nice healthy male. At first he would only eat the commercial iguana food but I tried mixing it and he's starting to eat the spinach leaves.

Spinich is a no no It has a chemicle in it that prevents most reptiles from assimilating calcium and has been linked to some kidney disorders, try to get him onto dark green veggies and other veggies. Still good job on getting him to switch, the more variety you give him now will make it easier for youy to introduce new foods and he will be healthier in the long run, but hold the spinich.

 

[mrbonzai211]

In my experience with iguanas, and from what I've learned from other serious owners, is that the bigger they get the meaner they get.

 

[AneesasMuse]

Spinach, kale and chard all have oxalic acid and it can make metabolizing the calcium a bit tricky... therefore, best to avoid it, even in small quantities.

I feed my lizards dandelion greens and flowers (grown organically in my backyard, solely for them), bok choy, chicory, endive, some collards and mustards occasionally, various squashes and so on. They even like various colors of bell peppers... red, green, orange, yellow.

I don't know if Iguanas will enjoy "napole" (?) or cactus pads (spines removed, of course), but my Beardie and Uro.. even the tortie.. LOVE it! You can find it in your local "latino marketplace" or the better equipped grocery stores.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

In my experience with iguanas, and from what I've learned from other serious owners, is that the bigger they get the meaner they get.

I have only owned one, but that was my experience with him. I never was able to make him manageable.

Here are a couple of pictures of him. The first was taken a few days after I brought him home and the next picture is him at 6 years old, give or take a year. (Yeah, that's a hot rock, but I had it on a dimmer switch)

 

[P.jasonius]

tisk, tisk... no more pets you.

 

[LeilaNami]

I got the food information from the iguana society website which seemed reputable enough. They gave a whole list of what foods not feed and did not include spinach. I've also tried sweet potatos a little bit but he doesn't seem to like them.

EDIT: I went to the store and bought some collard greens and I bought green beans to replace the sweet potato he's not eating.

 

[AneesasMuse]

What about grating up some butternut squash, or acorn squash.. carrots, too? These three are full of beta carotene! My 2 desert yizzards and the 1 forest tortie LOVE their orange'y veggies sprinkled in with the green stuff

 

[LeilaNami]

ok I know where to get some huge acorn squash too