Re: Softie becomes iguana keeper, need info!

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Posted by Kitty on September 12, 1999 at 18:45:06:

In Reply to: Softie becomes iguana keeper, need info! posted by Cheryl on September 12, 1999 at 18:38:10:

: My questions are:
: Is it OK to feed mainly a diet of commercial food, with a supplement of veggies? (I have box turtles and commercial food for them is taboo.)

In my opinion, commercial food should only be given when you don't have time to make the usual iguana meal. I don't trust commercial diets with iguanas, I've seen some pretty weird ingredients in them.

: How do I approach handling him? He was doing well, but I had to trim his toenails, and now he is afraid. I don't want to make him aggressive, he will lash with his tail,
: but the moment I rub his head he goes into that trance. Should I ignore him until he settles in? I have been going over several times a day just to pet him without picking him up, and does seem to have calmed down. (Perhaps the food woke him up a little too.)

Two words: Patience and persistance. If he's eating and pooping reguarly, then taking gradual steps is great. It's good that you know not to reach in and grab the poor thing right away, iguanas do NOT like that!

So far it sounds like you're doing a good job and know reptiles well. Good luck and let us know how it goes! Here's Melissa Kaplan's site, she has a great deal of information on iguanas:

http://www.sonic.net/~melissk/

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: : My questions are: : : Is it OK to feed mainly a diet of commercial food, with a supplement of veggies? (I have box turtles and commercial food for them is taboo.) : In my opinion, commercial food should only be given when you don't have time to make the usual iguana meal. I don't trust commercial diets with iguanas, I've seen some pretty weird ingredients in them. : : How do I approach handling him? He was doing well, but I had to trim his toenails, and now he is afraid. I don't want to make him aggressive, he will lash with his tail, : : but the moment I rub his head he goes into that trance. Should I ignore him until he settles in? I have been going over several times a day just to pet him without picking him up, and does seem to have calmed down. (Perhaps the food woke him up a little too.) : Two words: Patience and persistance. If he's eating and pooping reguarly, then taking gradual steps is great. It's good that you know not to reach in and grab the poor thing right away, iguanas do NOT like that! : So far it sounds like you're doing a good job and know reptiles well. Good luck and let us know how it goes! Here's Melissa Kaplan's site, she has a great deal of information on iguanas: :

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