Re: Should I be ashamed of myself?......

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Posted by Mr. D on February 20, 2001 at 12:22:37:

In Reply to: Should I be ashamed of myself?...... posted by Joseph on February 20, 2001 at 10:22:30:

There are a couple of factors working here, Joseph:
1.) How old is your ig ? Males and, to some lesser degree possibly, females can and usually do become more agressive during breeding season.
2.) What size is the enclosure that you're keeping him in ? What kind of heat/light? This could also contribute to the level of agression that you're seeing. Many times agression and stress go hand in hand.
3.) When was his last vet checkup ? There could be one or more underlying health issues that he is dealing with that you don't know about.
4.) Diet - if he's not getting the right diet it may be contributing to some form of possibly ill health that you are unaware of - what are you feeding him?
And don't let the fact that he bit you twice discourage you from pursuing a career with herps. Even the best of us get chomped on once in awhile. Personally, I want to see the footage of Steve Irvin when the croc latched onto his leg. Some of the things he does it's a wonder he comes out of it alive at all. The bottom line is that the more you are around and the more you handle any kind of animal the greater the chances of being bitten simply due to the constant close contact. Same thing goes for cats and dogs. Despite being "domesticated" I've heard countless stories of dogs and cats who, unprovoked, just latched on and tore into someone. it just comes with the territory of being a "pet" owner of any kind. But, at the same time, the more you handle a pet the more they get to trust you and the easier it becomes to deal with them. Remember, iguanas really aren't "pet" material. They're wild animals, for the most part, that someone one day decided would be really neat to have as pets. Otherwise, I never would have seen one up here in the "tropical wilds" of New Hampshire.
I think the best thing to do right now would be to see if you can figure out exactly why your ig is so agressive. Find that out and I'd be willing to bet that he'll be easier to handle once those factors and breeding season are taken care of. Don't give up just yet...;)
And keep asking questions. The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.

The Iguana Spot

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: There are a couple of factors working here, Joseph: : 1.) How old is your ig ? Males and, to some lesser degree possibly, females can and usually do become more agressive during breeding season. : 2.) What size is the enclosure that you're keeping him in ? What kind of heat/light? This could also contribute to the level of agression that you're seeing. Many times agression and stress go hand in hand. : 3.) When was his last vet checkup ? There could be one or more underlying health issues that he is dealing with that you don't know about. : 4.) Diet - if he's not getting the right diet it may be contributing to some form of possibly ill health that you are unaware of - what are you feeding him? : And don't let the fact that he bit you twice discourage you from pursuing a career with herps. Even the best of us get chomped on once in awhile. Personally, I want to see the footage of Steve Irvin when the croc latched onto his leg. Some of the things he does it's a wonder he comes out of it alive at all. The bottom line is that the more you are around and the more you handle any kind of animal the greater the chances of being bitten simply due to the constant close contact. Same thing goes for cats and dogs. Despite being "domesticated" I've heard countless stories of dogs and cats who, unprovoked, just latched on and tore into someone. it just comes with the territory of being a "pet" owner of any kind. But, at the same time, the more you handle a pet the more they get to trust you and the easier it becomes to deal with them. Remember, iguanas really aren't "pet" material. They're wild animals, for the most part, that someone one day decided would be really neat to have as pets. Otherwise, I never would have seen one up here in the "tropical wilds" of New Hampshire. : I think the best thing to do right now would be to see if you can figure out exactly why your ig is so agressive. Find that out and I'd be willing to bet that he'll be easier to handle once those factors and breeding season are taken care of. Don't give up just yet...;) : And keep asking questions. The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked.

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