Re: Help! Aggravated with tail whipping!

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Posted by James on March 21, 2001 at 03:18:27:

In Reply to: Help! Aggravated with tail whipping! posted by Lindsay on March 20, 2001 at 11:25:58:

This may sound a bit repetitive. Keep up with the slow movments in the cage and aviod eye contact with him. Give him plenty of space (maybe a bigger cage?) and remember, no matter how hard we try to put human emotion on our iguanas, or how much we would like them to love us in the way that a cat or a dog would, iguanas will never stop being iguanas. This means that they will never appreciate the kissing, petting, holding, and cuddling that many of us unnecessarily subject our iguanas too. When iguanas are approached or touched by their owners, many of them will tail-whip or flee, while others will put their heads down and close their eyes. This is often referred to as "zoning out", and many people mistake it for an invitation for more physical contact (the equivalent of a cat's purring). Unfortunately, they could not be more wrong. The "zoning out" behaviour is a passive form of defence that is actually the equivalent of playing dead, and it is done in hopes that the threat (the owner) will loose interest and move on to something else. Even though this behaviour is misunderstood by 99% of the Green Iguana owners out there, it is still a behaviour that we want to reinforce. After all, it is a lot better than the alternative (biting, whipping, and scratching). We can reinforce this behaviour by giving the iguana what it wants when it displays this behaviour, and that is simply done by giving the iguana its space. This is the payoff that the iguana is looking for. It is important that we do not constantly force ourselves on our iguanas, and that we give them the respect and space that they need and deserve. We should enjoy them for what they are, and they are, large majestic lizards that would rather go without our constant affection in all of its unpleasant physical manifestations. However, they do need us to provide them with the proper temperatures, housing, and diet, in order for them to survive and live a long life in our care. Not all handling is bad, and a small amount of gentle stress-free handling on occasion will help to maintain and reinforce the iguana's trust that you are not a threat to its well being.
Note: Do not use lizard leashes on your iguana. They are a marketing gimmick that will stress out your iguana, and may cause broken ribs, limbs, and crest spines.

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: This may sound a bit repetitive. Keep up with the slow movments in the cage and aviod eye contact with him. Give him plenty of space (maybe a bigger cage?) and remember, no matter how hard we try to put human emotion on our iguanas, or how much we would like them to love us in the way that a cat or a dog would, iguanas will never stop being iguanas. This means that they will never appreciate the kissing, petting, holding, and cuddling that many of us unnecessarily subject our iguanas too. When iguanas are approached or touched by their owners, many of them will tail-whip or flee, while others will put their heads down and close their eyes. This is often referred to as "zoning out", and many people mistake it for an invitation for more physical contact (the equivalent of a cat's purring). Unfortunately, they could not be more wrong. The "zoning out" behaviour is a passive form of defence that is actually the equivalent of playing dead, and it is done in hopes that the threat (the owner) will loose interest and move on to something else. Even though this behaviour is misunderstood by 99% of the Green Iguana owners out there, it is still a behaviour that we want to reinforce. After all, it is a lot better than the alternative (biting, whipping, and scratching). We can reinforce this behaviour by giving the iguana what it wants when it displays this behaviour, and that is simply done by giving the iguana its space. This is the payoff that the iguana is looking for. It is important that we do not constantly force ourselves on our iguanas, and that we give them the respect and space that they need and deserve. We should enjoy them for what they are, and they are, large majestic lizards that would rather go without our constant affection in all of its unpleasant physical manifestations. However, they do need us to provide them with the proper temperatures, housing, and diet, in order for them to survive and live a long life in our care. Not all handling is bad, and a small amount of gentle stress-free handling on occasion will help to maintain and reinforce the iguana's trust that you are not a threat to its well being. : Note: Do not use lizard leashes on your iguana. They are a marketing gimmick that will stress out your iguana, and may cause broken ribs, limbs, and crest spines.

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