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Posted by James on March 22, 2001 at 16:30:16:

In Reply to: I agree to an extent, James, but... posted by jif on March 21, 2001 at 18:50:43:

I agree that there are defiantly Iguanas out there that, at least on the surface, seem to seek out and enjoy human contact. I have had Large monitors (Niles included) and large iguanas (Spiny-taileds included) that seemed to enjoy my company. Whether they are actually craving my affection or simply curious and not threatened by my presence is debatable. Who knows, they may just be looking for a handout. Any conclusions would really be a leap of logic. I personally do not feel that Iguanas are animals that feel the need for affection, but I do believe that they can be very curious, and that they can learn to be quite tolerant of human presence. My monitors, and Iguanas are not tamed in a way where they are forced against their will into human contact. I simply handle them on their terms, and I always try to make it as stress free as possible. I do believe that they can quickly associate humans with bad experiences, causing them to be apprehensive. Then again, they can also assoiate humans with good things, like food, causing them to come running with egarness at the sight of their owner. There are are those Iguanas that are just not that sociable because they have never been given a reason to trust their owners. My point is not to force yourself on them. Iguanas instinctively perceive humans as a threat. Once they realize that we are not, than we can start to interact. If we try to force ourselves on them from the start, then they will never feel comfortable with us or trust us, making socialization next to impossible.

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: I agree that there are defiantly Iguanas out there that, at least on the surface, seem to seek out and enjoy human contact. I have had Large monitors (Niles included) and large iguanas (Spiny-taileds included) that seemed to enjoy my company. Whether they are actually craving my affection or simply curious and not threatened by my presence is debatable. Who knows, they may just be looking for a handout. Any conclusions would really be a leap of logic. I personally do not feel that Iguanas are animals that feel the need for affection, but I do believe that they can be very curious, and that they can learn to be quite tolerant of human presence. My monitors, and Iguanas are not tamed in a way where they are forced against their will into human contact. I simply handle them on their terms, and I always try to make it as stress free as possible. I do believe that they can quickly associate humans with bad experiences, causing them to be apprehensive. Then again, they can also assoiate humans with good things, like food, causing them to come running with egarness at the sight of their owner. There are are those Iguanas that are just not that sociable because they have never been given a reason to trust their owners. My point is not to force yourself on them. Iguanas instinctively perceive humans as a threat. Once they realize that we are not, than we can start to interact. If we try to force ourselves on them from the start, then they will never feel comfortable with us or trust us, making socialization next to impossible.

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