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Posted by Mark on January 26, 2002 at 02:12:03:

In Reply to: will my ig ver be able to tame(very aggresive dude) posted by w.reid on January 22, 2002 at 23:22:42:

Ok, this comes from trying to deal with a 5 ft 7 lb male MONSTER. This iguana will LEAP at you every time you come into the same room as him. His mouth is wide open more than it is closed.

First: no gloves. You are going to have to let the iguana get used to the feel of your hands, not the feel of a leather glove. But wear long sleeves. This will cut down on scratches and tail whip abrasions.

A few methods to calm him before you pick him up. Open the cage slowly, and talk softly. You can use a spray bottle to mist him before you pick him up. This will distract many iguanas, enough so you can get a grip on them. If he is a biter, your first move should be to get a firm grip on him just behind the head. If you do this, he now cannot bite you. Use your other hand to scoop him up and get him out of the cage. Once he is out of the cage, he is in YOUR territory, so you had better have control. If he thrashes and rolls around constantly, wrap him up in a towel. This will keep all the claws contained so the only thing you have to watch out for is the mouth. Keep talking softly to him the whole time, so he gets used to the sound of your voice.

Dont let your guard down, a bite can be painful, sometimes needing stitches. But the most important thing I can tell you is the longer he thrashes, whips, and tries to bite, the longer you should hold him. Make sure you ALWAYS have the upper hand when it is time to put him back into the cage. Dont put him back simply because he has tore your arms to bits, put him back when you are good and ready.

If you choose to wait until he is "ready" to be held, you may wait years, and never even get a chance to enjoy him as a pet. You say you have had him for a month, that is long enough for him to adjust, and it is time for daily handling sessions.

If you really want to make it easier on yourself, handle him later in the evening, near his bed time. He will be tired, and wont have nearly as much "spunk" in him at that time.

Mark

: i have a new 2 ft ig . ive had him for about a month.every time i reach in his cage he flairs at me and whips his tail like crazy.i realy have to strugle with him to get him out. the other day he was so scared he ran into the tank and made his mouth bleed. not good.this is my first ig im starting to get scared of him. my arm is raw from his tail.should i force him to be held or wait tell he is ready.im lost.im starting to get woried. i didnt have this problem with my monitors.

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: Ok, this comes from trying to deal with a 5 ft 7 lb male MONSTER. This iguana will LEAP at you every time you come into the same room as him. His mouth is wide open more than it is closed. : First: no gloves. You are going to have to let the iguana get used to the feel of your hands, not the feel of a leather glove. But wear long sleeves. This will cut down on scratches and tail whip abrasions. : A few methods to calm him before you pick him up. Open the cage slowly, and talk softly. You can use a spray bottle to mist him before you pick him up. This will distract many iguanas, enough so you can get a grip on them. If he is a biter, your first move should be to get a firm grip on him just behind the head. If you do this, he now cannot bite you. Use your other hand to scoop him up and get him out of the cage. Once he is out of the cage, he is in YOUR territory, so you had better have control. If he thrashes and rolls around constantly, wrap him up in a towel. This will keep all the claws contained so the only thing you have to watch out for is the mouth. Keep talking softly to him the whole time, so he gets used to the sound of your voice. : Dont let your guard down, a bite can be painful, sometimes needing stitches. But the most important thing I can tell you is the longer he thrashes, whips, and tries to bite, the longer you should hold him. Make sure you ALWAYS have the upper hand when it is time to put him back into the cage. Dont put him back simply because he has tore your arms to bits, put him back when you are good and ready. : If you choose to wait until he is "ready" to be held, you may wait years, and never even get a chance to enjoy him as a pet. You say you have had him for a month, that is long enough for him to adjust, and it is time for daily handling sessions. : If you really want to make it easier on yourself, handle him later in the evening, near his bed time. He will be tired, and wont have nearly as much "spunk" in him at that time. : Mark : : i have a new 2 ft ig . ive had him for about a month.every time i reach in his cage he flairs at me and whips his tail like crazy.i realy have to strugle with him to get him out. the other day he was so scared he ran into the tank and made his mouth bleed. not good.this is my first ig im starting to get scared of him. my arm is raw from his tail.should i force him to be held or wait tell he is ready.im lost.im starting to get woried. i didnt have this problem with my monitors.

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