Re: In my VHO, iglets like to be handled

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Posted by Flavia Guimaraes on April 16, 2003 at 07:55:03:

In Reply to: Re: In my VHO, iglets like to be handled posted by Mark_And_Aimee on April 16, 2003 at 01:07:52:

Sorry for your loss, Mark.What happened to your baby??Why did he die??
Well, as you said before, igs can change.Kenya is very tame now but who knows how he will be when he is 2 or 3??
Remember my Godzilla?He was very sweet and docile before his breeding season.Now he is a monster!lol!
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... In the last year, I have personally had 61 green iguanas in my care - and have worked around a good 150 more. Unfortunately, they are all rescues. I am describing the things I have seen, and there are definitely some patterns. Iguanas change color for many reasons, but more often than not, a dark iguana is scared, sick, or dying. If this is not the case, they are usually changing color to absorb as much heat as possible.

:I'll always strongly disagree with anyone who tells me they have a tame iguana... Even my wonderful Rahm, who passed away 2 months ago, would give me loads of attitude if I rubbed him the wrong way. I still have a scar on my arm from a bit I recieved just trimming his nails one day. I've seen a large adult male go from sweet as a baby to a full-on 2 year "breeding season". In fact, he is STILL in that mood ;-) The only thing that EVER calmed him down was a BIGGER male with MORE attitude.

:I know there are not a lot of people left here anymore who know who I am... But I'll stand by my opinions, and tell you that you just need to see what I have seen to understand it fully.

:In any event... the stress of all I have seen in the last year has convinced me to step back for a bit. The loss of Rahm really helped it all sink in. Sorry to say it, but I am not the green iguana lover I used to be. Especially since I took the dive into the world of Cyclura... LOL

:Mark

::Hey, Mark!!That iglet on my hand is Kenya the most tame of all the igs i have!He comes when i call him, he never tries to escape, he waits for me to take him to the bathroom, he eats from my hands, sleeps on my hands or on my lap!I have had him since he was born!lol!I know what you mean and i can swear he is not scared at all!I feel his body is relaxed!Ater so many years raising igs and so many igs i can notice the difference between a frozen ig and a relaxed one!LOL!! When he sleeps on my hands he even puts his arms along his body like a crocodile does.

::During the day his color is like that, he has lots of brown spots all over his body even when he is alone in his cage.If he is in the sun the spots multiplies!!.Sometimes it seems he is rusty!During the night his skin becomes lighter but we can still see the spots!
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:: ::About iglets changing colors when they are handled, i agree 100%!Kenya often does that!Perhaps that happens not only because they feel safe in our hands but because our hands warm their little bodies!

:::I'd have to say this is your opinion of what lizards do when you hold them... Compare that color change to a REALLY scared baby ig. Similar? YES. Just like your picture of a small iguana laying FLAT on your hand, showing stress colors. Is he comfortable, enjoying the body heat, or is he scared to death, and just trying to stay as low as possible, hoping no one will try to eat him?

:::Something to think about....

:::Mark
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Follow Ups:

Rahm... Mark_and_Aimee 04/16/03 (0)