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Post by frmcreamer on Sept 23, 2007 17:02:27 GMT -8
Hello everyone (new to the forum, but definitely glad i found it.) I was wondering if anyone can help me with my two iguanas, Clover and Reptar. I have had these two iguanas for about 2 months now and clover is about 5 months old and reptar is about 7. I went ahead and saved myself a bit of trouble and built a huge cage for them (3x4x4) to last a little while. The iguanas have done great together playing and basking together and what not, have tons of fun together just about everyday we would take them out and let them run around the room. Recently reptar has started his territory stage, and all he wants to do is terrorize clover. He will leave her alone at times and other times he will go right up to her bob his head a bit and slowly walk up to her and bite or walk all over her till she moves away. (clover acts as though she doesnt know what a headbob is and just stays there not bobbing back and she is about half an inch smaller SVL)
I have read 3 books on iguanas and they all purtain to how harsh they can be living together but me and my girlfriend really wanted two iguanas reptar as hers clovers as mine and the only thing it tells us to do is seperate them into different rooms (which cannot be done do to other animal and housing reasons). Clover i believe is getting very stressful she will still eat and what not but she has been acting very jittery but she will let me pick her up without a problem out of the cage where i believe we should still have a bit more time together before she feels this safe due to the fact that reptar still doesnt let me pick him up without a fight.
The cage has two of everything from basking lights to food dishes. Tonight i took everything out but two basking braches and their food/water bowls and the submerged pool. I was wondering if anything can be done while the iguanas are young and discipline wise to reptar and maybe something socialable i can do with both of them together to make them cooperate while they are still young. Please if anything can be done I told my girlfriend she may have to find a new home for reptar and she started to get a bit poutty on me!
Thanks in advance!
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Post by Brandon on Sept 23, 2007 18:23:21 GMT -8
Well unfortunately the long and short of the matter is that they are wild animals in captivity and the most luck you are going to have in training an iguana is to tame or with luck socialize him/her. We can't control their natural instincts especially re: another animal. If one is "abusing" the other to the point of harm then the only option is seperation. If you have all the stuff you can just build another home??..But the lights are very important such as the uvb's and temperatures. Iguanas both male and female are very territorial and it only gets more intense as they age. There is alot of people on this site with alot of extremely useful information. Thanks for joing as ig owners are always welcomed
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 23, 2007 19:51:10 GMT -8
Welcome to the IZ!! Yup - Brandon is right...and so are the books you read...and any other website you will ever come across. If one is already being aggressive towards the other, this will not stop until the other goes away, or is dead. To the girlfriend - It's better to be pouty and have a lizard in a stress-free home than be pouty because you have a sick, injured or dead one... If you do a google search on "multiple iguanas" you will come up with more of the same info. They just aren't community animals...and the size enclosure you have now is just big enough for one...not close to being big enough for two and dealing with dominance issues. Two choices - another enclosure (sometimes you can get away with it in the same room) or another home... . Very sorry...but reading up before you got them would have saved you this decision...
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Post by Jen on Sept 24, 2007 6:58:00 GMT -8
I tried to keep my 2 in the same cage. I had to seperate them after about 2 weeks Iggy (the younger smaller one) was bullying Cleo really bad. Iggy had bit her or her front leg and left a scar. They have both been happier since being seperated, then Cleo started trying to torment Iggy in his own cage. So now they are in seperate rooms. They are fine together when free roaming. Try seperate enclosures and if that doesnt work out, One will have to go. Could you imgine trying to break up a fight between 2 very large angry mouths with razor sharp teeth?
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Post by George-n-Me on Sept 24, 2007 16:10:21 GMT -8
I had a friend who lived with me for a little bit and she had an iguana and George didnt want anything to do with him..We had to keep them in totally different rooms because George could see him from anywhere and would constantly head bob and get very dominant.
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Post by Merlin on Sept 25, 2007 3:54:46 GMT -8
As you can tell, it is pretty much a given. They need to be seperated. Though not necessarily to seperate rooms. Simply removing one to another cage will probably do it although if necessary you may need to provide a visual barrier. Even if one doesn't physically attack and kill the othe one, the stress of being confined with a more dominant individual can result in the iguana stopping eating and the immune system being reduced to where it becomes ill.
You mentioned discipline.
With iguanas this is not an option. Animals that live in a pack or flock are instinctively wired to understand being put in their place by a leader. This is not the case with iguanas. They are not a social animal. Attempting to discipline an iguana, in their mind, only relates to YOU ARE ATTACKING ME! I MUST FIGHT! This places you in the position of being viewed as an enemy or a predator. You will NOT like the results.
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Post by crazybaby on Sept 25, 2007 11:18:02 GMT -8
Well, not much more for me to say that hasn't already been said by other co-members. One of your iguana's will likely die from this situation if the problem doesn't get rectified. Some people think mating season is all romantic and the best thing for iguanas too but, that is the worst time ever for them (and most keepers), talk about bloodshed! If you're already having minor problems with territorial battles and dominancy, think what it will be like when they are both 5-10lbs (at any size really) in full blown season...One will not survive while, you, your girlfriend or anyone else that tries to get involved will get the chomping of a life time from one if not both iguanas! Very dangerous.
Best case scenario is to remove one from the room and place in another enclosure, elsewhere in your home. If this isn't possible, then there is a dire choice to be made...rehoming of one if you desire to have any. It's unfortunate but as Prism mentioned, had you known before aquiring them, there wouldn't be a decision to make. :S All the best in your quest for a peaceful iggy household.
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Post by frmcreamer on Sept 25, 2007 15:44:07 GMT -8
Ever since I took everything out but two logs, basking branches. i put the branch higher on the side Reptar stays higher, while covers is a bit lower on her side. They seem to be doing fine. There has been no sign of dominance like head bopping like it used to be. They are getting along fine. Clover is starting to get back into normal routine. Do you think it could of been a high location dominance thing?
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Post by Merlin on Sept 25, 2007 15:50:59 GMT -8
I think that by rearranging the enclosure you have just put them off a bit. It will surprise me if the problem doesn't return in a few days once they settle back down.
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Post by frmcreamer on Sept 25, 2007 15:53:27 GMT -8
But yeah if they do okay im still going to definitely build a new cage in the next month or two just to prevent things from happening. Hopefully i wont have to get rid of either but guess you never know.
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Post by Brandon on Sept 25, 2007 16:44:20 GMT -8
Just remember that even if you don't see physical problems. One or (most likely) both igs are experiencing stress which is not a good thing
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 26, 2007 4:44:17 GMT -8
www.iguanaden.org/housing/multipleigs.htmPlease read this...especially the one by Jim...second article. One is still higher. You have just accommodated the dominant one. There is only one basking area with prime location. Clover is not in it. Her health will begin to suffer.
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Post by frmcreamer on Sept 27, 2007 16:48:33 GMT -8
Well after a lot of thought me and my girlfriend decided it was best to find reptar a new home. And we have, a friend up the street used to have a pet iguana but she had to get rid of it for some reason. And she is looking to tame and raise another and she offered to take reptar and said we can come to visit anytime. Its heart breaking but its the best i can do for both of them.
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Post by Jen on Sept 27, 2007 17:23:42 GMT -8
Why did she have to get rid of it? Be carefull when finding a new home make sure its going to be a good and permanent home.
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Post by prism_wolf on Sept 27, 2007 17:57:24 GMT -8
I'm VERY glad you made that decision. It's a tough one, but at least this way you can still keep an eye on it and maybe aim here in our direction if she has Internet access... :-D
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