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Post by joseph2 on Jun 29, 2004 8:10:45 GMT -8
Hi everyone. Does anyone on this board have a difficult time taming their iguana? I have been working non-stop with my little devil for quite some time now, and the little (Actually huge) turd will not seem to settle down. Everytime I get him out of his habitat, I feel like I'm wrestling Hulk Hogan. I've handled other people's iguanas before, and theirs always seemed like angels compared to Zilla. The only time he seems settled is after being outside for an hour, and even then he'll sometimes get grumpy towards me. I usually handle him at least an hour everyday, and feed him greens and bread by hand at times so he'll associate me with good things. Yet he won't get it through his thick skull that I'm one of the good guys. Any suggestions? I do love it that he's a spirited iguana, which I know is a sign of good health. But that spiritedness is sometimes, if not all the time, too much.
Joe
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Post by Tesa on Jun 29, 2004 9:35:18 GMT -8
Hi Joseph How long have you had him? and what was his care like before he came to live with you? I have a female that was nearly 4 yrs old when I got her. She'd been thru some pretty rough times. Lemme tell ya, at times I thought the little witch was gonna get the best of me. ;D The general consensus is that it takes about a year to "tame" an ig. I've had Thrasher for 15 months and she has just decided to make peace with me in the last 2-3 weeks. I'm crossing my fingers that it lasts. I've also read about iguanas that stay aggressive and unmanageable. Are you ever able to get him to close his eyes and relax while you are holding him? Does he act like he's being defensive or just plain pissy?
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Post by joseph2 on Jun 30, 2004 7:42:50 GMT -8
Hi Tesa. I've had Zilla since he's been an iglet. He doesn't know what a rough life is...thank God. I spoil the heck out of him. So, with that in mind, I've had Zilla for a little over two years now, and have worked constantly with him. Yes, he will close his eyes at times. The only time he seems defensive is when I first pick him up, which sometimes turns into pissiness. I definitely have the war wounds to prove it. Last week when my wife and I were harnessing him up to go to the park, he turned and grabbed a hold of her hand and tore her up pretty good. He has never done that before! Then the next day, after I gave him a couple treats of bread, the little stinker turns and bites me!! How appreciative of him! LOL Anyway, the war isn't over. I'm not the one to give up. But I sure hope that one day he'll get it in the back of his thick head that I'm a friend, not a foe.
Joe
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Post by Tesa on Jul 3, 2004 3:40:08 GMT -8
Well, here's one suggestion: Quite some time ago I read that animals are particularly aware of eyes; that they view a stare as a threat. **duh** I knew that about dogs etc but it took me awhile to apply it to my reptiles. So I started using a "Tesa technique" I'd get her "kinda" settled down (at least to where I felt she wasn't gonna take my nose off) and then while she was watching my eyes I'd make a point of slowly closing them and petting her without looking at her. I feel like it let her know thru body language that I'm relaxed with her, not aggressive or ogling my next meal. Maybe I'm just a fruitcake, but I think it helped our communication.
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Post by Merlin on Jul 3, 2004 8:01:49 GMT -8
Not at all Tesa! Body language is the most natural means of communication in animals. In dogs for instance body language and signals is much more to their understanding than vocal commands. I even know a deaf girl whose dog is trained to respond to sign language.
A straight on stare is the act of a predator zeroing in on you, as well as an aggressive challenge. By averting your eyes you give them the "Oh I am not interested in YOU" message.
It's just figuring out the proper signals to send that is the trick!
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Post by Patrick on Jul 3, 2004 9:34:37 GMT -8
I think your right their Merlin I read somewhere that you should not look in to an iguana’s eye but to look else were when talking to them because they take it as a threat... But it is kind of hard not to look at is I believe as well it is more body language that they can tell and voices. especially voices…
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Post by Thunder380Lady on Jul 17, 2004 15:29:04 GMT -8
Hi Joseph, I guess you could say I have an almost impossible iguana too. Her name is Lenore and I have had her for about 6 months now. She acts like a tasmanian devil when I try to take her out of her house, but once I get her out, she eventually calms down. As a matter of fact, I just had her out for almost an hour. I hold her and rub her head, turn her on her side and she lays on my chest and falls fast asleep. She is the cutest thing when she does that! But I am cautious to always keep my hands close to her, because I have never let her sit loose on me because I know she would take off the first chance she got. It takes her about 15 minutes to calm down once I take her out of her house, but then she is almost an angel from then on until I put her back. So I think I am making some progress with her. I just wish Lenore was like some of the other Ig's I've seen on here. They just sit calmly on hands, arms, etc.Even some of the little ones are so calm. But I would be so afraid to take my hands away from Lenore while she is out. I hope someday I can without her running away! I guess each Ig is different and some just take longer than others to tame them down. Karen
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