Iguana Bites to People (GRAPHIC)

[addicted]

I'm still shocked at how bad the bites are i would rather have my burm or scrub python get ahold of me over that anyday!I planned on walking around with an iguana on my shoulder when he grows up but i'm having second thoughts now,I kinda like my face the way it is right now!Is it a bad idea to have an iguana that close to your face i see it done all the time but it seems pretty risky.Is it the norm for ig owners to get mauled like this?

[Yungair23]

Its not normal but more likley from iguana's that are not tamed used to people (rescues) and Males in breeding season are really hard to judge what they will do. They can be ok one minute then bite the next. Its the hormones that go nuts and cause them to do this.

[prism_wolf]

Addicted...I've been bitten by a 4' black racer trying to get him off the barbed-wire fence...and I would definitely rather be bitten by that same snake again rather than an ig...and my elbow bled pretty badly with the snake bite.

Igs are not always like the bite pictures portray. These are scenarios of what COULD happen ig you don't socialize properly, or ignore the signs of agitated behavior. Rarely, but it does happen...that there are no signs at all. A lot of people don't realize what kind of bite power an iguana really has. Many don't realize they have teeth at all. Keeping one near the face is definitely a bad scene waiting to happen. A lot of face bites were from "gentle" iguanas whose owners thought a simple kiss was going to be just another simple kiss. Know the mood...the time of the year...and the lay of the world around them that may cause any behavior that could trigger a bite. You'll learn...:-)

[Merlin]

Those bites scare me more than getting tagged from one of my large pythons!

I have been nailed by a 14ft Retic and, trust me, I quarantee you that I would take that over an adult iguana any day of the week! Iguana teeth are designed for cutting, in this case tough leaves, but it also works the same on human flesh!
Not all of them will bite like this. You just have to keep in mind the possibilty of what they can do to you if the mood hits and treat them with the proper respect.
Don't get complacent and assume it won't happen.

[cnemalibu]

So i have a question. IF you are a good parent to your iggy and hold him often, what makes them bite you? THe only time my little iggy has bit me was because my fingers smelt like food. I also hear that they bite when they are getting ready to mate. What else causes them to bite if you are a good owner?

[IguanaKing]

A simple lapse of attention at bath time can lead to a nasty bite. Hercules, my 13-year-old, mostly sweety-but sometimes butthead, sent me to the ER just a few months ago. Why? Because he loves taking baths, but had pooped in the tub, so I was trying to clean it and refill it before letting him back in. On one of his many attempts to jump back into the tub, without looking at where his teeth were (BAD IGUANA PARENT!) I raised my left hand from below his line of sight to stop him from getting into the tub. My hand suddenly appearing near his face scared him and caused a knee-jerk bite. He immediately released me, but those teeth had already done their damage. I had to go to the ER to have a professional stop the bleeding.

[Merlin]

Being a good iguana parent is no guarantee that you will not get bitten!!!!!!! This is not a puppy!
You have to keep in mind that no matter how docile the ig appears it is still, and will always be, a wild animal. It will react according to its instincts, not out of any affection for you.
I have had my Zok for many years and never been bitten (Knock on wood!) But I am always VERY aware of what she is doing and where her teeth are!

[prism_wolf]

I'm with Merlin and I.K. on this one! My 9 yr. old is mostly sweet...but I am ALWAYS aware of where his teeth are at all times, especially when breeding season comes around. This year especially. It's the first time he's going to go through breeding season with a reflection.

They are always...always to be considered wild animals first and foremost. They're instinctual behavior can easily override any modified behavior.

[cinnamonspider]

Wow, seeing those pictures makes me VERY glad that I have a good-tempered iguana. I've held him up near my face a lot (he loves giving kisses) but I've never been bitten. Even when my cat scared the crap out of him while I was holding him, he didn't bite or whip. I definitely will be more aware from now on though!

[Merlin]

cinnamonspider said:

I definitely will be more aware from now on though!

And THAT is what will keep you from getting bitten!

[prism_wolf]

I'm a member of a AIC on Yahoo, but I mostly delete the digest on busy days...however...I came across this thread that had some REALLY good insight to What could make an iguana bite. Pay closest attention the Ann-Elizabeth Nash (aka - AE - a founder of CoRHS) and her observations. Those post replies are farther down the reply list and very noteworthy, but don't skip to those - read the whole string..

pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/AdvancedIguanaCare/message/2782

It all started when the woman who had started NIAD had been bitten by her 13 yr. old male ig "Q" and her now wanting to find it a new home. Wrong reason...not the igs fault...and only a small portion of what I like about this thread. It's showing how badly she let her guard down.

[{B|@CKGH05T}]

OUCH!hope my iguana doesnt bite me when i get one

[prism_wolf]

Always expect it blackghost. Even gentle igs can have their moments...

[Merlin]

And it can come when you least expect it. You myust always be aware of what is going on.
Don't become a statistic!

[Jen]

Ive gotten nipped a couple times, and it was because I wasnt watching the teeth.