Introducing Frankie

[frankiesmom]

Frankie is 18 months old and I'm assuming he's male.  I can't get a straight answer out of anyone for anything I ask about him, so I'm hoping this site will help.  I can ask 10 people the same questions and get 10 different answers!


First question, I think was already answered.  I was considering having his bottom "thumb" claws removed.  He digs in pretty deep.  But from what I've read, that is a serious no-no.  I'm going to talk to the vet about one claw being removed, but I would appreciate any knowledge.  Please, we all have opinions.  I'm looking for facts.  What people KNOW.


Also, it was suggested today that I have him neutered to help calm him.  But in his defense, he was on his first trip out of the house to a meet & greet for reptiles.  He tore the bajeeeeeesus out of my hands and arms and pooped on me like nobody's business.  This person told me that if I didn't have him neutered, he would just become more and more aggressive until he could no longer be controlled.  Is this fact or fiction?  Honestly, I never considered neutering an iguana... or any lizard.


And lastly, he can be a real a$$hole.  Sorry, but he can.  He puts welts and bruises on my hands and arms for no reason that I can figure out.  But then, he was in a 40 gal glass tank.  Now he is in a 3 story condo and he's calmed some, but not a lot.  I know I should handle him more, but it's difficult when he beats the poop out of me all the time.  Again, any knowledge on handling him would be HUGELY appreciated.  If I have to bleed and/or bruise a few more times, then so be it.  But this can't be how it always is.  I know gloves are a great idea, but I would like Frankie and I to have an understanding with minor cuts and scrapes.


Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to share their experiences with me.

[JennaAndIguanaGwen]

Hello and Welcome!

The answer to your first question: Their "thumb" claw is just like our thumb and not like a dog's dew claw so it is best to leave it in tact. In fact i have never even heard of the idea of removing their thumb claw, I've heard lots of interesting things before but that is a new one. I would imagine it also to be more difficult to climb if he were missing that claw. I have long padded gloves I wear when handling my own iguana, Gwendolyn, but that's more because her claws and scales can be just sharp in general.

I generally don't recommend surgery for reptiles unless its absolutely necessary simply due to the fact that reptiles don't handle anesthetics as well as most other animals do. Iguanas do go through seasons where they tend to be more moody and can have instances of aggression but it rarely lasts continually. Also - what kind of reptile meet and greet was it? Iguanas do tend to be solitary in the wild and some iguanas just don't like being around other iguanas. New places and new experiences in general can stress iguanas out so this kind of behavior might just be a reaction to the situation. I wouldn't take his statement as fact; it's more like his concern.

As for Frankie's moodiness/thrashing/aggression; there can be a lot of things that play a factor into an iguana's temperament and behavior. Younger iguanas prefer to have places to hide and be out of sight. He should be about out of that phase but that could have a factor. If you have other pets in the house - those could be a stress point for him. Cats staring, birds quacking, dogs running around or just a lot of movement in general can cause an iguana to be stressed and act out. I keep Gwen in an enclosure in my room because I know she would be stressed out with all of the animals and loud TV playing in the main room (certain bright colors can also trigger aggression like the color red). When handling iguanas, some people throw a towel on their iguanas head or quickly pick their iguana up but with Gwen I always approach slowly and raise my hand so she sees me coming and she will close her eyes and become docile. If I just went in there and picked her up she would thrash and squirm about. A good bit of advice that I also found to be true is that if you hold an iguana away from yourself in fear of being scratched up it makes them feel less secure. I always hold Gwen close so she knows she is not going to fall and so she knows she doesn't have to keep a tight grip. When I take her out of the bath tub I always wrap her up with a towel so she can squirm around - that was one thing I had to learn on my own. Overall I recommend padded protection and slow patience Do you have any more details on his behaviors that are causing issues? Body language and movements can also be helpful

Thank you for taking the time to post!

-Jenna

[IguanaKing]

Hi Frankiesmom! Welcome to IZ!

18 months might be a little too soon to determine the gender of your ig, but we can give it a shot. Can you post some pictures of Frankie's head...as well as the pelvic area and the hind legs?

Please don't have any claws removed from your iguana. They are very dependent on their claws to do what they do best...to climb everything in sight. Sometimes an iguana will rip a claw off or break a toe off, which causes them to be slightly disabled...but there shouldn't be any reason to do that to your iguana deliberately, through surgical means. Jenna has already pretty much covered the neutering subject. Its not recommended. Also, what that person told you at the meet and greet is complete fiction. There is absolutely no evidence supporting the rumors that neutering iguanas makes them more docile. How aggressive they become over time is something largely under your control. They will test you and try to intimidate you, and if you give in to it, they will become more aggressive. I don't recommend outright confrontation, but its important to stand your ground.

When you are trying to handle Frankie, where are you when you do that? Those claws make handling difficult for two reasons...the scratches, which are just part of having an iguana...and the fact that they are VERY strong pound-for-pound, and if they can grip something like carpet to get away from you, they're going to do it. What worked for me with Hercules, my big male who just celebrated his 24th birthday this year (raised him from only a couple of weeks out of the shell) was to take him into the bathroom. Remove any towels, rugs...anything he can get a grip on and just spend time with him. Talk softly, pet him on the head, and in all of your interaction, be slow and gentle. Don't overreact when he becomes defensive, because it only makes it worse. The solid surfaces in the bathroom that he can't grip will make it easier to handle him, with less possibility of injury to him or you. Above all, ALWAYS be mindful of where his mouth is. At 18 months, he's almost to the point where his teeth can do serious damage if he bites you. I have lots and lots of stitches to my name from ig bites over the years.