Tales About Scales

by Ron Classen

Reading your male iguana's body language.

Okay, so the cute little green guy has now grown up into an adult.  You've noticed that he isn't the same friendly pet that he used to be.  He has developed an attitude, you say.  Well probably true.   So since he can't talk, how do you know what he's thinking?  Here are some tips to preserve your fingers and nose from severe bites.

 Pay attention to his posturing.  Every move of a grown male iguana has a message.  The cute little bobbing of the head has taken on a serious meaning now.  It can be a greeting, a warning, or a pre-attack gesture, so as the human you need to pay attention.  Standing up tall with the mouth gaping is a threat or an exclamation of superiority.  Simply put, it says, "I am the biggest baddest iguana here and what I see is mine."  Don't ignore this.....iguana's don't joke around.  Standing tall and walking around you all puffed up is the next step to enforcing his intentions.

Secret.....don't turn your back on him at this point.  He will see that as a weak moment and strike.  A position of crouch and side to side movement of his head says attack is eminent.  Pay attention or back off, because it's the real deal.  When the final moment comes and he does run at you or lunge, you better be gone.  An iguana strikes like a snake.  There is no recoil warning..........only the forward movement.  He'll have you in his mouth before you can move from as far as 6 feet away or more.  If he manages to make contact and bite, you have other things to contemplate now.  Will he slash and tear like a vicious dog?  Will he bite and release?  Will he clamp on in a death grip and never let go?  All or any of the three is possible.

So why am I being so ominous about owning a male?  Because these are things you are not told at the pet shop when you buy that cute little green guy.  They don't tell you that you need to watch the baby so he/she doesn't get mistaken for a perceived threat by the iguana.   They don't tell you that an orange colored cat might be taken as an enemy.  (Orange and red colors are fighting words to a male iguana.)  They don't tell you that if you are a woman, your male iguana can come after you in a passionate way as he might consider you a mate.  They don't tell you that if you're a male, you might have to compete for space in your own home.

 Better to understand that this is coming in your pet's adult years and prepare for it rather than find out the hard way.  You can still love and enjoy your pet, but remember that a grown male iguana will probably not love you back and deserves all the respect you can give.