Remember that perfect-seeming adoption I was talking about before? Well on Saturday afternoon, that sweet little angel turned into a raging orange beast ready to tear chunks out of me with no provocation.

So I was wondering when exactly breeding season starts, because I had thought it was in the spring, but this is exactly the kind of irrational rage that you usually see from an iguana during breeding season. It was very sudden, too. Literally that morning he was sweet as could be, and that afternoon he was irritable and attacking me through the cage.

The only other thing I can think of that might have provoked such a reaction was that on Friday I exchanged the little repti-bark bits his old owners were using for substrate with newspaper. I also disconnected his heat rocks (though I left them in there) leaving only the heat lamps that I had started him on when I first got him. Since he seemed to have adjusted really well, I had no second thoughts about changing these things, but now I'm wondering if I made a mistake and changed things for him too soon.

What are your thoughts on this? Should I switch him back to the repti-bark for now and see if that was the problem, or is it just that he'll be psycho for awhile and there's nothing I can do about it?

On a side note, I was wondering if iguanas generally have a hard time sleeping with an infared heat bulb at night. None of my other reptiles have ever seemed to mind it, including my other iguana, but most of them were used to it from an early age. For this one, I'm thinking of switching to a plain heat emitter anyway. I'd appreciate your thoughts on that as well.

Rats. I knew this was going too easily!

(Oh by the way, he has been vet-checked and certified healthy.)

Welcome to **** My iguana is showing his orange and already starting to get restless. It might be that time of the year or your angel is just discovering it it okay to push you around.
He is better off without repti-bark or heat rocks, those would have been ousted immediately (probably before I let the cage into my house) Just be sure to monitor for changes associated with them no longer being in use, like temp changes and humidity changes.
As for the infared light, its debatable but most people prefer to keep their ig in pitch black conditions at night because they seem more restless without it. I do not use a colored light and I also cover the cage like you would cover a bird cage to keep out the light.

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*groan* I was afraid of that. Alright, I'll nix the idea of getting more bark to replace the newspaper. I'm going to wait a little longer before adding to his cage (he came with a nice large cage, but it's wide, not tall, and he really has nowhere to climb), but I'd hate to think that once I get those additions done, he'll go through this anger again.

Any tips on keeping him calm enough so that I can get into the cage and clean it out and change his water every day? (Insert hopeful expression here) He's large enough to take a good chunk out of me for my troubles, and much as I don't mind scratches and the occassional bites from restless herps, I really don't feel like a trip to the hospital any time soon.

Keep the bowls close to the door....and maybe offer some sort of treat on the Other side before grabbing for the bowls.......sorry to hear you have been introduced to the "evil one". Hopefully his season wont last long and he will come back to normal soon for you......

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hehe cant say you werent warned ;P

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And be sure to keep a broom or some such thing beside the cage. In case he gets loose and goes for you you can use it to PUSH HIM AWAY FROM YOU NOT TO HIT HIM WITH! Using it to strike him makes you the enemy. You don't want to go there!
And be careful. An iguana in full hormonal breeding rage can be very dangerous and unpredictable..

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I have a 2x3foot peice of plywood that I use to keep between me and him...that or I throw a towel over him, *disclaimer* some iguanas will freak out with the towel thing...mine just sits there!

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"If you're not falling, you're not trying." - Sonni Trotter

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

Thanks guys, your advice is really appreciated.

So yesterday, after getting home from work, I made his food and went up to the reptile room, armed with some fruit as a treat, long sleeves, and a couple of things I could put between me and him if the need arose. I was still really cautious, because he seemed tense, and was still pretty orange and his spines were drooping, which is a little strange.

He was a lot calmer, and I opened the door to his cage without him charging out at me. Amazingly, he ate the fruit and some of his food right out of my hand again, tensing up a little if I moved to quickly for his liking, then relaxing again and letting me move around him. He also allowed me to stroke him for about 30 seconds, before lunging past me to get out to roam the room. This is something I'd been encouraging him to do before, but I did NOT want him to do that day, for fear he'd put up a big fight going back in, and that room is not equpped for a fully free roaming animal, so I couldn't just let him stay out. But I took advantage of his little prison break to clean out his cage and get him fresh water. He never seemed disturbed, and made his circle around the little room, then returned to his cage, easy as can be. He seemed surprised that it had been put back in order for him, and gave me a baleful gaze for not leaving his territory fast enough, but there wasn't a sign of aggression. Except, of course, for his nice orange glow.

Little weirdo. That's it. I've decided I'm *not* giving him a name that means "peace". I'll have to find one that means "crazy", "unpredictable" or "moody", maybe.

Anyway, all of your advice was very helpful. Thank you so much.

Thats the problem with males in season. One minute they appear to be fine and then the next they are a rolling terror.
Don't let your guard down.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

some interesting themes here. I used to have a sweet natured female, who used to lash occasionally. Three years ago I got a male, who has just started to come into breeding colours for the first time. He has always been a gentle animal, if a tad shy, but now he is orange he has become quite territorial. Not having problems before, I ignored the aagressive feinting right up to the point he bit my arm. Not bad, but broke the skin, I didnt put antibiotics on right away and ended up with a swollen and inflamed arm (all better now, antibiotic cream is a wonderfull thing). So its interesting to see how common this behaviour change is, and also stops me worrying - I'l just be wary of him till he changes colour again.