Ira my iguana had a little bit of an attitude this morning at the park, and was being for lack of a better term, overy ****y. I am kinda used to it, so I thought it was just getting toward that shed time, or he was just in one of his moods. He was watching a kid like a hawk the entire time I was there, we were at our usual table, but Ira was not at all interested in the food I brought, which is unusual, usually he eats like a horse, and was watching this little guy playing maybe 100 feet away. Again, usually he just eats and sits, and occasionally squirms, he is still a baby so I expect that, but he was really hawk-eyeing this kid. As usual the kids all come over and look, but I keep them from touching, and eventually this kid did the same. Ira has about a five foot lead on his harness so he can move under the table into the shade, or just investigate, but I shortened it because he was really aggressively eyeing this kid. When she came over I put Ira on my shoulder with maybe a 1 foot lead, and made sure he couldn't hurt anyone, but didn't ever think he would bite me or even whip me at this point, we are kinda pals now, or so I thought.

Long story short, he darted from my shoulder, bit the end of my nose, which startled me, and I dropped the loop I had picked up in the leash, and he jumped, not ran, not hopped, but lunged at this little girl and got caught short by about a foot, before I could do anything, she reached for him, and he bit her but not his usual nip, like a full on bite. I was shocked, and the poor girl was bleeding, it turned out to not be real bad, and the girls mother understood, but it really scared me. But the kicker is, once Ira bit her, he went right back to being himself, basking and relaxing, he didn't eat anymore, but he killed off the rest of the food as soon as we got home. It was almost like he got a relief out of biting this kid and now he can relax knowing that he was "boss" over this poor kid.

In all my years keeping exotic and common pets, I have never seen any animal react like that, and it was like he planned and executed the attack. This little guy is keeping me on my toes, just when I think I have him figured out he pulls a stunt like that, but it baffles me that he went right back to being my little buddy after that, and we hung out the rest of the day till his bed time at 10.

Sorry for the long post, but an event like that I thought needed repeating.

Wow...he was really in a mood wasnt he??! He coulda really hurt the girl and you if he wanted to...seems like he has a serious problems with girls from what youve said. Im glad the girls mom was understanding. Sorry to hear you had such a bad day at the park !

Wow! What a story! We really can't assume animals won't behave like animals when humans sometimes behave like animals themselves.

Don't feel to bad about yourself, you are experiencing what most dog owners feel when they are bitten by their own dog, man's best friend and smartest pet around.
Although no one needed a face transplant (like that woman in France) the worst repercussion is that this episode has created a few hertophobics.

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Wish list: Blue Tongue Skinks and Uruplatus =)

As with all reptiles, we have to remember that no matter how tame or under control they may seem, they are still wild animals brought into a domestic situation. They are highly unpredictable and there is ALWAYS a chance something like this can happen, whether it be an iguana (Thank Heavens he is young), a snake, tarantula etc. We, as reptile owners, must be very careful when displaying our pets in public ...sunshine and crowds can be very stressful and bring out the worst in them. The next time could pose problems if the parent doesnt understand about reptiles... best wishes....

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

I'm glad it turned out all right for you and didn't turn out to be a big news headline. We've all seen enough of those. I've heard male Iguanas can get tempermental after they reach maturity unless they have a female to copulate with. I guess it's sexual frustration or something. You said he's just a baby so that probably wouldn't be the case this time. Can we see some pics of your nose bite?

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

The availability of a female with which to mate really has no bearing on it. In fact the male may even kill the female.
When the hormonal rage is on them ANYTHING is fair game!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Sounds as rough as Chams.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

****, that could have been a lawsuit. Watch yourself, buddy!

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"You must be the change you wish to see in the world" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Yikes...i'm glad it wasn't serious! Those iguanas will keep you on your toes. I'm not even comfortable taking dizzy out at all. The others are usually behaved but you have to be able to read them well and know when something is up and find a way to remove the threat (apparently this time the threat was a little girl...go figure)

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Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it.

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

Thats the problem with iguanas. You have to always be on your toes and aware of what they are doing. You never can be quite sure what will set them off. Zok is usually pretty good around people and I have frequently taken her out to crowded places. However we had a new neighbor that moved in and came over to see her. Just the act of the woman walking over made Zok go ballistic. Scared the daylights out of the neighbor!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!