Hi, my iguana has grown a lot and gone through two sheds in patches. I of course can't keep track of exactly where it has shed but I help out with warm water and a little gentle pulling and scraping when there seems to be problem areas.

Yesterday, I helped him ease off some skin on a couple of his hind toes. I noticed that his left front hand and wrist were lighter colored than the rest of his arm. Also, the lines in between the scales do look like it has a little whitish transparent skin sort of color instead of the black color in between scales over other areas. So I did the same thing for the back toes to them, both areas, thinking it may be shedding. However, unlike the back toes, that hand does NOT have any frilled edges or pieces coming off. It just seems smooth as a baby's skin and runs flawlessly into the arm. One fine line, above it, slightly darker, below it lighter. No frayed edge AT ALL along the line, nor dry flaky appearance. No amount of gentle scraping could get an edge up or even what appears to be a skin edge. The color is only very slight difference, not much.

The next day, the back toes shedding skin had "cracked up" and started shedding normally. The front hand showed no signs of shedding. It just is a lighter color, abrubtly started about one CM above the wrist and covering the entire hand. Again, today, I tried a little warm water and some gentle scraping with my fingernail, nothing even CLOSE to resembling shedding skin would come up. Nothing that FELT like shedding skin came up. It just felt like the normal skin. I didn't want to risk hurting it so I stopped.

I do NOT remember if he was like this all along and it is just coloration or whatnot. The color variation is VERY slight and I couldn't have noticed it before without very closely examining like I did yesterday.

Is that just a difference in color? Or is it getting READY to shed, but not ready yet, and I should leave it alone? It is strange because the rest of the body and the other hand is not this slightly lighter color.

Hey Love,
It doesn't sound like a problem. When a reptile's skin is getting ready to shed, it will lighten up, become whitish for a bit, then it will fade just a bit before shedding. Could take many days. It just sounds like that area of skin will shed soon, but it's not ready to come off yet. Just give it time. Remember, in the wild they don't have us silly humans waiting to pick off skin for them, lol, they have to wait and do it themselves. My Big Boy is shedding somewhere almost constantly and what he goes through is what it sounds like you describe. While my female has only shed her head skin twice, no body shedding at all since I've had her. I know it's hard, but you just have to be patient and wait for that area of skin to be "ready" to come off. It's hard to resist peeling it for them, lol, I'm a sucker for pickin' skin. For some reason I love it, lol, but I always did it for my Burmese python when he shed. He never shed in one piece, I always had to help him. I think it's like biting your nails, or the desire to pick a scab, there's just something that makes you want to pick skin.
Do you have anything rough in the enclosure that he may rub on to scratch himself and work off skin on his own? Like a rough hunk of wood?
Also, when my guy has skin ready to come off, I'll wet my hands and when they are almost dry, but still damp, I'll stroke him down his body and all the loose scales/skin will come off very easily and stick to my hand. That which doesn't come off, isn't ready too. Plus, he likes it too. He's so spoiled. So just be patient.

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Natalie & Iggie LaLa
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0.1.0 Green Iguana ~ Iggie
0.1.0 Chow Dog ~ Kieko
1.0.0 Chow/Malamute Dog ~ Chubbers
0.1.0 Six toed Cat ~ Barbie,(decendent of Ernest Hemmingways cat)

Pic's of Iggie

I know you want to pick, but you must resist the urge. Skin will only come off when it is ready. Let her shed on her own (you can help her along by misting her and giving warm baths) But leave it be. After she has shed just about everything on the part of her body that she is shedding at that point in time you need to inspect for any stuck on skin. young iggys usually dont have trouble shedding if the humidity is right.
Make sure to check the toes, spikes and tail for stuck on skin, because they are the most common areas, but otherwise you must resist the urge!

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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

I agree Lacey.
ya can't pick it off too early, have to wait till it's ready and coming off on it's own. If it's peeled off too early, the new skin underneath can be sore, like a sunburn that's peeled too early and the new skin is raw. So be careful, most of all be patient.

He, he, glad I'm not alone, lol.

How can I tell the difference between "Too early" to come off and "should have came off but having a problem"?

When it's ready to come off, you'll see the skin starting to come away from the body and when you rub it, it flakes off easily. If you have to pull at it, it's not ready.
I wouldn't really worry though, it's not like a snake where they will shed all at once. You'll get used to the patchy shedding process of Igs.