Some Words on Taming

There is no one right answer to the question of how to tame your iguana. Here is my personal story of what worked for me. I purchased a one and a half year old previously owned male whose owner may or may not have taken good care of him (or he was neglected in the pet store). He had mites, an injured toe, and one toe missing. He was very reluctant to have me hold him in any way. He did, however, let me pet him, but closed his eyes and probably hoped I would go away. The first thing I did was to plan a time, when I knew he had already eaten for the day and digested his food, to take him out of his cage and attempt to hold him. I covered myself with protective clothing (thick jacket, long pants, and gloves). I reached in and pet his back until he closed his eyes and then I scooped him up real fast. During many attempts he just jumped on the floor, so I would try again if possible or wait, let him roam around the room, and try again the next day. I would also always talk to him softly and try to get him to pay attention to my voice. When I became successful at picking him up I would immediately let him sit on my shoulder. He did not like my hands around him. I kept this up for a few months and he finally began to allow me to pick him up. To this day he still does not like to be held in people's hands for longer than a minute, but he will tolerate hanging out on your shoulder or back. Although he is very territorial, he no longer tries to whip you with his tail, but he always bobs his head at you to let you know he's a tough guy!