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A trusting relationship with your iguana begins with patience, respect, and a willingness to let the reptile come to you on their terms. With many "hands-on" approaches that involve forced handling and interaction too early, the unfortunate end result is an unhappy reptile that only seems tame. As naturally cautious and intelligent creatures, they have learned that anything grabbing at them or invading their space is a threat. The resulting lethargic, skittish, or timid behaviors they display following repeated forced handling is a sign that your iguana has grown numb to the constant fear of being unexpectedly handled! Instead, we're opting for the "hands-off" approach in an effort to develop an authentic bond of trust. Gradual, calm, and nurturing routines will establish that you are their friend, rather than the boss.

Start With a Healthy Environment

Before any successful conditioning routine can be established, it's imperative that your vivarium supports a healthy lifestyle for your iguana. A healthy iguana will be lively, bright-eyed, and naturally attentive for greatly improved training success. Before bringing the reptile home, make sure that your vivarium is large enough, properly heated, and adorned with adequate furnishings (reptiles regulate their temperature by hiding/sunbathing as needed). If you need help setting up your vivarium correctly, you can contact us for in-depth assistance and experienced advice.

Training Begins

Young iguanas will not tame, but you can begin to acclimate your reptile by sitting calmly beside the cage and introducing an open-palm feeding routine. After the year and a half mark, the real training routine can begin. By sticking to a regular routine, the iguana will gradually learn that you are not a threat, and begin to associate your actions with friendly services like feeding and cleaning.

Remain Calm & Be Patient

While sitting beside the cage, feeding, or cleaning, be sure to avoid any fast or unexpected movements. As the iguana gradually accepts that you are not a threat, you can begin to place the pieces of food further up your arm, and implement strategies like a gentle hand lift at the end of feeding. This will teach the iguana that being lifted is associated with the pleasant experience of eating.

Let the Iguana Come to You

After successfully building trust with this calm feeding routine, you can begin to let the iguana come to you on their terms. It may take weeks, months, or even years to progress to this level of trust, but once your iguana begins to exit the cage on their terms, this is a sign that your iguana has accepted you and may be ready to begin interacting.