Alright – so you’ve bought the Iguana, got him a nice enclosure (complete with branches, a basking rock and UV lights), now what do you do if you want to play with him? First of all, Iguanas are quite a bit different to more common pets such as dogs. Iguanas are less playful than dogs, less affectionate than dogs and arguably less intelligent than dogs. If you give a puppy a toy, it’ll manage to have all sorts of fun with it. If you give a baby Iguana the same toy, the reaction will be quite different. You probably won’t get any reaction at all. Iguanas don’t understand the concept of a toy in the way a dog or a child would. But this is not to say that an Iguana can’t be trained to appreciate a toy.
Can Iguanas be trained to be social?
Adult Iguanas who haven’t had a lot of physical contact with humans can be quite aggressive towards humans. In order for an Iguana to be trained to be social, you would ideally need to start when they are young. Start by showing them that you mean them no harm, and that you are nice and fun to be with. In order to do this, you need to get the Iguana to start associating you with having fun. Two of the activities that Iguanas like best are climbing and swimming and having fun in water. You can start by letting the baby Iguana climb up your body and also playing with him while he’s having a bath.
When should I play with my Iguana?
An important fact about Iguanas is that they can be quite grumpy and are not always in the mood to have fun. You can try and get a reasonable estimate as to what times your pet Iguana is most likely to be in the mood to have fun, by trial and error. Try playing with him at different times and see when he is most receptive. When he’s not in the mood to play, respect that. It’ll help to consolidate your relationship if you play with him when he wants to play and leave him alone when he seems to want to be left alone.
What type of toys should I give my Iguana?
Although there does not seem to be any specific type of toys which Iguanas are attracted to, they do seem to favor the color green. Again it’s a case of trial and error. Get yourself a few likely Iguana toys (all green color, obviously!) and try a green bath toy when he’s enjoying himself in the bath; try and interest him in a green soft toy when he’s climbing up something. Gauge his reaction and find out what sort of toys your Iguana likes. Also, spend time with him. A top tip recommended by one Iguana expert is to gently rub him between the eyes. This is very soothing to Iguanas and you may find that he actually goes to sleep while you’re doing it. This will again help him to associate you with good things and strengthen your relationship.
