How To Tame and Bond With Your Iguana

In this post, we will discuss how to tame a baby or adult iguana. We will also cover how to bond with your iguana and how to tame an aggressive iguana. This guide applies to all iguanas, including green, red and blue iguana morphs. You will find advice on preparing for iguana’s arrival, what to do when you bring it home and what to do to create a bond with your iguana.

As we have discussed in our previous behavior post (read here in a new tab), an iguana that you get or adopt can be either tame or unwelcoming. Most iguanas have a potential to become tame with training and patience, but some can stay aggressive.

How long does it take to tame and bond with your iguana?

Taming and bonding with your iguana is not an easy process – but is very rewarding. The whole taming & bonding process can take few months – or even longer if you make any mistakes that break the trust. Some iguanas have hard to work personalities, taking a year or few to bond with. Staying calm and patient will help you speed up the taming & bonding process.

Captive bred vs. wild caught iguanas

When getting an iguana, you are getting a unique character and personality. One thing that is important though – is the difference between captive bred and wild caught iguanas.

Captive bred animals (ones born in captivity) make better pets, are often calmer and more tolerant of people. Captive bred iguanas are also more likely to be healthier than wild caught iguanas and have gone through less stress. Responsible breeders should always be honest about an iguana’s heritage.

Is it easier to tame a young or adult iguana?

Whether it is a better idea to get a young or adult iguana will depend on few things. If you want to spend more time with your iguana, of course it is a better idea to get a young iguana (iguanas can live somewhere between 10-20 years, depending on care). You will also have more time to learn about your iguana and let it get used to you. Young iguanas will be also more open to new experiences.

But at the same time, if getting a young iguana, you must be ready for any changes in its behavior when it hits puberty (around 2-3 years of age). If you are an experienced keeper, you won’t be negatively surprised when these changes occur.

Breeding behaviors will need patience and understanding, and they will pass with the end of breeding season. During the breeding season, your iguana (especially a male) might become aggressive and restless.

There are also pros of getting an adult iguana. Adult iguanas are often used to people and have been worked with in the past. But this is not always the case – some adult iguanas that you might find for adoption or even for sale have not been treated too well. Always ask the seller before getting your iguana.

So, in general, there are pros and cons of getting a young/adult iguana, but it can be a better choice to get a young iguana and bond with it from the beginning. Only adopt or buy an iguana with a tough past life if you can commit.

Iguana essentials before you bring it home

Before you bring your iguana home, make sure to prepare all essentials. Let’s see what you need to have prepared before your iguana arrives home. Lack of essentials can cause stress to your iguana, delaying the acclimatization, taming and bonding processes.

• Appropriately sized cage. The cage should be at least 1.5 longer than your iguana, height – 1.3-1.5 times longer than your iguana and width – around 80% of iguana’s length. As you can see, the cage should have lots of vertical space for placing a high branch (for basking).
• Cage accessories. Branches, food and water bowls, basking spot, UVB and other lamps, plants and other accessories for basking, hiding and resting. Make sure to include most of the accessories before arrival because your iguana will be sensitive to a sudden addition of many accessories in the cage. You must include thick branches and plants for your iguana to hide in, for a sense of security.
• Water bowl for soaking. There should be a plastic bowl with water (your iguana should be able to fully lay in the bowl and water level should go be up to iguana’s side), so that your iguana can soak in there. This is very important for hydration.
• Staple food and snacks for your iguana. Please remember that iguanas need to eat only vegetables, greens, plants and some fruits. Make sure to prepare a supply of at least few days. You will need to feed your iguana 1-2 times a day.

Essential preparations

Make sure not to place the cage in the living room or somewhere else with many people passing by or loud noises. The best thing would be to have a separate room for your iguana, where you would place its cage.

If the room with the cage is quite busy – you can cover the sides of the cage with a cloth or blankets. This will help your iguana to relax and not to see what is happening around.

Don’t forget to take your iguana’s poop to a vet for an examination. This is a part of quarantine and is essential to find out about any possible internal parasites that your iguana might have. Take iguana’s poop, place it in a plastic bag and take to the vet within 24 hours. Don’t freeze.

Are you worried about how your iguana will poop? Read our post on potty training your iguana here.

Step 1: Bringing iguana home – acclimatization period

When you bring your iguana home, you need to give it some time to acclimatize before starting taming and bonding sessions. Give your iguana 2-4 weeks with minimal contact so that it relax and get used to its surroundings first.

Don’t touch or handle your iguana at this point. But let it observe you and only move your iguana when cleaning the cage. Let it see what you are doing. A good sign that your iguana has acclimatized is regular eating and pooping. At this point, you can go to stage 2.

Your iguana might seem tame and calm during the first few days – but don’t confuse it with a good personality. For the first few days, your iguana will be calm because of the stress! After 3-5 days, you will start seeing your iguana’s real personality. It is better not to disturb your iguana from the start, instead of petting it because it looks calm!

As we have discussed in our post about iguana behavior (read it here), iguanas become severely stressed even with small changes. Transportation, new owner (you) and new housing will severely stress your iguana. Be patient and try to keep your distance at first, and don’t handle or touch your iguana.

Make sure your iguana can observe you

Make sure that your iguana can see you bringing it food, cleaning the cage and doing other chores. Only approach your iguana slowly to give it food, mist it and clean the cage. Speak to your iguana softly and don’t make any sudden moves. The best thing to do at this stage would be to keep your iguana in its cage. Call your iguana by name – iguanas recognize faces, voices and their name!

It is very important that you learn about iguana behavior and what they mean – you can find a full list of common iguana behaviors in this post (opens in a new tab).

Step 2: Slight communications and introducing yourself to iguana more closely

After around 2-4 weeks of acclimatization, your iguana should feel more comfortable and relaxed in its new surroundings. If you feel that your iguana is still stressed (looks black, hides a lot and won’t eat, runs around the tank), then give it more time to acclimatize.

Also, review all the conditions in the tank, supplementation and feeding. You can find all the care information on this page.

If your iguana seems more comfortable, start short interaction sessions.

• Approach your iguana’s cage slowly more often (few times a day). No sudden moves, loud noises or freaking out.
• Start putting your hands in the tank, but from the side only. Hands from the top will be considered a threat. That is why it is very useful to have front opening doors in the cage.
• Sit near the tank for few hours a day if you can – while reading a book or using your computer (in the morning, afternoon and evening for example). Your iguana will start getting used to your presence.
• Hand feed your iguana. If you are not sure which foods your iguana likes the most, offer a range of veggies, flowers and fruits that iguanas love. Hand feeding will help bond with your iguana and build trust.
• You can also offer your iguana some treats or toys. The aim at this stage is to get your iguana to trust you more – and hand feeding it + getting it used to your hand will speed up the bonding.
• This stage can take a week or few – you will have to feel when your iguana is comfortable with you and lets you come closer. Your iguana shouldn’t run away, hide or freak out when you approach it.
• Don’t hand feed all the time – only once a day from the beginning of the bonding is enough. Otherwise, your iguana will get used to hand feeding only, and won’t eat from the bowl.
• Your iguana will try licking you – don’t freak out as this way it’s learning more about you. Iguanas are very curious lickers and will try to bite and lick everything to learn more about the objects and people!
• Start gently stroking your iguana on the head and speaking softly to it. If your iguana is freaking out, don’t leave straight away, and try again. Make sure to wear gloves like these when trying to stroke your iguana.

Step 3: Handling sessions

• Attempt to handle your iguana once it is comfortable with your presence. Gently place your palm under its breastbone, and another hand under its lower belly to prevent tail breakage.
• When handling your iguana, you should be slow and smooth, but be quick when taking it out from the tank. Approach the tank slowly, stand closely without looking at your iguana (as if you are not interested), open the terrarium doors and quickly take your iguana. But make first that its claws are unstuck.
• You need to be quick when taking your iguana out of the tank because it will be protective in its territory (the cage), but when you take it out, especially quickly, it won’t have time to react.
• Never run or look scared when your iguana threatens you – stay where you are, speak in a loud voice, and put your hand forward. If you run, your iguana will run after you. And if you act scared, it will believe that it has won.
• You can use your whole arm and let your iguana rest on it (if your arms are strong enough!). In addition, you can let your iguana walk on your hands if it’s a baby. When handling, put it close to your body so it can feel the heat.

• Never try handling your iguana from above – it is guaranteed to freak out. Always scoop your iguana from the bottom and it’s likely to stay calm.
• If your iguana tries to escape, don’t force it to stay, but make sure not to panic. Don’t leave the room straight away, and attempt again if your iguana is not overly stressed. You might need to close the doors and iguana-proof the room before starting handling sessions.
• Don’t let your iguana down or back in the cage unless it is calm – this way you will show your iguana that it has to be calm to be released. Be calm and never drop your iguana – this will break the trust.
• It is a good idea to sit down when handling your iguana – there will be a less chance of dropping your iguana, and your iguana will feel safer too.
• Handle your iguana for around 15-20 minutes each day. When it becomes more comfortable with you, start giving it a warm bath at least once a week (before that have a large dish where your iguana can soak).

The golden rule for taming an iguana

If you start interacting with your iguana and it seems very stressed (running away, trying to bite etc.) don’t leave straight away. Back off, keep the distance, but keep trying again and again. You can leave when your iguana calms down.

Any scared reaction from your side or backing off will tell your iguana that this is the way for you to leave it alone! This will, in a sense, encourage your iguana to keep demonstrating these behaviors!

Instead, if you are worrying that your iguana will bite or whip the tail, wear gloves to protect your hands. One of the best choices would be MIG thick welding gloves like these. To lessen the whipping impact, stand closer to your iguana as whips hurt much more from the distance.

How to tame an aggressive iguana

Don’t be rude or aggressive with your iguana – just don’t let it rule. You might hear about the technique where you have to make yourself look bigger and stand taller to show iguana who is the boss. But in reality, it can scare your iguana and break the trust. Instead, take small steps and be patient.

If your iguana starts being mad – don’t leave straight away – this is why using protective gloves can help. However, if iguana is scared – try once again and leave it alone to calm down.

With time, your iguana will understand, that biting is not a solution. But this applies only to a taming process – in general, you should leave when your iguana is starting to get aggressive. Try to approach iguana and try handling it if it’s in a good mood – otherwise it’s likely to be unhappy.

If your iguana becomes very skittish or aggressive when you are trying to handle it – lift it above your head and it should calm down. Being higher will make your iguana feel more secure. Bring your iguana down when it calms down