Scratches and Bites
Living with iguanas can be quite rewarding and entertaining. It can also raise your blood pressure and test your patience. Even the kindest, gentlest ig can cause serious injury to humans and other animals without ever meaning to.
It is also not uncommon for male iguanas to become exceeding aggressive during breeding season, when they start to turn orange.
I was very lucky with Bert - who never bit anyone. And I was lucky again with Bailey. He was nearly four-years-old before he bit me the first time, and even then it wasn't really his fault. He was facing down another male iguana and I tapped him on the back of the head. He whirled around, chomped down on my finger,looked at me with wide eyes, and immediately let go.
I was lucky then.
I wouldn't be other times.
The next two pictures are of my ankle about three weeks after getting severely bitten by Bailey. The igs and I were in the summer habitat when the cat, Milo, decided to pay a visit. Bailey has never liked Milo, and when Milo got too close to Bailey, Bailey started to strike. I'd like to say that I valiantly put myself between the ig and the cat to save on vet bills... but that would be a lie. I was scrambling out of the way so I wouldn't get caught in the middle, and I must have swung my barefoot right in front of Bailey's face.
I never felt the bite or the strike, but when I looked down there was blood streaming from my ankle. It was a serious wound, and if I'd had any sense at all I would have taken myself to the doctor and gotten stitches. Instead, I have wonderful scars to show off.
Far more common than getting bitten is getting scratched. How do I indentify myself to other ig owners without ever having to open my mouth? By holding out my bare forearms for their inspection.
Even little bitty juvenile iguanas can leave you with claw marks, though not nearly as bad as an adult will. Trimming your iguanas toenails on a regular basis helps, but even then a good thrash or crocodile roll can leave gouges in human flesh. Additionally, no matter how tame, if your iguana doesn't want it's nails trimmed, then you're still going to end up with some good scratches.
