iguana_attack

Your Pet: My Iguana Is Attacking Behavioral changes in our companions can be some of the more challenging problems both for caretakers and veterinarians. They can also be very important indicators of potential disease problems. Today's subject however involves a behavioral change though I suspect it is not so much disease related. Claude is a six year old green iguana who has spent most of his six years living in an indoor enclosure that is floor to ceiling in his caretaker's house. This enclosure has 150 square feet of floor space and is planted with various indoor houseplants. It is entirely humidity controlled as well as thermostatically controlled in order to provide adequate heat for Claude. The lighting system is timer controlled and consists of proper spectrum ultraviolet lighting on a thirteen hour day length cycle. Dana, Claude's caretaker went into much more detail of Claude's environment and also his diet. I will not go into anymore here instead sharing that Claude's overall husbandry is excellent. Claude is allowed time with Dana outside his enclosure and in the summer, he is harnessed and allowed time in the trees in the back yard as well as time in the house to free roam. Dana says Claude has had no problems health wise but recently has become extremely aggressive. He has begun charging and smacking into the acrylic panels of his enclosure when Dana enters the room. When Dana attempts to handle Claude, his posture changes into what Dana terms "attack mode." He stands sideways toward Dana raises his body up especially on his front legs, cocks his head toward Dana and snaps his tail like a whip in Dana's direction. He has reached his target on several occasions and Dana is not appreciative. Dana also reports that Claude's aggression is especially prominent when Dana wears anything made out of denim. Claude will then not only try to whip Dana but will also charge him and bite at his denim jeans. It is ruining Dana's relationship with Claude and he is at a loss as to what to do. I can certainly understand why Dana is frustrated. His lizard has turned into a Tyrannosaurus rex, but I think I can offer an explanation and a remedy as well. I suspect what is happening to Claude is testosterone related. Claude is at the age when a male iguana is reaching sexual maturity and his testosterone blood levels are elevating. This increased testosterone can definitely lead to increased aggression. It is a totally natural event. In the wild, male iguanas reaching sexual maturity begin to look for females with which to breed. In these searches, they encounter other male iguanas and aggressive fighting can often result. Claude is simply manifesting what is instinctive for an iguana his age. Unfortunately, Dana has to bear the brunt of this testosterone fueled rage. This male aggression in iguanas is not common in captivity not because the iguanas are more mellow in captive environments but more likely because they are not properly cared for and die before they reach sexual maturity. Iguanas are not a simple companion to provide for. They require very specific thermal regulation and very special diets in order to thrive in captivity. Often, these requirements are not met and as a result, they do not thrive. Dana has provided an outstanding habitat and diet for Claude hence the reason he has reached sexual maturity. However, if he continues with his new found aggressive behavior Dana may not want him around any longer. There is a solution for Dana that will likely cure Claude of his aggression. The solution is to have him neutered. This is a surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia in iguanas as it is in all companion animals. It is a somewhat delicate and precise surgery and should only be done by a veterinarian with considerable reptile experience especially in the surgical realm. The surgery involves removal of both of Claude's testicles and since they are the source of his elevated testosterone levels which in turn lead to his aggression, said aggression should resolve. I should point out that there are seasonal swings in testosterone levels in iguanas according to their breeding season and in Claude's case, his testosterone level will likely drop on its own when breeding season ends. His aggression could drop as well. This however will not be a permanent drop as the aggression I suspect will return with the next breeding season. As for the increase in aggression when Dana wears denim, I am not sure about that one. It is likely a heightening of his sexual aggression but why the denim increases that behavior is a mystery. I have seen this before in other iguanas where certain objects and colors can set off aggressive behavior. Maybe Claude prefers khakis.