Handling Techniques

[coura]

I have experienced exactly what you are talking about with my Cyclura hybrid. I acquired him from a family that got him as a baby and became scared of his threat displays. He ended up in a cage covered by a sheet for over a year until I got him. Now 2 years later he is very personable. Continue with making your presence known, but don't push the envelope. DO NOT subdue him or force him to do anything that he seems sketchy about. What worked for me was allowing mine to eat right next to me and slowly placing my hands closer and closer to him. Whenever I was in my reptile room I would open his cage and go about my business like he wasn't even there. After a couple months he was approaching me, smelling and investigating. Now he follows me around. After you develop an understanding he will get much better. Just invest the time for him to realize you are not a threat. It will get better. All Cyclura have different personalities and some will always be more trusting than others. Good luck.

True, lissen to this and also what your experiencing its normal in young rhinos, they will do it in the first copple of years untill really setle and tame down. Just give him time Also dont forget it never will completly disapear, igs are wild animals and retain many survival insticts. Also dont forget breeding seazon wich may turn your peacefull rhino into a psyco

 

[KNMG]

Oh yeah! Make sure you don't forget breeding season. If you have a male especially. You don't have to worry until they hit about 2-3 years of age. My Lewisi cross is my lap lizard, but last March he made remember that he is indeed a wild animal. I was doing my usual in my reptile/fish room and I let him out. I put his food on the floor next to me and he bolted out of his cage. He then bobbed his head a few times and circled around me. His last time around he grabbed my calf an shook like an angry dog. I had to stand up and spray water on him to make him let go. I was lucky that I was wearing jeans cuz he ripped through my jeans and was still able to get a perfect slice with both his upper and lower teeth! The bruise was about the size of a baseball as well. Three months later all was forgotten an we were good friends again. What an eye opener though! He is only 37 inches long and maybe 7 pounds. Just imagine what an older more mature Cyclura can do if pissed!

 

[varanio]

Your rhino is just a baby .... give him time to acclimate to everything...including his growing stages...once hes established that he is not prey...something that is instinctual until they are about 2 yrs old then he/she wont feel the need to jump and run away when you reach in.

 

[M|L]

I've been handling him only at night, when the temperature drops a little bit.

He's completely calm after a 30 second struggle and he'll just lay on my arm and fall asleep while I browse on the computer.

I guess he's not horribly defensive once he's out of the cage. Hopefully once he's grown bigger, he'll be more confident and learn that I'm not a threat.

Thanks for all the suggestions and response, it's been very helpful and I'll just stick with my daily evening handling.

 

[coura]

I would avoid handling him after bed time, he needs its rest, just leave him alone

 

[Mike D]

from what i have been told after talking with many people is with rhino iguanas the trick is to just leave them alone for a while. i got mine back in november and i have handled mine very little and he is getting better as time goes on. once he realizes that you arent going to hurt him he will start to calm down. mine was the same way as yours when i first got him. real flighty when ever i reached into the tank. cleaning was a pain because of how crazy he was. now that i have left him alone he has gotten alot better. when i have mine out he doesnt spaz he will settle right down. i can let him sit on me and he doesnt run. progress takes time. dont push it. if you do you will just end up with a stressed and mean rhino igg.

 

[M|L]

that's a good point there, I've always wondered if you leave juvenile lizards (large species) alone, will they simply grow out of the bottom-of-the-food-chain stage where they pretty much run away from everything instinctively and once they grow to be adults they become naturally confident and conscious of their size and status as the top-of-the-food-chain. Once that happens and they don't perceive you as a threat simply because they're now fully aware that they're now adults and that flighty instinct in it's juvenile stage is now gone, they become much more tolerable to being around you and being touched.

I guess there is some validity in it. I know reptiles aren't "pets" so I'm not trying to have a Rhino Iguana that'll learn its name or anything unrealistic but at the least be a peaceful member of the household (without too much defensive aggression or any fear of its surroundings such as people).