Iguanas are smart lizards, and will display lots of different behaviors. Once you get your iguana, it will be a long road getting used to your iguana and understanding it. But with time, you will understand each behavior of your iguana and will know what it means and what to expect. In this post, you will learn all about iguana behavior and their meanings, as well as how to understand your iguana.
Understanding your iguana will create a strong bond and will help avoid any stress, bites or scratches. But please remember, each iguana has its own personality. With time, you will see that your iguana has its own interesting personality traits.
Iguanas are intelligent lizards and communicate in different ways – with their posture, movements and even the way that they react and look at you. Let’s learn all about their behaviors!
Do iguanas make good pets?
All iguanas have different personalities, some might become tame and calm, and others might stay aggressive. To become calm, iguana needs taming and training.
If iguana has not been worked with, it will often stay unwelcoming and aggressive towards others. But at the same time, if your iguana has a tough to work with personality, there is not much that you can do even with taming.
When getting your iguana, make sure to ask the seller or see yourself if the iguana is easy going, is not scared of a human contact and easily approaches you when you offer it something.
An iguana like this is very likely to make a good pet (with taming). But don’t confuse a calm iguana for a tame one – it could be sick. Healthy iguana should be alert, not have any mites and eat readily.
Always think of iguanas as of a nervous person who is trying to survive in this world. Iguanas have a strong sense of self-defense. Only after good treatment, taming and association with good things (good living conditions and food) it will become calm and tolerant.
Your iguana has to feel secure in its home to become calm. Iguanas also recognize people and are very sensitive to any changes (even if you change your clothes or hairstyle).
Some iguanas, however, tend to stay intolerant of handling and human contact, even with taming. Also, some iguanas might be calm through the year, and become suddenly aggressive during the breeding season. All of this depends on iguana’s personality.
Remember, many things that you do can also change iguana’s character – these are living conditions and presence of other pets (or iguanas!). Make sure that living conditions are excellent (enough space, stress-free home, good quality food etc.), and then your iguana will feel secure.
Keeping more than one iguana can spark territorial behaviors and stress, leading to aggressive disposition.
What does it mean when your iguana licks you?
When your iguana licks you, it means that it’s trying to learn more about you. Iguanas have a sensory organ called Jacobson’s organ, which helps them get information about smell, taste and catch chemical signals.
This way, iguanas learn about their surroundings and other lizards/people around them.
Often, when your iguana licks you, it is a positive sign. If your iguana licks you, that means it is comfortable with you, is calm and just wants to get some information about you.
Iguana licking/tongue tasting
Please remember that iguanas are very curious lickers/eaters and you might be surprised to see how your iguana might try licking and eating everything that it sees.
By licking and eating, iguanas learn what is edible and if the objects pose any threat.
That is why you need to be careful as your iguana might try swallowing large objects (including clothing, accessories and even carpets!).
Iguana jowls, or dewlap and communication
Iguana’s dewlap, or jowls, can tell you what it is feeling at the moment. Both young and adult iguanas will either relax or tighten their dewlap, meaning that they are relaxed or stressed.
If your iguana’s dewlap is tucked in, or just hanging loosely – that means that iguana is relaxed, non-aggressive and calm. But when your iguana’s dewlap is extended, it means that it is trying to look aggressive when feeling threat. Extended dewlap will be coupled with a fixed look, body lifting, tail twitching etc.
Why does an iguana bob its head?
An iguana might bob its head when for a few reasons – these might include to show dominance, as a thank you, to greet someone, or just to be friendly.
You might also notice your iguana bobbing its head more often during the breeding season. Generally, male iguana is likely to bob its head more often and more prominently than a female iguana.
Iguana head bob type 1: Greeting, thanking and relaxed bobbing
If your iguana is comfortably sitting or laying down, and then you come in, it might head bob at you. When your iguana is head bobbing, also take a look at its body movements.
If its dewlap (skin under the chin) stays relaxed and iguana doesn’t get up or try to extend its body, then you have nothing to worry about. Its eyes will be relaxed and not fixed on you (or other object).
This is a form of greeting you (or other people & creatures that enter its territory). Friendly head bobs tend to be quick, in up and down directions.
Your iguana might also head bob if it wants to thank you after a meal, as a friendly gesture or if it simply wants to show off. Some iguanas will head bob for simple reasons like that many times in one hour.
Iguana head bob type 2: Bobbing to show dominance
If your iguana sees any threat in you, other iguanas or animals, it will try to defend its territory and show who is the boss. To show dominance, your iguana will try to raise its body, its dewlap (skin under the chin) will extend and it will bob its head up and down.
Iguana head bob type 3: Aggressive bobbing – watch out
If your iguana is not in a good mood or feels seriously threatened – it will head bob to show its frustration and readiness to attack.
Once you know how to read the signs of an aggressive and mad iguana, you will learn to avoid any risky situations and leave your iguana alone before it attacks. If you think that your iguana is trying to attack, run away and don’t make any eye contact or try to approach it.
If your iguana is ready to attack, it will extend its dewlap, will raise its body from the ground when walking, head bob quickly up and down and even perform jerky movements from side to side and up + down.
Iguana will also move its tail around and try whip the tail. You will also get a threatening look and its eyes will be fixed on you. If on top of that your iguana opens its mouth widely and keeps following you, then it is definitely mad and ready to attack.
In this case, leave the room to let your iguana calm down and never try to approach it. Don’t ignore these signs, or you will end up with bruises and cuts.
Iguana head bob type 4: Twitching head bobs meaning ‘no touching’ and ‘leave me alone’.
If you are trying to approach your iguana and it starts twitching its head quickly from side to side and up to down, this means that it wants to be left alone. This sign is similar to aggressive one, but is less dangerous.
Your iguana might also perform these jerky head bobbing movements when it wants another iguana/lizard to leave it alone or not to approach it at all.
If your iguana gives these signs and you still approach and touch it, it can bite or scratch you slightly to give you the last warning. Make sure to back off and give your iguana some space.
Iguana head bob type 5: Breeding head bobs
If it’s your iguana’s breeding period, you might notice it head bobbing. On top of that, your iguana is likely to become more aggressive (males especially). Breeding head bobs tend to be jerky (vibrating head bobs) from side to side.
Males are more likely to bob their heads during the breeding season, but females can do it too – especially if the male is around. Head bobs are one of the main iguana breeding behaviors.
Iguana dominating position – territorial behavior
If your iguana doesn’t feel fully comfortable around you or other pets in the house, it will start getting into a ‘dominant’ position. Basically, your iguana will try to look big and powerful around you or other pets.
This way, your iguana states that it’s the dominant figure and that it’s not scared of anyone. Your iguana is not aggressive in this state, but you have to keep the distance and make sure that your other pets don’t get into trouble.
Your iguana’s dominating position will look like this: Dewlap (jowls) will be extended, body lifted from the ground, tail will be lifted (arched) and back legs can be swished from side to side.
My iguana hisses at me. Why?
If your iguana hisses at you, that means it doesn’t like something around or what you are doing. Hissing, also barking or chirping is a warning sign which sounds like a sighing and means that your iguana is unhappy or upset. In this case, it is better not to bother your iguana too much, or it can bite you.
If your iguana seems relaxed, its eyes are not fixed on you and it’s laying down, then it is not likely to bite or whip straight away.
Why does my iguana close its eyes?
When petting your iguana, you might notice that it closes its eyes. If your iguana closes its eyes when you are petting it, it doesn’t mean that it’s enjoying it.
In reality, iguana closes its eyes to shut off. This is because your hands around its head are in some way disturbing it. Your iguana closes its eyes not to look at you, and to stay calm while you are petting it. Iguanas tend to close their eyes in other stressful situations as well.
With time, your iguana might start closing only one one, which means that it trust you much more. If your iguana is generally relaxed (relaxed posture or tucked in/hanging legs), then you have nothing to worry about.
Iguana bulging eyes
If your iguana has bulging eyes, that means that its eyes are itchy, that there’s shedding skin or that it’s generally tired. You might also notice that your iguana wants to scratch its eyes in this case.
Bulging eyes should pass in few minutes, and it’s something that you might notice your iguana doing from time to time. If you really to want to touch your iguana’s bulging eyes – then don’t worry, you can massage them a little bit. Some iguanas enjoy eye massages.
What does a relaxed iguana look like?
A relaxed iguana that is happy and content will lay with its limbs on the sides, close to its body. If your iguana is very happy, it will lay flat with its limbs laying or hanging on the side of its body. Tail should also be flat. Your iguana might also put its back leg on the tail.
Why is my iguana sneezing?
Your iguana is sneezing because that is the way that iguanas get rid of excess salts. You might also notice white salt deposits on the tank’s glass.
Sneezing (snalting) in iguanas is completely normal, and your iguana might even sneeze many times a day. Sneezing frequencies will depend on iguana’s diet, supplementation frequencies and other living conditions.
Why is my iguana standing up?
Your iguana might try standing up to show aggression, if there is any threat. By extending its body, it makes your iguana look bigger, and stronger. Sometimes, your iguana might also try standing up to catch a treat or reach your hand when it wants to.
Why is my iguana turning black?
Your iguana can turn from green/orange to black very quickly if it feels cold. When turning black, your iguana can absorb more heat, to raise its body temperatures as soon as possible. Some iguanas also turn black when unhappy or stressed.
Why do iguanas wag their tails?
Your iguana is highly likely to wag its tail when it is not happy. If your iguana is unhappy, it will come closer to the threat and whip the tail. Iguana tail whip does hurt a lot, especially if your standing at the distance. Closer you are, less painful the tail whip will be.
But tail wagging is not always due to aggressive behavior. Sometimes your iguana might wag the end of its tail when looking at something, or when trying to show dominance.
Why does my iguana open its mouth?
Your iguana might open its mouth when it is overheated. If you can see that your iguana is opening its mouth while basking, it is probably too hot. If your iguana’s cage is big enough, it will move to a cooler area. But if there is nowhere to move, make sure to move your iguana to a cooler spot.
Don’t forget to mist your iguana 2 times a day (morning and before 6pm in the evening), to provide extra moisture. You can use a spay mister like this for misting your iguana.
A slightly open mouth can indicate that your iguana is interested in something, for example when seeing something new. But if your iguana’s moth is open widely, it is a sign of aggression (see above with head bobbing).
How to tell if iguana is mad?
You will be able to tell that your iguana is mad if it lifts its body and is walking around, if it’s wagging the tail, bobbing its head, has fixed eyes on the threat, its dewlap (skin under the chin) is extended, and your iguana might be even standing still with its eyes fixed at the threat.
How to calm down an iguana?
There are few ways to calm down an iguana – let it calm down by itself, without approaching it. Often, when iguanas are stressed, they run away or hide. But sometimes, if you are close, mad iguana will try to whip its tail or bite. Don’t make any sudden moves, and better move away if you can.
You can calm down your iguana by bending down, because iguana see everything higher than them as a threat. Also, you can cover its head with a towel, to make it not see anything around.
Another important thing to remember is that you must not stare at your iguana when approaching or when trying to calm it down – fixed look will make your iguana stressed even more. Try to look away.
Why is my iguana digging?
If your iguana is digging, then it’s probably gravid (pregnant) or is going through the breeding season. Gravid iguanas start digging shortly before laying eggs.
In general, females will dig through the breeding season to find the potential spot to lay potential eggs. Please remember that iguanas can produce eggs without mating with a male (eggs will be infertile).
But if your iguana is definitely not a female, it can be digging to help with skin shed or because its enclosure is too small – read about optimal cage sizes here. It can also be a case when your iguana is digging at the white or reflective surface, because it has trouble seeing that color or is getting confused.
Thank you for reading this article and hopefully you have learned more about iguana behaviors and their meanings.
Make sure to read our next post about stress in iguanas and how to manage stress in iguanas. You will also find an article about iguana taming, which will greatly help to make your iguana friendly and loving, as well as create a strong pet-owner bond.