Originally Posted by
KBlaix
I agree with very little of that. If you properly care for your iguana it won't bite or tail whip you, actually the opposite- they can be rather sweet. My iguana love to be with us (he can be timid around strangers though). If you neglect your iguana than there's a good chance it will do those things. Yes a bite can and probably will send you to the hospital for stitches.
I had a six foot long male iguana for many years. While he could occasionally be sweet and friendly, for the most part he was aloof.
He was not overtly aggressive unless threatened, however, his perception of "being threatened" involved anyone wearing a hat into the house, for example. He would club anyone with his tail that made the mistake of not believing when I told them they better take that hat off. He, for the most part, ignored the dogs. But, he would not hesitate to bat them across the room with his tail, either, if he thought they were getting too close to him, too loud or rambunctious, etc.
He never bit, thank goodness, because bites of a large iguana are extremely nasty. But his claw were lethal weapons, and I trimmed and filed them regularly ... wearing leather cat gloves and a leather coat, BTW.
He was an interesting, beautiful, amusing pet. He was not cuddly or friendly. He had the potential to do a lot of physical damage. And he was most definately properly cared for and never neglected every day of his entire life. A lizard is not going to be appreciative of good care, and reward it with affection and good behavior, the way a well-trained dog might. A lizard is not a domesticated animal. It can be tamed, to some degree, but there is a wild creature right under the surface. Not a big deal when you have a lizard the length of your hand. A very big deal to the inexperienced reptile owner when you have a lizard the length of your entire body.
"We give dogs the time we can spare, the space we can spare and the love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made" - M. Facklam
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"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." - J.R.R. Tolkien
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