Breeding Season Aggression

Breeding season is the bane of the iguana keeper's existence. During breeding season, hormones rise, and male iguanas can become very aggressive. When breeding season occurs depends on a variety of factors, including where you live, how much sun the ig actually sees, time changes, and whether there are multiple igs. The length of time an iguana shows breeding season aggression also varies from iguana to iguana. Some breeding season seem to last only a month, others drag on for several months. People often become worried and depressed when their once docile and friendly iguana suddenly turns into a wild man.

Some iguanas become raving lunatics during breeding season, others show little or no change in behavior at all, and still others fall somewhere in between. No matter what level of aggression your iguana shows, it is always a good idea to be a little more cautious around them during this time.

Male iguanas during breeding season will often show aggression in the form of posturing, tail whipping, biting, and even rushing people. Please be careful, an aggressive iguana is a dangerous iguana. Many people have had trips to the emergency room for stitches because of hormonal males. Several people have even lost fingers to aggressive igs!

During this time, you may want to provide your iguana with a....*ahem*...substitute female. A green stuffed animal or shirt, a stuffed sock, or an IgMate can provide an outlet for your ig's aggression.

Female owners who are menstruating may be at more risk during breeding season. Some male iguanas become more aggressive during this time.

During this time, the safest way to deal with your iguana is to give him some time to himself. Don't force handling on him during this time, or you may risk serious injury. If you do need to handle your ig, please do so very carefully. Melissa Kaplan has an excellent article on how to deal with breeding season aggression on her site.

Females can also show changes in behavior during breeding season. While most of them do not become as aggressive as the males, some can become a little snappish, and this is also a time to watch for signs of gravidity!