Lizard Behaviour

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Lizards tend to be bright, alert and responsive. Captive-born ones will tolerate handling and appear to become tame. Wild-caught lizards are often shy, wary and try to escape at the slightest disturbance.

Defensive behaviour

Defensive behaviour is associated with territoriality, escape from potential predators or may be ritualised with reproduction or feeding. It may be exhibited with humans, conspecifics, other animals or with no stimulation.

They stand sideways to the threat, swallow air to increase their size, stand high off the ground to look bigger and lash at the threat with their tails. Some lizards may display head bobbing and push-ups or gape and threaten to bite.

Aggressive behaviour

Offensive aggression is rare and usually involves sexually mature iguana males during their breeding season from December to March in the northern hemisphere. They may attack anything entering their territory and attempt to bite them. It is recommended that these lizards be confined to their cage during this time.

Owner-directed aggression

Iguana bites can be very painful and owners should be warned to be careful. Hyper-aggressive males are best not handled.

Castration for males is possible but it is unknown if this directly leads to a decrease in aggression. Its effect may not be seen until the following breeding season. Castration before puberty may be more effective in controlling potential aggression. Seasonal aggression may be worse at puberty and gradually decrease afterwards.

Dominance

When several lizards are housed together aggression and dominance is not always overtly physical since actual fighting may not occur. Subtle behaviour by the dominant lizard may result in the subordinate staying away from basking areas and food and slowly dying of stress-enhanced hypothermia and starvation.