My iguana, Lance, is about 10 months old, and I still can't catch the bugger. I can change his water and put his food in when he's on the side of his mesh tank or under his log and he is fine, but otherwise he is all over the place. He's like a ping pong ball, bounce all over his tank. I want to start handling him, I'm not afraid to handle him, everyone tells me to get a glove, but it's not that, he won't bite me, he just won't let me catch him. Did anyone else have this problem, or is he just weird and I have a problem child on my hands? Yes this is my first iguana. Although I do have other reptiles.
Sounds very normal. I wouldn't get a glove - that would probably just scare him more. Baby iguanas are naturally very flighty.
When you come in his cage to pick him up, try to avoid coming in from the top. He'll see the shadow in his third (parietal) eye and it looks like a predator to him. Also, if you are just changing his water or food and not really trying to pick him up, then stay completely away from him if possible. Just ignore him. That tells him that you aren't always coming in there after him - that you come in there to do other things too. But if you ARE coming in there to pick him, then you better catch him. Don't give up just because he runs, bites, whips, or anything else. If you give up, all that tells him is that he just has to do that again (run, whip, etc.) to get you to leave. Then it will just get worse. So if you make the attempt to catch him, be sure that you DO catch him. Once you've got him, only put him down when he's calmed down. Don't put him down when he's struggling. It's the same sort of idea - if he thinks that you'll put him down if he struggles, then he'll only do it more. But make sure not to hold him too much at one time. Just a few minutes at a time multiple times a day.
Good luck and he'll probably calm down if you keep at it. They get used to you as they get older. :D
Thank you! I will work with him...your the only one that has really given me a straight forward answer to that, thank you so much.