She is shedding like crazy. I'd say she has tripled in size since I got her. It's so funny when she's still got the dead skin attached and she's running around the tank trying to get away from it. I do peel her when she get's too crazy.

Today was another first. She opened her mouth like she wanted to bite me. She didn't but I can tell this will only get worse.
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She still is in a wild panic in the morning when I move her from the sleeping tank to her day tank. At night going back to it she's tired and can't be bothered.
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She actually licked me today. It kind of scared me.
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But her entire tongue came out a couple of times.
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After we took a nap together and I put her in her tank for the night she kept looking at me. I think she's becoming attached.
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She's really sweet but she is still afraid.
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She does look forward to her few minutes in the tub each day. She really doesn't settle down until it's done. It used to be once every couple of days now it's everyday. I think she needs to see what's going to happen each day. That has a lot to do with being afraid.

I'm kind of afraid that she will NOT settle down. It's been close to 6 months now and she is still in a wild panic each time I try to take her out of the tank.
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I am wondering how difficult it will be to handle her when she gets bigger.
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I may just be asking for trouble down the road.
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She'll get there. Just give her time and keep doing what you are doing, taking good care of her and handling her on a daily basis. Make sure you don't wear gloves. All the scratching might hurt, but they don't like the feel of gloves.

It took me a year and a half before Sally settled down and trusted me. Bella sounds like she is trusting you after a little handling, so she will settle down eventually.

I hope so. I am wondering what kind of activity can I use on her out of the tank, any suggestions? I just can't allow her to run wild but I would like her to get used to being out. Funny, I never had this problem before with my other iguanas. She's special.
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If I let her out then I know she'll run and hide for days or weeks but I can't just let her feel she'll never be free to roam the house.
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Try starting out in a room with a window where she has very few hiding places. Set up a branch or shelf by a window as high as you can reach and let her sit up there for a while. You could also set a chair by the window and sit with her on your arm for a while as she looks out the window. Handling her every day around the same time is also good. Daily repetition will get her used to being handled and eventually look forward to that time of day to being able to look at the natural world.

I always thought of it kind of like an old man that likes to watch the ducks at the nursing home. He might be grumpy most of the day, but looks forward to looking out the window at the ducks at a certain time of the day. It gives him something to do at that certain time of day that he enjoys and makes him more enjoyable to be around.

Remember, iguanas are arboreal creatures. If Bella has some trees, birds and other wildlife to look out at and feel like she is high up in a tree while doing so she will look forward to that moment and be easier to handle.

Yes, I have trees in the jungle room but there are many, many, MANY places to hid in there. I suppose I could do a walk through and clear them away.

She does look forward to her Tubby Time and our bed time. She lays on my chest wrapped in a baby blanket with just her head sticking out. She is quiet then and falls asleep. She does this tiny, little sneeze a few times that tells me she is pleased.
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AAA
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src="images/smiliesb/icon_wink.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Icon Wink" class="inlineimg" /> And I can actually hear her lips smack. Very softly but it's there.

Yesterday I told her I loved her.

Last night during her sleep time I caught her trying to either get out of her tank or trying to get my attention. That was a first. Maybe she had a bad dream.
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She always hides once I put her in there.

On her day tank I have a kind of cage top. It doubles the size of the tank. I think she is learning to get up in it then crash down. It makes a noise. I think she's trying to get my attention. Everytime she does that I go over to talk to her.

Maybe one day she'll be typing this.
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