Iguanas are often perceived as fearsome due to their size and appearance. While direct fatalities from iguana attacks are exceedingly rare, they can inflict painful injuries and carry health risks. Understanding their behaviors and potential hazards is important for safe coexistence.
Understanding Iguana Behavior
Iguanas are not typically aggressive; their primary response to threats is defensive. When cornered, their instinct is to flee. If escape is not possible, they may resort to defensive actions.
Their size and strength are primarily utilized for defense against predators. Defensive displays include head bobbing, extending their dewlap, hissing, or puffing up their bodies to appear larger. Biting or tail-whipping are last-resort defensive measures when severely provoked or trapped.
Injuries from Iguanas
Iguanas can inflict physical injuries that, while rarely life-threatening, can be painful and require medical attention. Their sharp, serrated teeth can cause deep puncture wounds and lacerations, with teeth sometimes breaking off and embedding in the wound.
Iguanas also have sharp claws on all four feet. When they scramble or struggle, these claws can cause deep scratches. Additionally, their powerful tails can be used as a whip, delivering a forceful blow. A tail whip from a large iguana can cause significant bruising, lacerations, and even fractures.
Health Risks Beyond Physical Injury
Beyond physical trauma, iguanas pose significant health risks, primarily from bacterial infections. They are known carriers of Salmonella bacteria, shed in their feces. Even healthy iguanas can transmit these bacteria. Transmission occurs through direct contact with the iguana, its feces, or contaminated surfaces.
This includes bites, scratches, or handling an iguana or its environment before touching the mouth, eyes, or nose without washing hands. Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting, usually appearing 12 to 72 hours after exposure. Most people recover without specific treatment, but severe cases may require hospitalization, especially for young children, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems. Other bacterial infections are also possible from iguana injuries.
Safe Interactions and Prevention
Avoiding direct contact with wild iguanas is the most effective way to prevent injuries and health risks. Never approach, handle, or provoke them, as they will react defensively. Maintain a safe distance, especially if an iguana exhibits defensive behaviors like head bobbing, hissing, or tail lashing.
Avoid feeding wild iguanas, as this habituates them to humans, leading to more frequent encounters. For a bite or deep scratch, clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water immediately. Seek medical attention for any skin-breaking injury due to the risk of bacterial infection, including Salmonella.