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I think the carrot tails are over-rated as far as looks go. I mean, don't get me wrong....they are beautiful and very neat to see in their natural habitat. I like all chuckwallas, but I like the ones with very nice red backs and white tails from certain mountains in Phoenix. I try not to give out specific locales because of all the herp hounds that come to AZ just to collect. They are common, but still so pretty. There are many localities of red-backs and they all look different as well.

The San Esteban Chucks are very nice as well...

Having only experienced redbacks, I cannot give a useful opinion. However, I can tell you that our young chucks are a real hoot to watch. They are very animated and active. 2 of the 3 readily jump right out of the cage to your hand. They seem to have no fear of height or distances. I wonder if these characteristics are true of all chucks, certain species, or certain individuals.

I've wondered that for a while too. I'd like to know if it's just our chucks that are so tame and calm, or the age, or the species. The other one, the one that doesn't jump out of the cage to our hands is much more shy. They're all the same species, so why is he so different from the girls? It could have something to do with the fact that he spent a month in his previous owner's basement, lol.

I have two captive bred arizona common chucks. They are both very tame, trusting and very very active/playful.
They jump around and bounce off the walls showing no fear of hurting themselves. Lol.
The larger of the two males is more confident and bold. He will venture the reptile room and think nothing of it. But the smaller is a little more reserved though not all the time.

My female is a yearling and I was told she was captive hatched and raised but it was pretty evident she was WC. She was very defensive hissing and gaping a lot to start with and I had to assist feed her slurry which she really didn't like me for. But now she is in a much better condition and has settled in a bit more she is becoming ever more trusting and tolerant. She no longer gapes or hisses and she will take food from my hand. She will also allow me to pet her a very little on her claws, legs, side and tail but as soon as my hand gets above her she thinks I'm going to pick her up and dashes.
I think that considering what she has been through this is very trusting and placid behaviour. She is also an Arizona common chuck.

In regards to having a favourite I really don't think I could be any more specific than saying sauromalus ater and varius. I really think they are all stunning little iguanas. I'm not very keen on red backs for some reason though. No idea why, perhaps because the colours are so block and there's no evident gradual diffusion if colours. They remind me a bit of nursery play-doe. That shade of orange red just isn't a colour I especially like. Lol.

LMS -

My understanding is that a hawk/falcon,Coyote,Serpent (predator) attacks from above, so instinctively they cower at those gestures. What are you going to do when your female is all better? Are you going to put her in with two males? Ugh! You may have your own personal Armageddon... Maybe it is different with CBs...

You COULD get another female and new enclosure and split them up...

I have to say again - Great job with your WC female. I think that it is more difficult to care for WCs. I hope you are happy with the accomplishments you've made with your WC female! Good job!

No of course I wouldn't put her in with two males. Why would two males even be in the same enclosure?
She will go in with the male I feel best suits her at the time. When she and he are both ready. This will prob be over a year from now.

Regarding putting my hand above her this is done very very gradually. With my hatchlings I introduce myself to the front of their vivariams and will spend a great deal of time and caution building up to contact and watch their behaviours closely to see if I have got them at a good time. And they seem to enjoy me petting the top if their heads and the side of their jaw.
My hand needs to be above them in order to do this.

I have also practised this with other iguanas and they can get used to slow movements over head in time though they will always be flighty with something moving quickly above them.

With lea I do not just stick my hand above her. It is a very careful progression where my hand gets closer to her and then I back away. Then maybe closer again and then I leave her alone.
It is me demonstrating that I am not a threat. I often have attractive flowers in my hand while carrying out this exercise. And I don't do it every day just every now and again. Just the same way I sit next to the vivariums and occassionaly share a glance with the chuckwallas beinf careful not to maintain eye contact for too long.

The start of your post does make out to be a right idiot. I know how iguanas work and I wouldn't have got this far with lea and the boys if I didn't know a bit about how to do things.

I've helped tame rhino iguanas and green iguanas over the last five or so years. I've also had great success with other lizards such as bearded dragons and I've even done some training with nile and peach throat monitors.
I try and keep my reptiles as stress free as possible. Them being tame is a huge part of them being able to be kept in captivity and not suffering with chronic stress of inevitable human interaction. It is for the benefit as much as it is mine. And as I have mentioned before, I don't pick my chucks up. They come to me. The only time I pick them up is if they are ill like how lea was or I need to check something I am concerned about. Those things happen very rarely.

And apologies to go so off the point but I will be getting myself more females when the time is right. At the moment I really need to focus my attentions of the reptiles I already have. Especially my chucks. Once a trusting relationship is formed and I am happy with all of their conditions I will then look into getting one or two more females.
I can not say at the moment what the living situations for them will be as I will have to see how they all get along. Hopefully it will not be difficult to get a natural hareme going on for each of my males some years down the line.