Do I wanna iguana?

[Auntie Witch]

^Sorry - it's a play on a kids' book.

A few weeks ago we were offered an iguana, and were having a hard time making up our minds. And then, we were told never mind.

Now we're being offered her again.

She's two feet long, has been with kids, but the boy has been ignoring her, so she's getting a tad aggressive. The guy told us that she tames up pretty quickly, but I haven't seen her or interacted with her. She'll come with all her stuff - cage, lamps, food, etc.

We don't know how old she is, but we do know she's about two feet long. She's been taken and kept at school before, so I do have that option if I can A) tame her down, and B) get Boss-Lady to agree. I won't let kiddos handle her without permission, and I'll be VERY selective on how I send permission slips with, so that's not too much of a concern.

I'm torn. We've thought it through and discussed it, but I keep coming back to the need for daily handling - how long does it take for them to get wild again? If I hand her to someone for a weekend, and they're scared of her, will she be a problem when we get back? What will her continued needs be as she grows larger? I don't mind keeping something that gets old, and reptiles don't bother me, so that's not an issue. If she gets tame enough, the kids will have no problem helping take care of her, because they love doing stuff like that. J's on board with the idea. But I keep wondering if I'm missing something critical.

Ideas? Thoughts? I know that someone here (I think it was lynnejanet) had one free-roaming a room of the house. We're pretty laid back, and wouldn't be bothered by something like that, even - we've got a rabbit doing that now. I'm experienced in building cages, so if she needs a new one, I can build pretty much any wire or wood-wire construction she'd need. I'm planning on researching what food I can grow for her in our garden during the summer so she will have the freshest food possible.

[Brad from Georgia]

They can be pretty darned aggressive. Daughter used to have one, which she did attend very carefully, but as it grew larger, it began to attack her. We finally had to give it away, which we did through an exotic pet shop. We took the critter in--it was over two feet long by then--and told the shop owner that it tended to slash with its claws and slap with its tail. He said that he knew how to handle them and picked it up. It laid his arm open--no kidding--and we had a heck of a time stopping the bleeding.

[Jay Tea]

I wouldn't recommend taking on board such a large lizard without previous iguana experience, better to get a juvenile and let it grow up with you. To be perfectly honest it's a pretty cruel trade, most of the hundreds of thousands of Iguanas imported in the US live short lives, as they simply are not ideally suited for captivity and new owners lack the neccessary experience to provide optimum care.

Iguana care sheet.

[Auntie Witch]

Originally Posted by Jay Tea

I wouldn't recommend taking on board such a large lizard without previous iguana experience, better to get a juvenile and let it grow up with you. To be perfectly honest it's a pretty cruel trade, most of the hundreds of thousands of Iguanas imported in the US live short lives, as they simply are not ideally suited for captivity and new owners lack the neccessary experience to provide optimum care.

Iguana care sheet.

The guy's trying to sell her to us, but honestly, that's why we'd consider her a rescue - she's probably not getting the care she needs. I haven't had an iguana, but I've had experience with smaller reptiles.

If she didn't work out, I'd look for an iguana rescue group instead of trying to pass her on to someone else. I don't know how old she is; he said two feet long, but she may be larger or smaller.

[snapdragonfly]

I've heard the same things about them.

I think you should pay heed to how hesitant you are on this and pass it on to a better fit.

[tagurit]

From Jay Tea's link: "A healthy iguana will grow to be 5-6 feet in length"

I thought the one (about 4 feet) at my pet supply store was big. I can't imagine one six feet long. The one at the pet store has the run of the shop is always sunning himself on a rug atop cages at the front window. At first, you might not believe he's real, or alive.

[ElectricBarbarella]

I just want to tell you this: my mother's iguana, before she passed, grew to 6ft long (with tail) and was in a hand made cage that was 4ft wide and 8 ft tall.

If you can handle that, and the cost of fresh veggies daily, go for it. I'm always up for new rescues (but this is one of the reasons why I did not get an iguana).

I had a friend whose uncle was a herpetologist and he built a cage in their backyard that was as big as my friend's bedroom. It housed 6 iguanas.

And to be honest, I would not house a known to be aggressive iguana in a classroom. It'll stress out.

[Sylvanz]

We had a four foot long Igauna once; his name was Coolio. We couldn't let him wander the house because of our dogs and cats.
I won't say he was aggressive, but he was very difficult to handle and wouldn't walk on a leash. All he would do was barrel roll and wind the leash around himself.

We had a large cage for him, but it wasn't really large enough - errrmm I think it was six feet long, four feet wide, and five feet tall. It included a branch and a kitty litter pan full of water. That's where he liked to poop. I tried very hard to care for him properly, but I had no resources on how to do it properly. Then he got sick and the local vet was ill equipped to treat him. They had to warm him up when he turned black to see if he was really dead. He was. They said they thought he had a tumor in his belly, but it would have taken an expensive necropsy to be sure, and it didn't seem worth it at the time.

This convinced me not to have any more exotics. Maybe with the internet (I had yet to get or know how to use a computer at the time) and more resources you'll do better, but it isn't easy.

Oh and he loooovvveeeddd, dandelion heads.

P&LL, Syl

[Latiam]

One of the fathers in one of my classes had iguanas and he brought in the big one for us to see and pet. It was ok about the whole thing - he was holding it at the time. It was a really cool experience. He told me that his smaller ones were not socialized enough to be brought into the class - they'd bite or claw. I got the impression from him that it was an issue of temperament. When I say big he brought it in his coat, wrapped around his body.
I would never tell someone what to do, but this sounds really risky. If I were you I'd probably try to find somewhere experienced that could foster it until you could see what you're dealing with, or decine. I know you want to rescue it, but that's not always possible.
If you do get it to roam around, they eat insects for you, from what I've heard. Or is that another type of lizard?
And finally, we had two lizards and neither died well, One starved itself and the other managed to crush itself against a rock that had always been in that position. It was really gross. And bewildering. We left that for dad - he's the one who had taken it.

The man never seemed to understand that we would have been happy with a few goldfish.

[shivaskeeper]

I would tell you no, don't get it. Iguanas are IMO one of, if not the worst possible reptile for a beginner. They aren't even for people with intermediate experience. Advanced keeps only. I would rank them up there with the giant constrictors, Nile monitors, and the other aggressive/dangerous pets.

Iguanas need a huge cage and very specialized care to thrive. And by specialized I mean expensive. The UV bulbs they need if kept indoors are only good for about six months and they need to be replaced regardless of weather they are still producing light. Vet bill for reptiles are expensive and odds on are you regular vet will not do. Your vet needs to be a reptile specialist. (In my case the vet for the cats and dogs is about 15 minutes away and the vet for my snakes is well over a three hour drive.)

There is also the fact that Iguanas do get huge. And if one is having a bad day it will make your life miserable and painful. Picture getting parts of you raked open while getting hit with a bullwhip and you are getting there. If the one you are looking at isn't a female you could be in for some serious trouble during breeding season too. A five or six foot horny lizard is not something you want to mess with. I know the guy said it's a female but you only have his word for it right now unless you decide to get it sexed to be 100% sure. I have checked on friends reptiles that they swore were one sex or the other and were wrong.

It looked like there was good info on Jay Tea's link, and here is some more:

http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html

Trying to rescue something like this from a negligent owned is a noble idea, but if you don't understand what you are getting into you aren't really helping the lizard. At best you will end up giving it the same marginal care it's getting now, or at worst actually make it's life worse.

shivaskeeper

[Auntie Witch]

Thanks for the honest feedback.

I have no doubt that we'd be a better home for her - I asked her current owner about what he feeds her, and he is apparently feeding her some sort of canned lizard food - and he couldn't even tell me the brand. I wouldn't have her in my classroom unless I was absolutely certain she was calm, but he seems to go back and forth - she's really docile, she's getting aggressive, only he can handle her... I'm just worried about what she's getting right now and it doesn't seem good. Honestly, I don't think he'd try to find a rescue group to take her, either.

I do know what I'd be getting into - I had a teacher that had two full grown iguanas at school, and I had to care for them a few days. His weren't tame or handled, but he did have the proper cage set-up, the fresh veggies, and all that. If it came to it, I'd have no problem keeping a proper cage for a very large animal I did not handle. I'd prefer to handle her, but if I can't, so be it. I'd still make sure she had everything she needed, and I'm getting the feeling that's not happening right now.

[Hero_Mike]

Got an earworm now...

I wish I was in Tijuana,
Eating barbecued iguana.
I'd take requests on the telephone.
I'm on a wavelength far from home.
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder.
I dial it in from south of the border.
I hear the talking of the DJ.
Can't understand just what does he say?

I'm on a Mexican radio. I'm on a Mexican, whoa-Oh, radio

Not to imply that you should consider your prospective pet as "the other white meat", but I've had that song stuck in my head since I saw the thread title. If you go wanna iguana, what are you going to name it? How about...

Donna Iguana
Don Juan Iguana from Tijuana
Kurt the Nirvana Iguana
Shawna the Iguana from Lackawanna (which is near Bufffalo)
Piranha Iguana from Guyana
Lana (Turner) Iguana from Ghana

I could go on - please stop me...please....

[Troberg]

I know nothing about iguanas, but aggressive tendencies is a big flashing warning sign for any potential pet, at least as long as you are not going to put it in a moat to defend your home.

[OmmeLise]

I consider myself an experienced keeper of exotic animals. We (BF and i) keep semi-large and somewhat poisinous snakes as well as tarantulas, scorpions and geckos. I agree completely with the people who thinks taking in this iguana is a bad idea! They DO grow very big, they ARE often very aggressive and they take up a lot of space.

Originally Posted by Auntie Witch

I'd prefer to handle her, but if I can't, so be it. I'd still make sure she had everything she needed, and I'm getting the feeling that's not happening right now.

It would not be wise to have an animal, you can not handle. While we don't consider our animals pets - in the sense that we take them out of the cages and pet them - we are always able to handle them should the need arise. Sometimes they get sick, injured or you have to help them shed their skin. You also have to be able to clean their cage. Doing this with an iguana who are not cooperating will not be very funny.

This is just my advise. Use it if you can

OmmeLise

[Auntie Witch]

Thanks again. The kids kind of made up our mind for us. Long story short: we had two rabbits, one nice, one mean. We were trying to rehome the mean one. The nice one free-roamed the bathroom, the mean one was in a cage. After the nice one died, the mean one was put in the bathroom.

My kids can't wrap their heads around "do not touch this rabbit, he won't let you pet him like the old one did" (although they don't try to pick him up). In the past two days, both girls have been bitten.

As J said, "If they can't leave the rabbit alone, no way will they leave an iguana alone."

[Auntie Witch]

I'm a bit pissed off right now.

J worked with the guy who's got the iguana yesterday. Apparently, it's changed from, "Please buy my iguana" to "Please take my iguana or I will get rid of it some other way." We are terrified to ask what that way would be, but we have our suspicions. And while we could turn the guy in after the fact, the thing is, he's the only provider for four kids, so we'd have a rough time doing it.

J argued with him about it. S said, "It's still small enough that when it bites, it doesn't hurt."

J countered with, "The fact that it bites is a problem!"

We're supposed to go look at it (translation: pick it up) tonight. I'm pissed and I feel manipulated and I don't want the damn thing, but I can't let it die. J is a big guy, and he'll work with it and see what he can do, but I made it extremely clear that this creature does NOT go near our kids, and it WILL have a lock on the cage, and the room it is in will be locked, and at the first sign of trouble, I will be looking for a rescue group. I don't know who I'm more upset with: the guy who's got it now, or the irresponsible pet shop that sold the cute little baby iguana in the first place.

So I guess my next question is, can I grow the veggies it needs indoors if I keep the room warm enough and grow lights on it?

[chocolate kisses]

Originally Posted by Auntie Witch

I'm a bit pissed off right now.

J worked with the guy who's got the iguana yesterday. Apparently, it's changed from, "Please buy my iguana" to "Please take my iguana or I will get rid of it some other way." We are terrified to ask what that way would be, but we have our suspicions. And while we could turn the guy in after the fact, the thing is, he's the only provider for four kids, so we'd have a rough time doing it.

J argued with him about it. S said, "It's still small enough that when it bites, it doesn't hurt."

J countered with, "The fact that it bites is a problem!"

We're supposed to go look at it (translation: pick it up) tonight. I'm pissed and I feel manipulated and I don't want the damn thing, but I can't let it die. J is a big guy, and he'll work with it and see what he can do, but I made it extremely clear that this creature does NOT go near our kids, and it WILL have a lock on the cage, and the room it is in will be locked, and at the first sign of trouble, I will be looking for a rescue group. I don't know who I'm more upset with: the guy who's got it now, or the irresponsible pet shop that sold the cute little baby iguana in the first place.

So I guess my next question is, can I grow the veggies it needs indoors if I keep the room warm enough and grow lights on it?

I would suggest that if you are feeling pressured and take the iguana, get it to a rescue group immediately. Don't wait until it hurts you or your family. You already know it's a problem animal. I agree that if you have it in your home, you will have a hard time keeping the kids away from it. Kudos to you for wanting to save the animal. Curses to the current owner for not finding a rescue group himself and trying to make it your problem, not his.

P.S. You will not be letting the iguana die. It would not be your fault.

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by chocolate kisses

I would suggest that if you are feeling pressured and take the iguana, get it to a rescue group immediately. Don't wait until it hurts you or your family. You already know it's a problem animal. I agree that if you have it in your home, you will have a hard time keeping the kids away from it. Kudos to you for wanting to save the animal. Curses to the current owner for not finding a rescue group himself and trying to make it your problem, not his.

P.S. You will not be letting the iguana die. It would not be your fault.

The owner is a manipulative NFBSK wad for exploiting your goodness of heart.

If you do take it, I strongly strongly hope you will consider yourselves ONLY a VERY TEMPORARY foster home until someone for whom this animal does not pose a signficant risk can take it. Impress this fact upon the kids until they roll their eyes and complete the sentence for you.

You don't want to live with regrets...I have horrible flashes of your kidlets having scars on their sweet little cheeks or arms from getting ripped open by this animal. I'm sure it can be rehomed properly...but, maybe I'm evil, but if it came down to a choice between an animal being destroyed or my family being harmed, I'm sorry, but I cannot put my own family at risk. (Not that it wouldn't be agonizing as I am also very protective of animals...)That's me personally. Of course that's a false dichotomy because there *are* people out there qualified to keep an iguana.

I hope you find one quickly.

Maybe you should dump it at the stupid pet store that sold it in the first place. Jackasses.

[CSGirl]

Originally Posted by chocolate kisses

I would suggest that if you are feeling pressured and take the iguana, get it to a rescue group immediately.

Originally Posted by snapdragonfly

The owner is a manipulative NFBSK wad for exploiting your goodness of heart.

If you do take it, I strongly strongly hope you will consider yourselves ONLY a VERY TEMPORARY foster home until someone for whom this animal does not pose a signficant risk can take it.

I really, really agree. Not worth the risk. And a quick google shows multiple iguana rescues in MO.

[Troberg]

Originally Posted by Auntie Witch

Apparently, it's changed from, "Please buy my iguana" to "Please take my iguana or I will get rid of it some other way."

I hate that kind of blackmail adoptions.

At a Swedish rat forum, we recently added a subforum for the Rat Help to post ads for rats that needs re-homing. We have a rule against this kind of ads, just because we don't want "Adopt these cute rats now or the owner will dump them in the forest!" ads. We are happy to help the Rat Help, but they will have to take care of the rats first, then they can post an ad for a new home. It's also my hope that it will help to reduce the number of people making such threats by making it less effective.