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Does anyone here own an Iguana?

Haya Tha'baan

Haya Tha'baan

my little worm
I saw the little iguanas when I was visiting the pet store and I got a little curious about the critters so I went home to do some research. What an interesting pet! I had no idea how massive they get.There seems to be so much to it so I wanted to hear straight form the horse's mouth.

What's it like to have a pet Iguana? Any interesting stories? What was it like to tame or train them? What are the pros and cons of owning an iguana?

Also pictures of the critter in question and their habitats would be a great addition :)
 
They can be great pets... or monsters. It depends on the effort and time one spends with them. They require huge, room sized caging with high light and heat. It is often best to adopt an older one if you want a guarantee to have a sweet, tame older iguana. Babies are cute but grow fast and there is no guarantee on personality as adults.
 
My local reptile shop keeps one iguana in a display tank - as a warning! They don't sell them as far as I know. I've heard them time and again using it to put people off considering them, It's described as being like a bad-tempered dog that you'll never be able to read. It'll be sweet as a nut for months or years, then just suddenly take a dislike to something that happens near it and take a chunk out of you without warning.

Male iggies are especially touchy as they react aggressively to human female pheramones at *ahem* particular times of the month.

I've certainly known at least one person on another message board who had a beautifully tame iggy who was always even-tempered and a wonderful pet. But that would seem to be an exception. He had his own room in the house - they tend to need large (and secure) enclosures.

Reptile rescues in the UK have two main problem rehomers: large boids and iguanas. If you take one on, you really do have to view it as a lifetime committment. Don't know what it's like in the US, but in the UK you'd be very unlikely to find a buyer or rehomer to take it on should your circumstances change.
 
Good for you doing your research!

Okay, so its been forever since I posted here, but I lurk and I saw this thread.

There really is so much information you will need.

An excellent site with a message board:
www.greenigsociety.org

Books are also incredibly helpful, but you want to make sure it's up to date.
Two good ones are Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan (who I've heard mixed feelings about, but many iguana savvy people recommend it and the book has come in handy sooo many times) and Green Iguana- The Ultimate Owner's Manual by James W. Hatfield.
Also, generally its best to stay away from pet store advice, its usually inaccurate.

In a nutshell, they need:
-A vegetarian diet, animal protein can cause kidney failure as well as other issues.
-UVB lighting so their bodies can process calcium, if they don't have this they will get MBD, or metabolic bone disease which is fatal if not caught.
-No loose substrate, they flick lick and the bedding can cause impaction. Your best bet would be newspaper or vinyl flooring in the final enclosure, if you do an enclosure.
-High humidity
-Temps in the 90-95 range in the basking area, mid to upper 80's in another and mid 70s in another so they can thermoregulate.
-For an enclosure, 6 feet tall, at least 3 feet deep and at least 1.5 to 2 times the length of the iguana as an adult. Or a room, but I don't know much about that.



They can be time consuming and difficult, but it is so worth it if you're into it.
My green baby Yoshi is 7 years old (they can live to be twenty), and sadly I'm her fourth home. Because of people not doing their research she has been passed around like an object.
Adopt, adopt, adopt!

I was really broken into iguana ownership, Yoshi needed a tail amputation one month into owning her. That was because her cage at her last owners was 6 feet tall, but only 2 feet by 2 feet around. She had attempted to drop her tail and there was an opening on it. Well, she would drag her tail in her poop because there was no way for her to get away from it and she got a systemic infection. Then, within a month she was gravid (that happens to female igs sometimes without mating) and she laid 65 eggs. That really takes a toll on the iguana. Then she had parasites after she laid her eggs.

Translation: very expensive vet bills- amputation, x-rays, fecal exam, antibiotic. So make sure you have a good herp vet that knows what they are doing.

They also don't always show appreciation for all the effort you pour into them haha.

Her enclosure is 6 feet tall, 3.5 feet deep and 8.5 feet long.
She gets a bath every day (just water! no soap.) and has her own television for mental stimulation when we aren't around. They like to be watching something, they prefer windows but t.v.s are good substitutes when their enclosure can't be by one.


She's my beautiful baby girl! She has a very charming personality too, I think I lucked out! I love spending time with her.
Some pics:

Her enclosure, the green bin in the corner is a kitty litter box filled with water that she knows to go in.
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You will become their jungle gym:
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Window watchers for sure.
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Her outdoor enclosure for natural UVB in the summer:
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After the amputation:
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What it's grown to, if you can see it curled behind her, which is so rare. Typically an adult will not fully regrow their tail after losing it.
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Our Christmas photo from last year:
YoshiChristmas.jpg


My favorite picture of her ever:
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Snakedancer, that was great info and great pics!! You sound like an AWESOME iggy home!

I have 2 iggies of my own, and I love them both, but I never recommend them as pets to anyone. They are terribly high maintenance pets, live a very long time and can wish to harm you on any given day.

If you are a VERY committed owner, they can be fabulous and fun, but consider VERY carefully before getting one. They are tough pets.

As bitsy said, they are also by far one of the most dumped reptiles in shelters and rescues in the US also. Most rescues won't even take them because it is nearly impossible to re-home them.

If you do decide to go ahead, check out your local rescue. If you get an adult, you will be able to get some idea of temperament.

Good luck!
 
Snakedancer, what an awesome post! I love the photos of Yoshi. How lucky that after being passed around so much he ended up with you. Thanks for sharing!
 
A friend of mine does Ig rescue, and she is overwhelmed daily by calls and emails from people wanting to give her igs who got too big to be cute anymore. She is lucky enough to have the time/energy/money/space to foster five or six at a time on top of her one permanent ig, but there are SO many that need homes, it's horrible. :(

It also takes her forEVER to find homes for her fosters, because most people just aren't prepared.
 
ceduke said:
A friend of mine does Ig rescue, and she is overwhelmed daily by calls and emails from people wanting to give her igs who got too big to be cute anymore. She is lucky enough to have the time/energy/money/space to foster five or six at a time on top of her one permanent ig, but there are SO many that need homes, it's horrible. :(

It also takes her forEVER to find homes for her fosters, because most people just aren't prepared.
Click to expand...

That's the truly sad part of this. People see little iggy's and see how cute they are, buy one. Not realizing the immense upkeep they require, they either kill their animal from neglect or decide it's too much work and try to find another home for them.

I applaud all those who try and find these cool animals home, that would otherwise probably die in the care of their current owners. Thanks to you all who open your hearts and homes to these animals.
 
I had one in high school in the late 90s. I had NO clue what I was doing. Books at the time were pretty pathetic. He ended up living loose in my room. I kept him for about 3 years before he escaped out of a screen window. I never found him saddly. Smgrol was okay with me, although would occationally whip me with that massive tail...but he loved having his lips rubbed. He had a heat rock (boo hiss) on a bookshelf in front of the window and loved just resting there. When I went to college he was loose in my apartment and usually could be found in the window after having climbed the miniblinds. (I will never forget when the maintainence man came and tried to "move the toy lizard" to replace the torn blinds without having called me first...he apparently when running down the hall screaming and my neighbor closed my door for me.)
Cutting up fruit and veggies each day was hard for a college kid...but I actually did pretty well by him considering how little knowledge I had. I will have to post the picture of him on my chest later tonight.
I miss Iguana's and would love to own one again one day. But yeah, I will rescue an adult and have a Large encloser for him. I absolutely love the cat trees in your cage snakedancer! Great idea!
 
I actually wasn't considering getting an iguana in the near future if I decide to at all. I was mostly just curious how people handle these beasties as pets. From the research I've been doing, they seem like a real handful! But I'm really enjoying these stories in an informative (albeit sad) way. So keep them coming! It's shedding a lot more light on these mysterious creatures.

I do find it surprising how many people own iguanas given their needs. But I guess the first thing that attracts people's attention is how low in price they are. Anyone know why they're so inexpensive?
 
They're not really allowed to sell WC iggies (unless that has changed). So most are mass produced on "farms" (think puppy mills for iggies)


to repeat pretty much what has already been said:

I have 2 rescues & will probably always have an iguana, but I try to steer people away from getting them as pets. They not terribly forgiving of their environmental or dietary needs (my free female cost me close to $1000 when she became egg bound soon after pulling her from the local dog & cat shelter) and can really have a nasty attitude, especially males. They are gorgeous animals, however & can be a rewarding pet for a dedicated keeper.

Frank:
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Jewel:
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There is so much I could say about them that when I start to type I'll probably forget most of what I want to say so if you have a question ask and I'll answer it lol.

Most Igs are actually CH. Gravid mothers are caught then after they lay are released and the babies are then sold. A lot of people are now selling WC Florida Green Igs.

I have five Iguanas currently, 4 Green Iguanas and one Spiny tail Iguana. All my Green Igs are rescues and were in terrible shape.

I had Iguana when I was about 10 and the pet store only told us to feed him romaine lettuce, summer squash, zuccini and cuccumber and they didn't tell about their lighting/heating requirements. He died after two years. When I was 15 someone dropped off two Igs at my school, they were on death's door. They had abscesses, burns, missing tail and were dehydrated and skinny. My teacher did what he could for them but told me they probably wouldn't make it, so I started researching and learning more about them so I could save them. I took care of them all year and at the end of the school year I decided they were coming home with me. By the next year I had another Ig, Alexis. Alexis became very sick and I took her to a vet and he told me she had a stomach infection and gave her meds and told me to feed her meat because Igs needed some meat. I trusted the vet and did what he said. She eventually died a horrible death, blood was coming out of her nose and mouth and she was so bloated and she could not move, it was heartwrenching to watch and there was nothing I could do because it all happened late at night and no vets were open. Turns out she was egg bound and they vet told me she wasn't(even though she layed an egg). After that I found another vet and took my other Igs to see her. We did a blood test to check their kidney functions and one was close to kidney failure while the other one was almost in kidney failure due to feeding them meat, which the other vet told me to add to their veggies/greens. About a year later Casey stopped eating, turned out she was full of eggs. I opted to have her spayed ($700) because the risk of her becoming egg bound was very high and I did not even want to risk it.

Six years later I still have Sid and Casey and have gained Harley who came to me in a 55 gallon tank (he was 4ft and 6lbs) and Zaks who was found by the police walking around outside in the middle of winter. When I first got them they were all extremely aggressive but with a LOT of time, patience. bites and scratches they turned into wonderful lizards. Harley and Zaks get aggressive every once in awhile since they are males (mating season) and Harley is cage aggressive but other than that they are all very sweet. I use all my Igs for educational events and I trust them enough for kids to touch them. I had an autistic girl pet one of them and she poked my Ig in the eye and my Ig just sat there like nothing happened they are better behaved then my dog lol. Sid even sleeps in the bed with me sometimes. I know it sounds weird but when she was very sick, I stayed with her all the time incase something happened so she started sleeping with me too so I could check on her.

I never recommend Iguanas to anyone unless they are very experienced with reptiles because most Igs die within their first year in captivity. Igs live to about 25 years of age but the ones who do survive pass their one year mark on average die before the reach 10 years. This is normally due to kidney failure. Igs can be hard to take care of but once you get the hang of it it isn't bad. They have a strict vegetarian diet, they need UV lighting (that needs to be changed every 6 months), heat, humidity and a large cage or room. All this can become very expensive and time consuming. Also male Igs get aggressive during mating season and females lay eggs even if they haven't mated and if they become egg bound it's bad. There is a lot to learn with Igs but once you got it down the worse part is getting the Ig to calm down. It can take years or they could never calm down depends on the animals but most eventually get used to you as long as you hold them a lot.

Here is a website that you should read before considering getting an Ig.

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

Also if you do get one please rescue one. There are so many in need of homes, I would never ever buy a green Ig.

Here is a picture of Sid when I got her. Notice the huge abscess on her nose.

sid.jpg


This is Sid now.

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This is Harley after his vet visit a few weeks ago.

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Casey in the tub.

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This is Zaks this year.

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And last but not least my new little boy, Darwin.

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Wow, that's a beautiful enclosure. Do you live in a house or an apartment? I can't imagine owning so many animals that require that much specialized housing. Very cool, though. Obviously iguanas aren't for everyone, but it's cool to read about you and snakedancer and see the "right" way to do it. Thanks for sharing!
 
I have had two Iggie's as I lovingly call them and I two would deter most people from getting one.

The first one I had when I was a single parent and bought my first home. It was a 3 bedroom place so the iguana had a room of it's own. They sure do love to climb and to watch stuff for entertainment. It was always climbing the curtains to look out the window and soon there was not much left of them. They are also very intelligent lizards, which the pet store never mentioned, nor has anyone here. Soon after owning it, my boyfriend(now husband) moved in and so did a stray cat. Iggy apparently did not like being locked in the room away from all the action when we were not in there visiting with it. Thus with in 1 month of being my pet an escape from the room happened. I was totally unaware they could analyze and plan. I consulted a reptile keeper I knew and respected and was quickly informed that this was the case and that I would need to find my Iggy as it was a very small baby with soft bones like Salmon and if the cat found it there would be nothing left.

Well 3 weeks later, I had long since given up hope, I found Iggy alive, hiding in a succulent plant. The plant was worse for wear, in many spots Iggy had been gaining nutrition and fluids from my plant! Back to the room Iggy went and I so relieved. We moved the dresser that used to be right against the doorway and where Iggy must have hidden under to make the escape. Unfortunately, this story has a sad ending as my 3 yr old, went in to visit Iggy while I was cooking supper and he left the door open while trying to figure out where Iggy was hiding. Iggy escaped again, this time never to be found again.

Iggy the second was bought for me as a Valentine present from my husband because I missed the first Iggy so much. My first son was almost 10 and my second was almost 3. I had Iggy II for about 4 months before I reluctantly gave him to a man I knew who loved Iguanas and was already raising 3 in a very large room that had been renovated to meet all of their needs. I gave him up because it was the right thing for Iggy II and not the right thing for me. My second son had some birth complications, which caused him to have some developmental delays and it did not seem to matter how much I tried to teach him to respect the lizard, he always loved to tease it. He would purposely scare it so that he could watch it freak out and smash it's self repeatedly into the glass sides of it's large tank. My husband had just finished building Iggy II a large partially screened in enclosure for the yard, which we also sent with him. I was very sad to see him go, but it was not fair for another living thing to be treated that way and at the time we were traveling from hospital to hospital trying to figure out if my son was Autisitc. So I felt that it was unfair for Iggy II to be mistreated and I also knew that with mistreated it was likely to turn in to a very aggressive lizard and with lizard that can be 4-6 feet nose to tail, you do not want to teach aggression!

So what I hope my stories can teach is that if considering an iguana, definitely go with a rescue, research research to know their requirements, know that they get very large and need very specific environmental requirements, know they can live 20 years plus, know they can be very aggressive more so if treated wrong or not worked with regularly, know that they are very intelligent, know that they get bored and require stimulation. KNOW THAT IT IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING, THAT IF YOU ARE DEDICATED TO, CAN BE VERY REWARDING BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE YOU WILL GET A NICE TEMPERED IGGY!
 
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