Anyone have a pet iguana?

MoeJoJoJo

We do now. It wasn't a pet we actually wanted but now that we have the iguana, we actually like it.

How we came to own Zilla (short for Godzilla): I was having a yard sale last weekend and my mom brought some stuff over to sell. Well she and my sister worked the yard sale while I went for my dentist appointment Saturday. While I was at the dentist someone stopped by and dropped off this iguana--he told my mother that we could sell it in our yard sale or keep it as a pet because he has a baby that was born premature coming home from the hospital, and they can't keep the iguana anymore, please, please take it. If I was home, I would have said no.

He told my mom that it would not get any larger because it was in a small tank---untrue. Well long story short..I come home from the dentist to find an iguana at my house...thanks mother!!!

Well of course my kids begged to have the iguana, so off to the pet store we went that evening to check on a bigger tank. We find out at the petstore that iguanas can grow to six feet long!!! It will eventually outgrow any tank the petstore has. So I call my mom and tell her we can't keep the iguana, why don't they take it? Not happening...thanks alot mother!!!

Nobody wants the iguana--I call the pet stores and ask if they will take her -I could hear the employees laughing in the background at one store I called, after I was asked how big she is.

So we now have this iguana that we have been playing with every day and falling in love with so... we are keeping her. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would own a lizard that will grow to six feet long or any lizard for that matter. She is very gentle and loves to climb up onto your head and perch up there forever (We wear a hoodie-they have claws)

Zilla is right now about 28" long from snout to tail and was not cared for properly---in a very small tank and I think her diet was mainly pellets instead of fresh vegetables. We think Zilla is a girl but not positive---I hope so because I've read that males can become very aggressive during mating season and I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially my kids. We are now in the process of building her a large habitant where she will have plenty of room to move.

Anyone else have an iguana story?

gaiagirl

Well, I don't have an iquana, but another animal friend which is approximately as unusual, an axolotl. Axolotls are aquatic salamanders, a larval form of the tiger salamander. Some axolotls eventually mature, lose their gills, and leave the water. Others remain in the larval stage their entire lives, although they continue to grow to adult size. They have legs, but can't move easily on land. In the water, they swim very efficiently by undulating their body and wide flat tail sideways, kind of like a very small alligator, or perhaps like an eel.

Some find them quite creepy looking, with their tentacle-like gills surrounding their heads, but I am rather fascinated. I suspect that an axolotl was the inspiration for the creature Sammael which fought Hellboy in the recent film.

I've had mine for a couple of years, she used to have a friend who did lose his gills and became a tiger salamander, after which he disappeared. I never found him, so don't know for certain what happened.

This one, named Grace after the character on the sitcom, will dance on her hind legs, kind of a water ballet, when you approach the tank, and will eat tubifex cubes from ones fingers.

ohiocowboy

While living in Ft. Lauderdale, I had a 4 footer, his name was Rex. and was a very nice pet. He loved carrots. Make sure when you give him lettuce and greens, that they be dark, not regular iceberg lettuce, as iceberg does not have the neccessary vitamins. Lettuces and greens such as Collard, Endive, mustard, dandelion, turnip are great. There is a iguana veggie mush that can be made that they love to eat, and is very good for them, I will try and remember what all was in it. Cooked winter squashes such as butternut, acorn, etc. are good. Bananas are likewise good. Also make sure that he has plenty of water at all times, and that he has a heat rock to lay on. These can be purchased at any pet shop. Also, periodic sunshine is good for them. Iguanas are usually very docile creatures, but every now and then can get moody, just leave him alone till he chills out if this happens. I made a small leather harness for mine, and had a leash, and he was fairly well behaved on walks. Iguanas can get 6 foot or LARGER as you said. While in Honduras, I went to an iguana farm, and there were hundreds of them everywhere, and many were as big around as huge cats, and longer than me, I am 6'2". It takes several years for them to get that big though.... overall they can be great pets, enjoy!!!

Sirona

Moe,

WOW, 6ft!! Thats amazing. I hope you enjoy her as a pet.

Do you know how long they live for? That'd be interesting to know. Do they shed skin?

Sirona

ohiocowboy

An additional thought...I did not like to give mine live insects, so I opted to give him freeze dried worms as a snack, they are good for protein, but not too much of it.

I think iguanas can live upwards of 20 years+ Seems to me at the iguana farm, there were some that old, and many in their teens...

MoeJoJoJo

gaiagirl - those sound like interesting pets, do they get big?---not that I need another pet, just curious

Sirona yes they shed their skin as they grow, you have to keep their habit humid to help with the process and she also likes baths, also I've been misting her everyday with warm water. We're trying to keep her as comfortable and happy as possible until her habitat is ready. When finished, it will measure 7' high, 5' wide and 4' deep with lots of branches for her to climb.

ohiocowboy, thanks for the feeding tips, would love the mush recipe if you can remember - wow! an iguana farm

She's been out of her tank already this morning, she knows when its time to come out. She's up on her usual perch-the kids heads.

kls

I had mine for ten years and yes they can get an attitude even the females. Remember Iguanas are cold blooded and can't tolerate cold. Make sure it has access to a heating stone which can be purchased at any pet store.A great food along wit veg, and fruit is soy added to their diet . For the diet they need go to the pet store and get Monkey Chow, yes Monkey Chow it has all most all of what they need. Make sue you moisten it before feeding. Vitamin E liquid applied to it's skin will help with molting which they do offten. You also need to cut their nails and yes they have a quick just like a dog so be careful. If you notice that the spikes on it's back are discolored or are not upright it may have a vitamin def. Iguanas raised in captivity do not live as long as those in the wild , 10 to 12 years in captivity.

Many things can cause an iguana to be ill , i won't go into all know but you have a problem and any questions let me know.

mrbarthoss

isn't that a little personal?!?!

pennycandy

You definitely should go get yourself a good book on iguanas. They do require specific care.

I had one for a few years. Named him Micky because he had a cute little flat none like Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. He once jumped from too high and broke his leg. We spent a couple hundred bucks on little xrays and a little cast. Yes, I have to admit it was a humorous sight. By the next morning he had wriggled out of the cast but was better within a few weeks. Actually, at the vet that day we found out he was actually a she, but by then it was just semantics to us.

When we had a baby (human), we advertised him, uh, her (Micky), in the paper and gave him and his humongous cage to a nice single lady. Lizards commonly carry salmonella which we were told could be dangerous to a baby. I miss him sometimes, but am sort of glad he went to a new home before he got too large. I know, I was an irresponsible pet owner. I know better now.

Country Girl

I used to work with a lady that became enthralled with iguanas while she was working down in South America on a dig. When she came back to the States, she purchased one that was very large. She brought pictures of him to work all the time. His name was Grand Master. He liked to perch on things that were high up. She said during his "rutting" season, he would try to attack her boyfriend, but never tried that with her. She said he was a fun and interesting pet, despite him dropping off things onto her boyfriend, and trying to bite his face.

I had a 6 foot python named Henry, but had to sell him when I got pregnant because the Mothers-In-Law were terrified that the snake would get out and kill the baby and raised such a ruckus. He really wasn't that interesting, but he was pretty.

Country Girl

Anyone have a pet iguana?

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