a message from ProExotics about Iguanas

NicoleRussell · #1 (**permalink**) 05-11-2004, 10:50 AM

Just so everyone knows the down side if they are considering an iguana.
(Taken from the PE website )

Why don’t you sell Iguanas?

For the same reason that we don’t sell Niles, Burms, Retics, and other largely inappropriate reptiles. They are a poor choice for a pet reptile.

There are HUGE Iguana farms in Central America that ship out hundreds of thousands of baby iguanas to the u.s. each year. They are easily the most "well known" lizard on the market. And probably the worst choice for a beginning keeper.

I will keep this short and sweet. I am not interested in arguing this point with Iguana keepers or enthusiasts.

Iguanas get big. Iguanas need a large (and not inexpensive) cage. Iguanas typically get quite aggressive.

Great, a big, mean lizard that needs large and elaborate caging, what better choice for someone that has never kept a reptile before (Iguanas are a frequent "first reptile purchase").

Baby Iguanas are cute enough, sure (can you say "impulse purchase"?). But Iguanas also go through perhaps the worst puberty and maturation stage of any reptile. They become extremely territorial and anti social, and male Iguanas in particular may attack any "intruder" in their territory (most often a female, of any species). Iguana bites are nasty and serious, and very common occurance.

I will never forget the one time in our retail store, explaining this very FAQ to a new customer, when "Enthusiast Jill" the Iguana keeper chimed in to say "That’s not true! My Iguana is GREAT, I love him, and he CERTAINLY isn’t mean!"

I told "Jill" that I was happy to hear of her success, but that we get A LOT more feedback from keepers with negative Iguana experiences than positive ones, and they most often involve aggression, so yes, it does happen.

And then "Jill" says...

"Well, he did bite me on the nose once and I had to get stitches, but I am careful now when I handle him!"

As if that makes ALL the difference!

We get perhaps a dozen calls a week from folks looking to "get rid" of their Iguanas, for many, many, negative reasons. In the meantime, just about every other pet shop in the country sells these heavily marketed, cheap animals. You can buy an Iguana from those stores, not Pro Exotics. We would rather educate you about lizards that would make a better "pet" choice. Great Reptiles for a Great Experience, and no neglected Iguanas.

John_White · #2 (**permalink**) 05-11-2004, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicoleRussell

"Well, he did bite me on the nose once and I had to get stitches, but I am careful now when I handle him!"

New from Ronco it's the Iguana Rhinoplasty kit.

NicoleRussell · #3 (**permalink**) 05-11-2004, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_White

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicoleRussell

"Well, he did bite me on the nose once and I had to get stitches, but I am careful now when I handle him!"

New from Ronco it's the Iguana Rhinoplasty kit.

LOL

AbercrombieGuy · #4 (**permalink**) 05-11-2004, 07:39 PM

very true an iguana was my first reptile but it wasnt a baby, it was a 4.5 extremely aggressive male. i didnt see him as that i saw him as a project. the poor thing was burned from a heat lamp,had like 8 coats of spine shed stuck on him, and never handled in 5 years due to his owner being afraid of him. but back to the point.. ive had stiches on my lip from him lungeing at me, and not to mention scars on my arms for life. and his 8 long 4 wide 6 tall cage tallyed up roud 850$ but yes dont getting one if you dont have the cash,patients,and time

reptigirl04 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-12-2004, 09:51 PM

Exactly.
I love my ig, but i wont say that he's 'nice'...nor will i reccommend an iguana as a pet to Anyone i know, even if i could trust them to take the proper care.
The paragraphs above do make some valid points. I agree with it, but i still love my iguana and i still want him. I know what i got myself into and i'm willing to stick with it till the end. There are far too many people who wont and dont stick with it though.
Overall, i feel igs have the potential to be very affectionate and rewarding pets, but as AbercrombieGuy said, the owner needs to have the time, $, and patience.

NicoleRussell · #6 (**permalink**) 05-25-2004, 11:29 AM

For whatever reason I didn't see this response...sorry.
Along with time and money and all that---what about 2-3 years into having a male? A VERY high percentage turn on their owners and it isn't pretty. Get IGUANA magazine---the green ig issue. One woman interview spoiled her iguana for years---the lizard was tame and sweet etc etc---then one day BAM! 16 stitches!
She had no clue what she did wrong to elicit such behavior. She made a million calls to try and help her ig because she loved him so much.
It ended up at a rehab place with Iguana behavior professionals. After months of trying to help this animal it was beyond any help they could give. Coming into maturity had perminently changed his disposition.
He was humanely put to sleep and the owner was heartbroken.
The author ran this behavioral facility and says the story changes a bit but always ends bad. Males will have issues at some point...some issues are worse then others. No Iguana can be judged on how they act as babies. One day it can just happen....
The scarey part is there is sometimes no clue as to when this will occur.
I have heard people keeping females with no behavioral problems but they have egg laying issues---overall it takes a very well educated person with alot of space to care for these guys. And even then sometimes it's just not enough

haroldo359 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-25-2004, 11:53 AM

great info, nicole.

IguanaFan · #8 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 08:00 PM

Nicole

You brought up some extremely vaild points about iguanas and yes they do cost a lot of money to maintain. Puberty and breeding season for these guys is no picnic. And they are definately not for beginners.

I have been lucky with Marley a 4 year old male. I learned what I know about Iguanas from my uncle, he has always had Iguanas and Geckos for as long as I can remember. He also had quiet a few scars from dealing Iguanas..most of his scars were acquired during breeding season.

The only issue I have with Marley is that when he comes into "season" I become his "mate" and he gets very frustrated because he knows if he bites me the consequence is that he will have very little attention..except for the basic care. So for about three weeks I have a very frustrated iguana that hardly eats and basically mopes around.

Marley's home is basically the entire back porch of my house. I am lucky enough to live in a warm enough environment so that during the summer he can stay out side and only has to come inside during the winter. Which in Georgia is a very short winter.

I am glad that I finally happened upon RTB! Finally a very informative website!

Shuba · #9 (**permalink**) 06-04-2004, 08:25 PM

Quote:

The only issue I have with Marley is that when he comes into "season" I become his "mate"

LOLOLOLOLOL

NicoleRussell · #10 (**permalink**) 06-05-2004, 12:14 AM

hey get rid of the green bandana, he might think it's a dewlap or something.
I am ALWAYS thrilled to have another lizard lover aboard....I am loving snakes but lizards are really my passion.
I'm glad to hear you have had success so far with your Iguana. There is so much bad info out there...just today I was talking to a cashier at the market about all the greens I was buying. She informed me that an Iguana can die if not completely cut off from greens after 1 year and fed animal protien exclusively thereafter......I was too dumbfounded to argue. She claimed a reptile expert gave her this advice.
When I asked about lighting she waved it off as an annoying topic so I stopped there and just yesed her to death.
(of course the men in back of me were shocked at some of the animals in my collection..."you look like a promqueen not a nerd. I explained that for the first time in my life I prefer NERD to anything else...said Thank you ...and left

welcome to RTB

IguanaFan · #11 (**permalink**) 06-07-2004, 03:05 PM

Shuba - yeah his first attempted was quite un-nerving to say the least! After tending to my wounds I called my Uncle and told him what happened and he just laughed at me! After he was done laughing he explained what was going on.

I tryed the whole Iguana Sex toy and he wouldn't have anything to do with it so I guess I will have to watch myself!

Nicole - Now what that cashier was telling you was the first time I had heard that one. When I tell people that I have an Iguana and that is why I am buying all of the greens and I usually get the odd looks especially when I pull his photo out of my wallet! Then I get the usual questions about shouldn't he be eating crickets etc.

Though recently I have started growing a lot of Marley's food honestly I still go to the store to get him a special treat or something like that. I am trying to get used to snakes myself. My boyfriend just got himself a red tailed boa that is about 3-4 years old sweet as can be not head shy at all. So now I am in the process of learning everything that I can about boas so I will know what do incase he gets sick or hurt. We just discovered the poor boy has mites. Also is there a way to tell how old a RTB really is? Memphis (the boa) is about 4 feet long now.

NicoleRussell · #12 (**permalink**) 06-08-2004, 12:00 AM

as soon as I move my first order of buisness is tarting my own garden and indoor flower patch. I know they love flowers and I don't trust anything unless I grow it from seeds.
So according to the cashier at PathMark in NYC---feed sirloin, not greens

Majexto · #13 (**permalink**) 06-20-2004, 11:36 PM

Sadly, my first reptile was an iguana. Names it iggy. It lasted a week. I was around 8 and suddenly I got the brilliant idea to get a lizard, that brilliant lizard was an iguana. I didnt know anything about them or there care. The person at the pet shop told me to get a 10 gal which it could live in all its life, a heat rock, and some sort of cereal like food for it and itd be fine. Im actually thankful it died, it wouldnt have to live in misery any longer and i wouldnt have had to live in misery taking care of a 5 foot untame iguana. The world would be a better place if you either needed permits to get iguanas or they were plain out illegal. Of course there are quiet a few ig owners out there who love them and do take care of them, but still you have to consider the animals well being. Probably only one out of every 500 iguanas sold actually live a good life. That could be way off but its just what i think.

Shuba · #14 (**permalink**) 06-20-2004, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Probably only one out of every 500 iguanas sold actually live a good life. That could be way off but its just what i think.

You mean, 1-500 of the iguana owners, actualy have a good iguana "expierence".. I still think its much more then that, but I doubt an Iguana cares if he bites or scratches you.

Majexto · #15 (**permalink**) 06-21-2004, 12:25 AM

You think that many more iguanas have good lives? That might go from area to area but not around here. Theres probably about 15 pet stores within a 30 square mileage of around where I live which carry iguanas. Most people who are well informed about iguanas I dont think buy from pet stores like pet smart, super pets, or pet co mainly because they would probably be wc or just in general not taken care of well. About every pet store ive been to that sells iguanas usually have about 30 or so for sale. 30 x 15 = 450. Now how many people do you actually think buy those iguanas that actualy give them there proper care? I doubt very many. About every person ive ever talked to face to face that had or has an iguana doesnt take care of it right. Ive seen two iguanas lately in cages way too small for them, the people wont handle them because they say there mean, and are trying to sell them. A person trying to sell a mean, large iguana obviously doesnt know much about iguanas. Actually, not too long ago I was in a very respectable, small pet store in the area that had a 5 foot male iguana for sale. Obviously someone handed that into them because they couldnt handle it. Also in the numbers I gave lets not forget the usually atleast 1 or 2 iguana already dead in the cage. Anoles are probably also one of the biggest throw away pets because of there price, yet ive known more people with iguanas than anoles around here. So im guessing iguanas are probably the biggest throw away pets there are.

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