think twice before chosing an iguana

Alika · #1 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 05:06 PM

Everything they say is true.

Don't get me wrong, I love my guy, but those razor sharp claws are killer:

Believe it or not, I do trim his claws about once a week.

And that's not even aggressive... that's just his squirmy wintertime funk stuff... scratching to try to get away. I'm lucky in that my iguana doesn't bite.

He's only about 12" SVL and 40" STL... just barely over half grown. We've had him in our family for almost three years now.

Here's the king himself:

On the toilet after his bath:

In his cage:

I happen to know that my husband got me a pair of ig grips for Christmas. Needless to say, I can't wait until I get to open that particular gift!

Milky2005 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 05:11 PM

If you think that was bad take a look at these pics
Click Here WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURES

buck2003 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 05:12 PM

Thats a nast set of scratches..Just think what I wild or frightened one would do!
esp when full grown!

Alika · #4 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 05:15 PM

Oh, I've seen worse... as I said in my post (I think I said) this isn't as bad as it gets. But this is what I deal with on a daily basis in the wintertime. The one on the palm of my hand is particularly painful, and the picture doesn't show the depth very well.

The worst iguana injuries come from bites. I have seen pictures of finger amputations from iguana bites. My iguana doesn't bite, so I don't have any pictures like that. He is actually very mild tempered for an adult iguana (adult meaning sexually mature). I thought it might be interesting for people to see that wounds are nasty even under the best circumstances.

Alika · #5 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lethargiic

but i think your comment should go the same for ANY lizard with death claws... my sav is missing actually missing a few claws (previous owner fault) and even the ones she's got left has dug me and left SCARS!!! I have a scar just below my neck from her freaking out and trying to climb on my shoulder..

That's probably true *nod nod* but I only have the experience with my iggy to go by.

toker · #6 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 09:38 PM

Ouch!

Yea, my Sav has a few claws left and boy he knows how to use em!

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #7 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 10:52 PM

My sav has yet to scratch me although shes only a bit over a foot. She perfers to bite and OUCH!!!!

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #8 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alika

Everything they say is true.
Don't get me wrong, I love my guy, but those razor sharp claws are killer:

Believe it or not, I do trim his claws about once a week.
And that's not even aggressive... that's just his squirmy wintertime funk stuff... scratching to try to get away. I'm lucky in that my iguana doesn't bite.
He's only about 12" SVL and 40" STL... just barely over half grown. We've had him in our family for almost three years now.
Here's the king himself:
On the toilet after his bath:

In his cage:

I happen to know that my husband got me a pair of ig grips for Christmas. Needless to say, I can't wait until I get to open that particular gift!

What size cage is he in? I wanted to get a free roaming iguana that could just use my room. That would be cool but don't know much about them yet. I really want to take in a rescue when I have a chance too but most are agressive and don;t want an iguana that will tear me open and send me off howling in pain.

Alika · #9 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

What size cage is he in?

He is in a homemade 4.5'x4'x6'. There are design flaws that I will remedy with his next home... hopefully, when we get a house I will be able to build him a 6'x4'x6'. But it works for him for now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

I wanted to get a free roaming iguana that could just use my room. That would be cool but don't know much about them yet.

Free roaming is hard. Everything has to be iguana proofed. They will eat anything they can get their tongues on and slip into the smallest of cracks. They will knock over things on shelves when they climb... and they will climb. Iggies like to be up nice and high.

They still need good UVB, 12 hours a day for artificial, and a good heat gradient. Both are somewhat difficult for freeroamers.

And then there's the humidity, which is especially important for igs.

It's not impossible, but it is difficult. I find it easier to confine mine to a cage where he has everything he needs, and to let him partially free roam with supervision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

I really want to take in a rescue when I have a chance too but most are agressive and don;t want an iguana that will tear me open and send me off howling in pain.

Then you don't want an iguana. I have received several compliments on how nice and friendly and well behaved mine is, and you saw what he did to me. They can't help it. They get to a certain point and they either don't feel secure because they are so big and they can't get good footing with us, or they have other ideas about where they want to be and where they want to go, or they simply moved a foot and scratched you on accident. It happens every day at my house, and it never hurts any less than it did the time before.

smash_57 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-22-2005, 11:24 PM

Thank you for posting these pics. I have just changed my mind about getting an iguana any time in the next 15 years (till my kids are out of the house). I hadn't yet gotten serious enough about getting one to start doing any research, and I've heard that they can be mean/agressive, but wow!
I'll be sure and pass this along to anyone I know who may be considering one, too! No wonder there's always a bunch in rescues....

Yungair23 · #11 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 12:32 AM

my hands are the same people always ask me what happened and i say its from my "pet" lol they all think its a cat or somethin it seems mine always wants to be somewhere else other than my hands usually its a struggle to my head lol
Oh and Alika what do you use for humidity? I was just going to buy a humidifier from lowes or homedepot any other alternatives? there like 50$ but hes worth it...

Alika · #12 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 02:39 AM

Yungair, www.iggear.com sells ig grips. I'm pretty sure I'm getting some for Christmas

I've heard nothing but good things about them. I've been saying I'm going to get some for the longest time, but now I really really need them. I'll let you know what I think of them once I get them for real, but I'm pretty sure I'll like them... they come pretty highly recommended.

I use a room humidifier. I have both my reptiles in the same room, and I just run the humidifier all the time with the door closed. The maintenance is pretty easy... fill it up every 36-48 hours, and change the filter every 6-9 months. When the filter is new, it keeps the humidity up around 70% Right now it's running a bit low at 50% because I need to buy a new filter.

They are expensive initially, but worth it in the long run, especially if you have an open cage like I do where the humidity doesn't stay in.

ball python chick · #13 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 04:45 AM

i get more iggys in on rescue than anything else and i also have scratches.no inexperienced person should get a rescue iggy.they are loaded with issues and most arent that nice.most iggys i get have burns (hot rock),never had proper lighting(and have mbd),no handling because of peoples fear once they come into there own(mature).havent been fed near the diet they should (and look it) they arent happy and very nasty.i have only gotten a few in that have been taken care of and are completely healthy.alika your iggy is very pretty and looks very healthy.

Alika · #14 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ball python chick

alika your iggy is very pretty and looks very healthy.

Thank you

Yungair23 · #15 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 07:50 PM

Yes VERY good looking Ig you got there yea i am going to pick up a humdifier do you have any mold problems? B/c my father says i will but i told him its not going to be wet to the touch on the walls so it shouldnt you think i will have a mold problem?

#16 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 08:01 PM

...

bleeding_sarcasm · #17 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 08:06 PM

haha, i did this long post, UNDER THE WRONG NAME. silly me. anyway:

you think greens are bad. i felt pity for the person who bought our cuban rock. he was MEAN, he wasnt full grown and MEAN. youd walk by the glass and he would try to bite you. and... he loved to kill things, including tomatoes and strawberrys, and rat pups, and parakeets. and he chewed up PAIRS of gloves. and as soon as you took him out, he would take the biggest crap youve ever seen. and then he would bite and scratch and whip you, and poo into those. we sold him to a store for 200 credit [with which we bought a rhacodactylus leachianus] and ran into the person who bought him later at a reptile show, and they said they left him out with the cats, and then after what we told them, i think they were a little worried. he got out of his cage once or twice, and DESTROYED our room. i mean, everything was ripped up, knocked over and broken. and he would just be hanging out by the window.

but who couldnt love that face?

we told the guy who got him, that if he ever wanted to get rid of him, to contact us, and wed take him back. he was only 3 and they live a LONG time. and the guy was kindof old. so. that would be nice. he was one of those gimpy/calcium deficent animals we rescued. completely black in color as a baby because he got ZERO calcium or UVB. we do so love our gimpy animals. he made a full recovery tho. he was healthy. just mean. but the killing of tomatoes and strawberrys, that was extra cute. hed shake them around and squish them on his face.

Alika · #18 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 08:15 PM

yungair: Thank you, too

I do, in fact, get some mold. Mostly it's by the windows where the condensation occurs, and there's very little of it... not a big deal to maintain.

Bleeding: I love cuban rocks. I also love rhinos. That's a beautiful boy!

Yungair23 · #19 (**permalink**) 12-23-2005, 08:53 PM

how mcuh different are they compared to green igs? it seems like they would like higher temps and less humidity by their looks is that right?

jojo6199 · #20 (**permalink**) 12-24-2005, 12:32 PM

I wish I'd had a copy of your pics Alika the other day. We were in a pet store and there was this lady with her young daughter (kid looked about 10) eyeing the baby green iguana's. They are for sale in this store for under $20.00, making them of course a very tempting purchase as the "cheapest" lizards in the store. I didn't see them buy one but oh I was tempted to drag them away from the pet store employee for a quick word about choices and what the future could bring. I've never had an iggy myself (nor do I want one) but as my friends have 3 (2 are rescues) I hear on a daily basis how much work and responsibility they are and I've seen on here how dangerous they can become. I never know what to do in these situations. I want to help people make good decisions but I don't want to end up barred from the only pet store around here that's relatively decent. Just hate to think of anyone buying an iggy for a young child's pet!

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