Getting a rescued iguana soon

[Pixie]

Hello all,

I never thought it would ever happen but alas, I have fallen in love and have decided to take in an iguana in need of a good home.

Last time I went to my local herp meeting, a member had rescued an iguana that was to be put down. She couldn't let it happen and brought him to the herp meeting in hopes of finding a new home for the guy.

Green iguanas had never been a pet lizard that was attractive to me until that night. The ig is about 3' (most likely male) and has a jaw deformation due to improper previous care. The bottom jaw is pulled in some and he has a bump on each side of his jaw.

His jaw problems do not affect his eating and is otherwise in decent health. I trust the "evaluation" done by the person who rescued him as she has some vast experiencing with herps and iguanas so I don't doubt what she is telling me.

Now I've decided to take him in as a permanent resident in my zoo and am preparing for his arrival early next week. I know a little about iguanas but nowhere near enough IMO to properly keep one so I've been doing some mad research and cramming info into my brain as fast as I can to prepare for the new guy!

For his enclosure, I am converting a closet which will be lined with linoleum for easy cleanups and will be equiped with 2 basking areas as well as a full spectum neon light. I have a nice big branch but am looking for more to make it a nice happy enclosure for my ig to climb and be happy in. I also plan on providing a tub of water, a kitty litter pan that will be big enough for a soak if he so chooses or as a poo vessel. I understand they seem to enjoy "going" in water.

I think I understand their diet needs relatively well. They are principaly foliovores and need nutritious greens as a main with other veggies for variety and a bit of fruits. From what I understand, 60% of their diet needs to be foliage, 30% veggies and no more than 10% fruit. I will be hunting the produce stores in my area within a day or two to see the variety I can provide for my ig.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. For me this is like entering a new hobby altogether as I know the needs for this species is demanding and I want to provide the best care possible.

Also, any good links to iguana care relating to diet and behavior would be awesome. Maybe a recommendation for a particular book?

I can't wait to get this little guy now! I haven't been able to stop thinking about him since I saw him last week! His funny face is so endearing to me, I can't resist! lol

Pixie

[justinO]

I'd check out Melissa Kaplans website (www.anapsid.org).. its a fairly in-depth online iggy resource. Also has a book out (iguana's for dummies).

like everything, use it as one of many sources of information. Good luck!

[eyespy]

James Hatfield's <i>Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual</i> is a must-read for any ig adopter. Great book!

It sounds like you've already got a great handle on igs. My recommendation is to get out there and harvest all the dandelion "clocks" you can find if they haven't yet blown over in your area. It's a great idea to grow windowsill dandelion gardens to get through the winter when it can be hard to find greens. Buy a hibiscus plant and some prickly pears too if you've got a green thumb.

[LadyHawke]

good for you Pixie!! thats how i got my first iguana too.....and i wasnt a huge iguana fan either, one day at the store i was working at a lady came in with this iguana that was found roaming around on the street in the snow, she tried to keep him but it was too much, he broke my heart when i saw him him, he was half dead......so i took him home and nursed him back to health, he is an amazing lizard, now he comes on my shows to tell people about iguanas and their needs and not to release your pets. there is a pic of him in my gallery along with a pic of his home which is about 10 ft long 4 ft wide and 8 ft high, last time i measured him he was 4 1/2 ft long
good luck with your new addition!!

[Pixie]

Thanks for the quick replies :D

JustinO: Already checked out Melissa's site and downloaded her 89 page iguana care document. Great reading and very informative. So far the most I've seen online.

eyespy: Thanks for the book recommendation! I get very suspicious of which books to buy because so many contain bad or outdated info. The dandelion windowsill garden is a great idea! I never would have thought of it! I will be hunting tomorrow for some :)

I don't have much of a green thumb but I think I should manage dandelions okay :P

Are there any particular sites that list out good foods and plants that can be given to an ig? I'm a geek and love to know the exact nutritional content to different foods so if you have any links that suit this, don't be shy!!!

I'm sure I'll be posting in this forum a lot more in the coming days and weeks!!! Now I have to find a name for the new guy! ;)

Pixie

[Pixie]

LadyHawke: Your ig setup is nice and big! Hopefully I will be able to offer my ig something that big in the future :) It's so wierd for me to have become obsessed with this guy!!! I've never been a huge fan of igs and have seen plenty but this guy just got me wrapped around his toe :) The idea of rescuing one and giving it a good home is the best too. Knowing so many suffer a terrible fate, it's great knowing that I will have saved one :)

I will certainly post some pics of the new fellow when I get him. He seems quite tame so far as he was pretty quiet at the meeting and I held him for a good half hour. I know this can change, especially with hormones coming into play.

Have you experienced aggressivity from yours yet? How long have you had him?

To all ig keepers: I've read that males will become quite aggressive during breeding seasons. Have any of you had your male igs castrated, and has that helped the hormonal aggression?

Pixie

[eyespy]

Castration doesn't seem to help with igs, they still pump out too many hormones from the adrenal glands. Some folks have reported good results from rubbing estrogen-based creams into the skin.

My favorite food site is this: http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm

[eyespy]

Oh, and there's no such thing as "exact" nutrition info when it comes to plants, it all depends on what the nutrient level of the soil and fertilizers used is. The variations are much wider than gutloaded vs. "raw" prey data.

I use the USDA database as that averages the nutrition info from many different areas to give a reasonable facsimile:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl

[Snakey Acres]

Not all male Igs get aggressive and those that do differ in severity. Way to go on taking in a rescue and doing the research to take care of him.
My wife and I answer the phone line and do all the rescue work for the Edmonton Reptile and Amphibian Society and are always looking for homes for Iguanas and Red ear sliders.
We've got 2 Ig's and 4 res rescues in our house right now and anywhere between 10 and 20 iguanas and several RES on a waiting list at any given time.
on a happier note we have placed over 200 herps in the last 3 1/2 to 4 years.
If you are willing to take an animal in let me know .

[nolagurl]

I second *Igs for dummies*. Kaplan wrote it and it's very easy to follow and digest. I don't have an iguana, just the book. :-P

[lilyskip]

congrats on you new ig! awesome job adopting one in need of a home :D I don't know much about their care, but good luck as you prep!