Green iguana

[milo]

I was wondering if someone has a green iguana and if there easy to keep and have they ever bitten you before and if you have got one could you tell me what size vivarium it is in or send a picture and could you tell me what is the minimum size vivarium for an adult iguana

[eyespy]

Easy, no! Absolutely not. You become a slave to the green giant. It's worth it if you don't mind having your life run by a lizard though. Iguanas can be every bit as sweet as bearded dragons and are far more intelligent. Each one has its own personality and behavior patterns.

BARE MINIMUM enclosure size for an adult is 6 feet tall by 4 wide by 3 deep and that is only appropriate for an adult that is less than 4 feet long, meaning it's had health issues from improper care and is stunted. It does NOT mean an adult with a stub tail as they are still highly active and need lots of climbing room. 8x6x6 is bare minimum size for a 6 footer. Frankly, if you don't have a room you are willing to spare for the iguana it's not the best pet for you.

Yes, I've been bitten and their bites are significant. Igs have multiple rows of razor-sharp teeth rather like a shark. My own Gizmo just gave me a tiny bite when I was rubbing her head after making a spinach salad for my lunch. She tongue-flicked me multiple times and then tried a test bite.

She didn't even bite down, as soon as she realized it was my thumb and not food she let go but 2 weeks later I still have a perfect imprint of 2 rows of her teeth and not much cuticle anymore.

I've been bitten countless times by igs brought into the vet hospital for surgery and many of them needed stitches and several rounds of antibiotic injections. I'm not saying this to scare you off, but a prospective iguana owner needs to be prepared. Sometimes even the sweetest ig might get sudden periods of aggression, especially males during breeding season.

If you can get your hands on a copy of James Hatfield's Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual that book was specifically written to let prospective iguana owners know what they might be getting into, and is a highly entertaining as well as informative read. Here's a link to a couple of care sheets written by iguana owners I know with their own personal insights:

http://repticzone.com/caresheets/Iguanas.html

[silke]

yeah...what she said

they are Not easy to keep but they are easy to love...i read that somewhere once and it is soooo true
my Griffin is the boss of the house
when i come home from work he insists that i open the door to his enclosure (5 x 4 x 3) so that he the roam of the apartment
my 2 Boston Terriers stay away from him (they are scared)
Griffin is about 3 yrs old (adopted) and 3 ft long (his tail has grown back very well)
I can't imagine my life without him
I spend about $20 Cdn on his assorted greens every week and i replace his 4ft UVB bulbs every 6 months

[marisa]

LOL totally what she said.

They are the most difficult reptile to keep properly time wise, money wise, everything wise in comparision to the hundreds of other choices out there.

Vivarium size? LOL you don't use one with these beasts! They need custom enclosures that are the size of your bathroom.

They need constant new UVB bulbs or outdoor enclosures. In Canada not possible year round. Or anywhere else that doesn't get sun like Florida. Um lets see..

Like Silkie mentioned green and veggies fresh each week. Cut into pieces each day.

The bites can be painful. They can remove a finger. I saw an iguana a foot shorter than mine take off the top of a vet techs finger once when I took Roxy in. Right at the first joint. He was mad!

Um wow a million other things. And like Eyespy said, not to scare you off. Iguanas are wonderful creatures, BUT they have some huge downsides, and you really need to make a HUGE commitment to them for 20 years.

Marisa

My sisters ig chases you when you run away! It's pretty cool! She's about 4.5' long. Sh never bites ya, just runs to you and climbs up to your shoulders. They are very cool!