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Posted by Desiree on January 22, 2000 at 10:11:25:

(this is a cut/paste of a post I made to a couple ig lists)

Heater for Pet Iguana Blamed For Blaze at Waldorf Home 1/20/00
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-01/20/063l-012000-idx.html

(courtesy of W. Papineau)
EVENING NEWS (Scotland) 14 January 00 Fright of the iguana as Zigzag is stranded
A resilient iguana abandoned by the side of the road after it was thrown from a car window is looking for a new home. Zigwag narrowly escaped death when he flew through the window of his owner's car. Cut and bleeding, the disorientated four-year-old reptile cowered in the grassy verge, as his owner sped off, before being found by a passer-by. The iguana immediately became attached to a man who came to his aid on the country road in Pumpherston, West Lothian, following him around like a dog. Sadly for Zigwag, the local resident who found the four-foot reptile left him at the nearby police station. Now animal welfare officers at the SSPCA are keen to find the reprieved animal a new loving home. Peter Brown, senior kennel manager at the SSPCA rescue centre in Balerno, Edinburgh, said: "He is really placid, playful and content and there is no problem taking him out of his tank to give him some exercise. "Now he's fit he even follows me to the bathroom when its time for a wash . Although I will be sad to see him go, I want him to be settled in a good home."

(courtesy of W. Papineau)
NO PAPER GIVEN (UK) 13 January 00 Iguanas pose BIG problem An animal rescue centre in Birmingham has been overrun by a plague of 6ft long iguanas. The Proteus Reptile Rescue Centre in Handsworth has now got 20 of them and is having to turn other animals away because there is no room for them. Staff at the centre say people buy them when they are a lot smaller and then find they grow too big. Centre manager Sarah Beales (pictured) said: "It is one of those animals which get to be in fashion, and then when people get sick of them they come to us." Anyone who can help should call the centre on 0121 523 9500.

(just mentions a potty trained iguana being on the show) Original Comedy Game Show Set to Premiere on Monday, January 31 On Animal Planet
1/19/00
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000119/md_animal__1.html

(courtesy of W. Papineau)
Blight of the iguana
8/29/99
http://www.newscoast.com/headlinesstory2.cfm?ID=15896

(courtesy of W. Papineau)
SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE (Florida) 13 January 00 Lizard Tales: On Gasparilla Island, the legend of the iguanas continues to grow You're strolling along the idyllic beach at the southern end of Gasparilla Island, enjoying the sun and the crashing waves as seagulls and brown pelicans sail overhead. The tiny native lizards and skinks that inhabit every corner of Florida scurry across the grassy dunes behind you, but then you hear the rustling of a larger animal moving. You turn to look, expecting a bird or raccoon, maybe a small dog, and that's when you see it. If you haven't been to Gasparilla Island before, it might come as a shock to see a 3-foot long iguana staring back at you. For residents and regular visitors to the island community of Boca Grande, the big reptiles are a common sight, growing more common each season it seems. "It does seem like there's been more of them the last few years," said Reggie Norman, Gasparilla Island state parks supervisor, said. While they aren't dangerous, these are not the docile green iguanas commonly found in pet stores. They generally ignore humans, but come closer than a couple of yards away, and Gasparilla iguanas will usually dash away on surprisingly quick feet. You don't have to go far to find a Boca Grande resident who has an iguana story to tell. Robert Randazzo, a former bartender at South Beach bar and grill, said iguanas have always considered the back of the restaurant a favorite spot to bask in the sun. Every once in a while, however, one will venture inside. "I had a big mama come running in that back door once," Randazzo said, indicating the reptile's path. "I guess something scared it, because it charged in here, just slammed into the bar, then it ran around this side and out the patio. It even knocked over a couple of bar stools." In case you were wondering, the iguanas, a species of Mexican spiny-tail, are not among Florida's native reptiles. Most wildlife experts and island residents agree the Adam and Eve of Gasparilla Island's iguana population started out as pets some 20 or 30 years ago. At some point, the owner cast them out to fend for themselves, and fend for themselves is exactly what they did. Now at least 2,000 of the scaly critters roam the southern half of the 7-mile long island, feeding mostly on plants. Skittering across bike paths and streets, invading gardens or sunning themselves along sea walls, they are now as much a part of the landscape around Boca Grande as seashells and snowbirds. The cold-blooded invaders are rarely seen north of the Boca Grande village, preferring to stick to the warmest spot in their exile kingdom. The occasional cold fronts that brush the coast are the only things known to drive the iguanas out of sight. "You would probably need three or four cold days in a row to really knock them down, and how often does that happen here?" Norman said. "If it's sunny and warm at all, they'll be out there." A study is underway to learn more about how the iguanas are fitting into Gasparilla's ecosystem, exactly what they're eating and why there seems to be so many more of them lately. Are they just reproducing faster, or is increased construction on the island driving them out into the open? Most people consider them a curiosity or a conversation piece, however,their penchant for gobbling flowers and garden plants might be wearing out their welcome with some people. "I'll put it this way," said Cindy Warner, at South Beach. "Ten years ago we were printing t-shirts saying `Save our Gasparilla Iguana.' Now the newspaper is printing recipes for them."

(courtesy of M. Rybak)
The Long Tale of Madonna the Iguana
1/16/00 http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000116mag-lives.html
(This is a letter that Marcia had sent to me in regards to this article ---

This Sunday in the New York Times Magazine, I read an essay that was disturbing to me. The author relates the story of her daughter's iguana which she basically unloaded on a pet shop when her daughter became a teenager and lost interest in the pet. We know this as a common problem caused by short-sighted and uniformed people when acquiring their iguana in the first place. The story actually romanticizes her "letting go" of this wonderful animal instead of the truth which is that she dumped the iguana on someone else when she no longer wanted the responsibility. Since the New York Times has seen fit to print this essay I think we should take advantage of this opportunity to enlighten everyone out there about the plight of this often neglected and abused reptile. The New York Times Magazine section has a very good "Letters" section. Please let them know how you feel about this by writing or emailing. I have included a copy of this essay which appeared in The New York Times Magazine dated 1/16/2000. Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Magazine The New York Times 229 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036 The e-mail address is magazine@nytimes.com All letters should include the writer's name, address and daytime telephone number. Thank you for supporting this cause and please forward this email to other people who can help to end this growing problem. Marcia Rybak )

Des, Vega$ and da beardie babies Yucca & Didger Redondo Beach, CA
desig@geocities.com
ICQ# 4778739 & 6045328
http://surf.to/beachy-iguana
http://members1.clubphoto.com/desiree76336

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love reading the articles...np Joan 01/24/00 (0)
thanx for the newz! n/m xta 01/22/00 (0)

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: (this is a cut/paste of a post I made to a couple ig lists) : Heater for Pet Iguana Blamed For Blaze at Waldorf Home 1/20/00 : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-01/20/063l-012000-idx.html : (courtesy of W. Papineau) : EVENING NEWS (Scotland) 14 January 00 Fright of the iguana as Zigzag is stranded : A resilient iguana abandoned by the side of the road after it was thrown from a car window is looking for a new home. Zigwag narrowly escaped death when he flew through the window of his owner's car. Cut and bleeding, the disorientated four-year-old reptile cowered in the grassy verge, as his owner sped off, before being found by a passer-by. The iguana immediately became attached to a man who came to his aid on the country road in Pumpherston, West Lothian, following him around like a dog. Sadly for Zigwag, the local resident who found the four-foot reptile left him at the nearby police station. Now animal welfare officers at the SSPCA are keen to find the reprieved animal a new loving home. Peter Brown, senior kennel manager at the SSPCA rescue centre in Balerno, Edinburgh, said: "He is really placid, playful and content and there is no problem taking him out of his tank to give him some exercise. "Now he's fit he even follows me to the bathroom when its time for a wash . Although I will be sad to see him go, I want him to be settled in a good home." : (courtesy of W. Papineau) : NO PAPER GIVEN (UK) 13 January 00 Iguanas pose BIG problem An animal rescue centre in Birmingham has been overrun by a plague of 6ft long iguanas. The Proteus Reptile Rescue Centre in Handsworth has now got 20 of them and is having to turn other animals away because there is no room for them. Staff at the centre say people buy them when they are a lot smaller and then find they grow too big. Centre manager Sarah Beales (pictured) said: "It is one of those animals which get to be in fashion, and then when people get sick of them they come to us." Anyone who can help should call the centre on 0121 523 9500. : (just mentions a potty trained iguana being on the show) Original Comedy Game Show Set to Premiere on Monday, January 31 On Animal Planet : 1/19/00 : http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000119/md_animal__1.html : (courtesy of W. Papineau) : Blight of the iguana : 8/29/99 : http://www.newscoast.com/headlinesstory2.cfm?ID=15896 : (courtesy of W. Papineau) : SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE (Florida) 13 January 00 Lizard Tales: On Gasparilla Island, the legend of the iguanas continues to grow You're strolling along the idyllic beach at the southern end of Gasparilla Island, enjoying the sun and the crashing waves as seagulls and brown pelicans sail overhead. The tiny native lizards and skinks that inhabit every corner of Florida scurry across the grassy dunes behind you, but then you hear the rustling of a larger animal moving. You turn to look, expecting a bird or raccoon, maybe a small dog, and that's when you see it. If you haven't been to Gasparilla Island before, it might come as a shock to see a 3-foot long iguana staring back at you. For residents and regular visitors to the island community of Boca Grande, the big reptiles are a common sight, growing more common each season it seems. "It does seem like there's been more of them the last few years," said Reggie Norman, Gasparilla Island state parks supervisor, said. While they aren't dangerous, these are not the docile green iguanas commonly found in pet stores. They generally ignore humans, but come closer than a couple of yards away, and Gasparilla iguanas will usually dash away on surprisingly quick feet. You don't have to go far to find a Boca Grande resident who has an iguana story to tell. Robert Randazzo, a former bartender at South Beach bar and grill, said iguanas have always considered the back of the restaurant a favorite spot to bask in the sun. Every once in a while, however, one will venture inside. "I had a big mama come running in that back door once," Randazzo said, indicating the reptile's path. "I guess something scared it, because it charged in here, just slammed into the bar, then it ran around this side and out the patio. It even knocked over a couple of bar stools." In case you were wondering, the iguanas, a species of Mexican spiny-tail, are not among Florida's native reptiles. Most wildlife experts and island residents agree the Adam and Eve of Gasparilla Island's iguana population started out as pets some 20 or 30 years ago. At some point, the owner cast them out to fend for themselves, and fend for themselves is exactly what they did. Now at least 2,000 of the scaly critters roam the southern half of the 7-mile long island, feeding mostly on plants. Skittering across bike paths and streets, invading gardens or sunning themselves along sea walls, they are now as much a part of the landscape around Boca Grande as seashells and snowbirds. The cold-blooded invaders are rarely seen north of the Boca Grande village, preferring to stick to the warmest spot in their exile kingdom. The occasional cold fronts that brush the coast are the only things known to drive the iguanas out of sight. "You would probably need three or four cold days in a row to really knock them down, and how often does that happen here?" Norman said. "If it's sunny and warm at all, they'll be out there." A study is underway to learn more about how the iguanas are fitting into Gasparilla's ecosystem, exactly what they're eating and why there seems to be so many more of them lately. Are they just reproducing faster, or is increased construction on the island driving them out into the open? Most people consider them a curiosity or a conversation piece, however,their penchant for gobbling flowers and garden plants might be wearing out their welcome with some people. "I'll put it this way," said Cindy Warner, at South Beach. "Ten years ago we were printing t-shirts saying `Save our Gasparilla Iguana.' Now the newspaper is printing recipes for them." : (courtesy of M. Rybak) : The Long Tale of Madonna the Iguana : 1/16/00 http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000116mag-lives.html : (This is a letter that Marcia had sent to me in regards to this article --- : This Sunday in the New York Times Magazine, I read an essay that was disturbing to me. The author relates the story of her daughter's iguana which she basically unloaded on a pet shop when her daughter became a teenager and lost interest in the pet. We know this as a common problem caused by short-sighted and uniformed people when acquiring their iguana in the first place. The story actually romanticizes her "letting go" of this wonderful animal instead of the truth which is that she dumped the iguana on someone else when she no longer wanted the responsibility. Since the New York Times has seen fit to print this essay I think we should take advantage of this opportunity to enlighten everyone out there about the plight of this often neglected and abused reptile. The New York Times Magazine section has a very good "Letters" section. Please let them know how you feel about this by writing or emailing. I have included a copy of this essay which appeared in The New York Times Magazine dated 1/16/2000. Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Magazine The New York Times 229 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036 The e-mail address is magazine@nytimes.com All letters should include the writer's name, address and daytime telephone number. Thank you for supporting this cause and please forward this email to other people who can help to end this growing problem. Marcia Rybak ) : Des, Vega$ and da beardie babies Yucca & Didger Redondo Beach, CA : desig@geocities.com : ICQ# 4778739 & 6045328 : http://surf.to/beachy-iguana : http://members1.clubphoto.com/desiree76336

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