Re: Okay so WHY an Iguana??? A survey of sorts

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Posted by Annaka on January 26, 2002 at 21:13:13:

In Reply to: Okay so WHY an Iguana??? A survey of sorts posted by Christy on January 26, 2002 at 09:25:02:

Well...

I always admired igs, but did not want one. For one, the whole salad/lighting/caging/humidity deal was more then I wanted to take on at the time. Then there was the size/sexing issue - I didn't want to start with an itty-bitty thing that would grow into a huge female and start developing eggs. One of my highschool teachers lost her beloved female to eggbinding, and I decided, I never wanted to go through that...

Soooo, I got monitors. Two blackthroats - big, angry, WC imports, with teeth and nails. I figured, I knew what I was getting, I wasn't scared, and the care was a lot simpler (I don't mind pre-killing rodents).

Four years later... I still had the monitors. They were (and still are) thriving. I was leafing through the classifieds, and saw "Large, beautiful, 8 year old male iguana for adoption. Call xxx-xxxx". I had to call. Turned out, the owner sold her house, and was moving into an apartment. The Ig had the run of the house and yard, and spent days sunning on the garage roof. She wanted him to go to someone with a house, so he could continue to roam in the sun.

I decided to go and see him. Since I was toying with the idea of having an iguana, I figured I might as well visit - who knows maybe I'd be able to help somehow. I could foster him for a while, or maybe I would hear of someone looking to adopt a large male. Anyway, it couldnt hurt to get a look at him. I was completely blown away - Guy was huge, and gorgeous, and bright orange. He was also rather tolerant, though he definitely preferred women. I could pet his neck and the top of his head without him getting angry. He was just BEAUTIFUL.

I found out, the owner was moving in two days. The previous adoption placement didn't work out, the person who took Guy in did it for the novelty, and once she found out the down and dirty side of living with a big male ig, she brought him back... While I was visiting, another family came by to see him, with their 13yo son who wanted the iguana. First three questions - Is he tame, Does he bite, and What does he eat. *Too Scary* I couldn't imagine how they were going to care for Guy, especialy since the parents seemed nervous around him... The new owner of the house showed up, too, to tell us that if the ig was not placed in two days, he could talk to a friend of his who worked for Mr "X"(a big name), and they could place the ig there. I knew where the Ig would go, and there's no way that they would care for him properly...

And that's how I got Guy. I told the owner I'd take him, we loaded him in the car, and he settled in well enough at my house. The second day after I settled him in, he ate a good meal of greens, and topped it off by trimming all the flowers off a begonia clump in my garden. He made himself right at home, and made sure we all knew it. I am Top Ig, he defers to me, but he makes sure everyone else in the house knows he ranks far above them. He has never charged anyone, but he expects people to make way for him. He also doesn't get angry very often. He's a rather nice fellah, once he wakes up, leisurly walks to the bathroom for his warm bath, and eats a plate full of salad. After that, I can handle him, mess with his nails, whatever, without him getting angry. There are some things that really make him MAD though - towels, cats and small dogs (will charge them), any kind of crate/carrier. He get very angry if he is touched or grabbed on top of his back and neck, and when he is woken up and handled outside his normal "tolerant" timing.
He is a very cool beast :)

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: Well... : I always admired igs, but did not want one. For one, the whole salad/lighting/caging/humidity deal was more then I wanted to take on at the time. Then there was the size/sexing issue - I didn't want to start with an itty-bitty thing that would grow into a huge female and start developing eggs. One of my highschool teachers lost her beloved female to eggbinding, and I decided, I never wanted to go through that... : Soooo, I got monitors. Two blackthroats - big, angry, WC imports, with teeth and nails. I figured, I knew what I was getting, I wasn't scared, and the care was a lot simpler (I don't mind pre-killing rodents). : Four years later... I still had the monitors. They were (and still are) thriving. I was leafing through the classifieds, and saw "Large, beautiful, 8 year old male iguana for adoption. Call xxx-xxxx". I had to call. Turned out, the owner sold her house, and was moving into an apartment. The Ig had the run of the house and yard, and spent days sunning on the garage roof. She wanted him to go to someone with a house, so he could continue to roam in the sun. : I decided to go and see him. Since I was toying with the idea of having an iguana, I figured I might as well visit - who knows maybe I'd be able to help somehow. I could foster him for a while, or maybe I would hear of someone looking to adopt a large male. Anyway, it couldnt hurt to get a look at him. I was completely blown away - Guy was huge, and gorgeous, and bright orange. He was also rather tolerant, though he definitely preferred women. I could pet his neck and the top of his head without him getting angry. He was just BEAUTIFUL. : I found out, the owner was moving in two days. The previous adoption placement didn't work out, the person who took Guy in did it for the novelty, and once she found out the down and dirty side of living with a big male ig, she brought him back... While I was visiting, another family came by to see him, with their 13yo son who wanted the iguana. First three questions - Is he tame, Does he bite, and What does he eat. *Too Scary* I couldn't imagine how they were going to care for Guy, especialy since the parents seemed nervous around him... The new owner of the house showed up, too, to tell us that if the ig was not placed in two days, he could talk to a friend of his who worked for Mr "X"(a big name), and they could place the ig there. I knew where the Ig would go, and there's no way that they would care for him properly... : And that's how I got Guy. I told the owner I'd take him, we loaded him in the car, and he settled in well enough at my house. The second day after I settled him in, he ate a good meal of greens, and topped it off by trimming all the flowers off a begonia clump in my garden. He made himself right at home, and made sure we all knew it. I am Top Ig, he defers to me, but he makes sure everyone else in the house knows he ranks far above them. He has never charged anyone, but he expects people to make way for him. He also doesn't get angry very often. He's a rather nice fellah, once he wakes up, leisurly walks to the bathroom for his warm bath, and eats a plate full of salad. After that, I can handle him, mess with his nails, whatever, without him getting angry. There are some things that really make him MAD though - towels, cats and small dogs (will charge them), any kind of crate/carrier. He get very angry if he is touched or grabbed on top of his back and neck, and when he is woken up and handled outside his normal "tolerant" timing. : He is a very cool beast :)

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