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Posted by desiree on July 31, 2002 at 10:58:20:
July 31, 2002
Nuckie the iguana peers out from his perch 80 feet above the ground Tuesday.
Sentinel Photo by Dan Coyro
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Iguana going home after rescue from tree
By RAMONA TURNER
Sentinel staff writer
SOQUEL — Nuckie the iguana has landed.
The 6-year-old, 5-foot, green iguana, spotted Monday as he was sunning himself atop a tall oak tree at Soquel Glen Mobile Home Park, has been reunited with his owner.
Nuckie (rhymes with "looky") was plucked from the tree Tuesday by Shad Williams, of Nature First Professional Tree Care and Management of Soquel.
"I’m going to keep a close eye on him," said Jett Dickel, owner of the 10-pound vegetarian lizard.
Nuckie escaped while Dickel was on vacation. Dickel said his roommate left his bedroom door open, and the reptile climbed up and slid out an open window.
Nuckie was missing for eight days.
Dickel, who lives in a neighboring mobile-home park, said Nuckie has the run of the house. He has never been kept in a cage, and even goes for walks around the neighborhood every now and then.
This wasn’t Nuckie’s first escape. But in the past, he’s never been gone longer than a couple hours, Dickel said.
Now, Dickel said he is thinking about building an outdoor pen so Nuckie can sit in the sun all day and come inside at night.
As for Nuckie’s health after the two-week adventure, it appears he has been eating, Dickel said, judging by his weight. But Nuckie kept smacking his lips, and may have been dehydrated.
After the rescue, Dickel planned to take Nuckie home, clean him up and allow him to rest a bit before heading to the veterinarian for a full check-up.
Williams, Nuckie’s knight in a green T-shirt and black jeans, earned a couple scratches on his forearms in the rescue, but is OK.
He used a truck with a lift bucket to raise himself high enough to reach the lizard-on-the-lam — estimated at 80 feet.
A crowd of about 15 onlookers cheered as Nuckie was caught, put in a sack and lowered into Dickel’s arms.
Williams has plucked many cats from high places, he said, but this was his first reptile rescue.
"He was mellow," Williams said. "I was calling him. He recognized his name. I knew I could get him."
And Williams did it for free.
Contact Ramona Turner at rturner@santa-cruz.com.
Caring for Iguanas
Iguanas need a heat source that warms the air to between 75 and 100 degrees. Black heat lamps are best.
Use a spotlight on a favorite basking site. Iguanas like to hang out on logs or shelves. If you live in a sunny area, use natural sunlight. Iguanas love it.
Iguanas eat leafy greens (not lettuce), fruits and vegetables. It’s best to feed them in the morning, as basking helps the digestion process.
Most iguanas like to be handled and will respond to voices.
Let your iguana run around in a room every once in a while. Leave a water pan on the floor to use as a bathroom. Never take an iguana outside without a leash or it will escape.
Ask questions at the pet store and read as much as you can about iguanas.
Source: www.iguana-news.com.
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You can find this story online at:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2002/July/31/local/stories/01local.htm
