NY Press: Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana

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Posted by Wes von Papine�u on May 22, 2001 at 15:13:19:

Photo: David Carpenter on Monday returns "Iggy" the iguana to the rabbit cage where he's been staying since he was almost hit by a passing car Saturday near Carpenter's Holley home.

DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE (Rochester, NY) 22 May 01 Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana (Greg Livadas)
Holley: A joyous reptilian reunion seemed imminent Sunday when an Orleans County family which found a large iguana scooting across the street answered a newspaper ad for a lost iguana five miles away in Brockport.
But the student who lost her iguana May 3 was heartbroken when the captured iguana wasn't hers.
Which means her iguana is still out there somewhere, and another one needs a home.
"We're just hoping someone is missing him," said Susan Carpenter, who took in the stray reptile with her husband, David Carpenter. "Iggy" sat in a rabbit cage on her kitchen floor and munched iceberg lettuce while under a heat lamp that keeps him toasty warm.
The saga began Saturday afternoon when a car nearly struck the 3-foot, 9-inch creature on South Main Street. The motorist got out of his car, picked up the iguana and asked neighbors where it belonged.
Neighbors assumed it belonged to a nearby family that kept turtles, so they opened the family's unlocked door and threw the iguana inside.
"If I came in and saw that thing here in my house, I would have a stroke," Susan Carpenter said.
Her husband, who is a friend of the homeowner, went in to retrieve the lizard. He's keeping it until its owner can be found. If no one comes forward, he'll give it to the Brockport student, who did not want to be identified.
"It's not very exciting. It just lays there," David Carpenter said. "It's not like a puppy. You can't take it for a walk."
It's possible Iggy was abandoned, as many iguanas are each year, because they outgrow cages and have a feisty temperament.
Gary Oechsle, whose son owns Captive Life Forms, a Henrietta pet shop specializing in reptiles, said 50,000 iguanas are imported to the United States each year. Area stores sell them for as little as $10 or $15, he said.
"They are the worst pet to have," said Oechsle, who calls iguanas "green terrors" because of their temperament.
The store has had six calls a week from iguana owners wanting to get rid of their pets that have outgrown their cages or become hard to handle.
Dr. Rebecca Price, a veterinarian at South Towne Veterinarian Hospital in Henrietta, said iguanas are becoming more popular as pets.
"They're not dangerous, but they do have a pretty sharp plate of teeth in their mouth," she said. Iguanas come from Central or South America and can live for 10 or 15 years, she said. They can grow to more than six feet long.
Iguanas on the loose here would not survive a winter and are susceptible to dogs, coyotes, raccoons and cars. They are very good climbers and prefer to live in small trees, bushes or shrubs.
Anyone who thinks the Holley iguana is theirs may call the Carpenters at 638-7307.
"It's just as weird as can be," Susan Carpenter said. "Although we did have a loose emu here four years ago."

Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana

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: Photo: David Carpenter on Monday returns "Iggy" the iguana to the rabbit cage where he's been staying since he was almost hit by a passing car Saturday near Carpenter's Holley home. : DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE (Rochester, NY) 22 May 01 Holley couple seeks the owner of a stray iguana (Greg Livadas) : Holley: A joyous reptilian reunion seemed imminent Sunday when an Orleans County family which found a large iguana scooting across the street answered a newspaper ad for a lost iguana five miles away in Brockport. : But the student who lost her iguana May 3 was heartbroken when the captured iguana wasn't hers. : Which means her iguana is still out there somewhere, and another one needs a home. : "We're just hoping someone is missing him," said Susan Carpenter, who took in the stray reptile with her husband, David Carpenter. "Iggy" sat in a rabbit cage on her kitchen floor and munched iceberg lettuce while under a heat lamp that keeps him toasty warm. : The saga began Saturday afternoon when a car nearly struck the 3-foot, 9-inch creature on South Main Street. The motorist got out of his car, picked up the iguana and asked neighbors where it belonged. : Neighbors assumed it belonged to a nearby family that kept turtles, so they opened the family's unlocked door and threw the iguana inside. : "If I came in and saw that thing here in my house, I would have a stroke," Susan Carpenter said. : Her husband, who is a friend of the homeowner, went in to retrieve the lizard. He's keeping it until its owner can be found. If no one comes forward, he'll give it to the Brockport student, who did not want to be identified. : "It's not very exciting. It just lays there," David Carpenter said. "It's not like a puppy. You can't take it for a walk." : It's possible Iggy was abandoned, as many iguanas are each year, because they outgrow cages and have a feisty temperament. : Gary Oechsle, whose son owns Captive Life Forms, a Henrietta pet shop specializing in reptiles, said 50,000 iguanas are imported to the United States each year. Area stores sell them for as little as $10 or $15, he said. : "They are the worst pet to have," said Oechsle, who calls iguanas "green terrors" because of their temperament. : The store has had six calls a week from iguana owners wanting to get rid of their pets that have outgrown their cages or become hard to handle. : Dr. Rebecca Price, a veterinarian at South Towne Veterinarian Hospital in Henrietta, said iguanas are becoming more popular as pets. : "They're not dangerous, but they do have a pretty sharp plate of teeth in their mouth," she said. Iguanas come from Central or South America and can live for 10 or 15 years, she said. They can grow to more than six feet long. : Iguanas on the loose here would not survive a winter and are susceptible to dogs, coyotes, raccoons and cars. They are very good climbers and prefer to live in small trees, bushes or shrubs. : Anyone who thinks the Holley iguana is theirs may call the Carpenters at 638-7307. : "It's just as weird as can be," Susan Carpenter said. "Although we did have a loose emu here four years ago." : :

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