THE MIDWEEK (DeKalb, Illinois) 27 August 03 The cold blooded facts about having a pet reptile in the family (Sharon Pflaumer)
I struck up a conversation with a teenager at a local animal hospital, while waiting for the vet to examine one of my dogs. An iguana flicked his long tongue through the wire door of the dog carrier at the boy’s feet. The boy was teary-eyed and upset because the reptile had bitten his father, and the iguana was going to be euthanized.
According to Cindy Hiddeman, president of the Foundation for Iguana Rescue, Safety and Training, a number of iguanas attack their owners during the breeding season.
"While males are responsible for most bites, females also attack sometimes," she says. "When iguanas attack, they bite down with teeth that have serrated edges. If you pull away, you make the injury worse."
Owners of iguanas should be aware of their potential for aggressiveness. Being cautious, when handling ones not known or during the breeding season; and learning safe-handling techniques, which prevent injury, are better solutions to the problem than euthanasia or dumping the lizards.
(Although Hiddeman places iguanas in homes with dogs and cats, she doesn’t recommend that they run loose together due to the potential for injuries to both. Because they’re territorial, iguanas don’t co-exist well with each other either. When multiples are owned, they should have separate cages especially if they’re males.)
Despite their aggressive moments, iguanas become attached to their owner. So much so, they "trash" their cage or go on a hunger strike if their owner is away on vacation. (Because they become attached and don’t like change, iguanas need time to adjust when they’re re-homed by rescue organizations.) Although they like attention--being held, petted and even talked to--they never become completely tame. Without daily handling, iguanas revert to the wild. Iguanas are herbivores and should be fed a vegetarian diet.
"I feed mine a ‘salad’ consisting of fresh collard, mustard, turnip and dandelion greens; snow peas or green beans; and okra or winter squash," Hiddeman says.
Peeling, de-stemming and chopping veggies in a food processor are necessary to prevent a blockage.
Iguana veterinary care should include worming. Occasionally, females are spayed due to problems associated with delivering eggs in captivity. (Females lay eggs each year; often, without the presence of a male.) Spaying costs $300-$350 and is performed by a vet, who usually specializes in reptile care. Because diagnosing other health problems is difficult, blood tests are necessary.
"A special cage is another key factor in iguana health," says Natalie Rigertas, co-founder of the Green Iguana Society. "Cages need special lighting, humidity and heating devices in order to mimic the iguana’s native environment. Iguanas need 12 hours of UVA and UVB light daily, so they can manufacture vitamin D. That, in turn, enables them to process calcium. To prevent dehydration, iguanas need 65-75 percent humidity. And, because they’re a cold-blooded, tropical species, they need an ambient temperature of 75-80F degrees. A 90-95F degrees basking spot also should be provided."
Ideally, enclosures should be at least twice the reptile’s length, 6-ft. tall and 3.5-ft. wide. (By age 3, iguanas reach their adult size: 4-6-ft. in length. They have a 15-year life span.) Vinyl flooring is recommended, with layers of newspaper placed on top. If a layer is removed and replaced whenever they eliminate, weekly cage cleaning is sufficient. Lining cages with straw, gravel, or bark isn’t recommended. Because iguanas taste or "flick" everything with their tongue, these materials also put them at risk for a blockage.
(To gain information, iguanas "flick" or touch their tongue to the surface of objects in their environment. When they bring their tongue back inside their mouth, it brushes against the Jacobson's Organ in the roof of their mouth. The Jacobson's Organ is a sensory organ that analyzes scent molecules.)
While custom-made cages are available, they’re expensive. Enclosures can be built at less cost from wood and Plexiglas or special wiring. Iguanas need exercise. However, before they’re allowed to "free-roam" indoors, the area should be iguana-proofed.
"Because iguanas are climbers, anything that’s valuable or that can be knocked over should be put away. Electrical cords also should be taped to walls," Rigertas says. "And again, because they taste everything, toxic plants should be removed and the floor free of debris like pieces of string, paper or fabric."
Iguanas like to "free-roam" outdoors as well. Their "yard" should have a tall, secure fence with no gaps between it and the ground. Given their climbing ability and propensity to taste things--dog feces, dirt, pebbles, etc.—outdoor time should be supervised. (Outdoor cages also can be built.)
Due to the bite potential and strength of a 6-ft. lizard with claws, Hiddeman says iguanas should be an adult’s pet. (Although the injury is unintentional here, iguanas scratch their owner’s arms with their claws while holding onto them.)
Because iguanas drag their tail through waste on the cage floor, children and adults should wash their hands after handling them to prevent salmonella contamination. (Due to their link to illness, a proposed ordinance in Chicago would ban Prairie Dogs, Gambian Rats, and many reptiles including iguanas. See www.chicagoherp.org) For more information about iguanas visit http://www.iguanafirst.com/ and http://www.greenigsociety.org.
The cold blooded facts about having a pet reptile in the family

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