Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I am an elementary school teacher who, on the recommendation of a local pet store, got an iguana for my classroom. I've had him (Snowflake) for a month-and-a-half and he now has a body length of 12 cm. The iguana is very friendly, good with being pet by children, and seems very healthy (growing and shedding and brightly-colored). Don't worry - he has a big tank and comes home with me every weekend.

Here are the problems:
1. All the potty-training sites I've found seem to focus in on putting newspaper on the iguana's favorite defacating spot. Snowflake has not seemed to pick a regular defacating time or spot. The only spot he deficates with any frequency is on me (yuck!) - but only when we're alone and I've been petting him.

2. Snowflake nipped me today and made me bleed. This is the third time he's ever nipped me; the last time was a month ago. He has only wagged his tail aggressively once. I know he bit because I was trying to take him out of his cage when he was comfortably basking, but it makes me worry about having him in a classroom with children. The problem is, I love the little guy and so do the kids.

Help!

My guess is, since you as a teacher brought in the animal, a wild exotic animal, you are liable for any injury or illness that animal can/might cause to a child.

As iguanas grow, so can their temper. And a young adult can bite hard. And draw blood. And whip.
An unsanitized enclosure (remember has to be cleaned daily) and unclean animal increases the chances of salmonella contamination.

So, if I were you, I would explain the children that as the animal is growing, they must be careful and might be best hey do not pet it anymore, or at least one at a time. Children can be loud and stressful for some teachers, immagine an iguana.

Be very careful, and keep their hands away from those jaws. Keep a Purell bottle always at hand for them to sanitize after touching the iguana.

Once it reaches maturity, and mating season kicks in, keep it in the enclosure all the time.

Good luck!

-IJ

I'm surprised the school allowed the iguana to be a classroom pet. Most schools nowadays below the high school level have banned a lot of animals including iguanas due to health and safety issues they pose to young children. I would think a leopard gecko or a bearded dragon would make for a far better and safer and easier to deal with pet to study. Do please keep in mind, that iguanas can put a child or an adult into the emergency room far too easy even with a relatively 'minor' bite. Their teeth are like razor blades and can slice down pretty deep into the skin layers requiring stitches.
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PHWyvern

If you love the iguana keep it at home and raise it there. Iguanas are not appropriate classroom pets. Is the school administration going to let you build a 6x6x4 foot enclosure in your classroom next year? Are they OK with you leaving a source of heat on at night to keep the iguana warm? Liability is a HUGE issue because iguanas, even small ones, can inflict a painful bite or scratches.

When I'm doing reptile presentations and I'm asked by teachers what I would recommend for a classroom pet I almost always recommend a rat. Rats are clean, fairly easy to care for, social, smart, docile, and can be left in the classroom for the weekends (if provided ample water and food). They come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and coat types. Dumbo rats have the cutest ears while rex rats have wonderful waved coats!!