Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a new red iguana, I don't really know what the deal is with these guys. I haven't been able to find any solid info out there about them except for other people posting questions on various forums that are as baffled as I am and people speculating.
Locality? Random mutation? Who knows! Pretty cool anyway...
A lot of people bring up hormonal color changes, but I don't think that's the case because it's just a hatchling.
I saw that other people had seen them at Petcos, so I called every Petco on the east coast and one of them ordered it for me. I'm not too keen on buying any animals there, and I really don't think that it's a good idea that they sell iguanas at all (although some of them don't) But, what can you do? I just want to state for the record that I have been working with rescue iguanas for years, and I know the damage that people can cause when they don't properly care for these guys (most of them probably purchased at Petcos) so I do feel a bit guilty for supporting this market, but I just can't resist oddball animals.
She was $100. I find it strange that Petco can get their hands on these little weirdos, but you don't really see them elsewhere, very weird...
I know Petco gets their bearded dragons and crested geckos from certain sources. Anyone know who supplies Petco with their Iguanas? Perhaps that would be the first step to unraveling the red iguana mystery...
Now, I have NEVER seen a baby iguana with this kind of coloration, but is it possible that they have been around all the time and no one ever took the time to really notice or care, and now petco is just marketing them?

Anyways, here's my new little girl (pretty sure she's a girl)

Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill here, but I am perplexed and curious...

Anyway, I have affectionately named her "Bamboo Chicken" and I've only had her for a couple of days, she is currently horrified and don't want to really move around or eat yet, hopefully she will get over it soon. Wish us luck!

1. Their care is the same as all green iguana's. There only a different color just like albinoism. Its recessive gene.

2. I prefer not to use substrate at all. Eating too much of the substrate will cause impaction and she/he will die.

3. Very nice Red Iguana. I once knew who supplied Petco their Iguana's but i forget. I once wish i could get one but as they get older they get very dark sometimes and i prefer the green guys colors as they age. Also he/she is way too young to sex 2yrs old you should be able to tell and at 3yrs you will know as if its a he their will be deposits and breeding season behavior will occur. Good luck!
-----
1.0 Green Iguana - Yoda (3ft )
0.1 BCI - Nessy (5ft )

I work at a vet hospital, and our doctors regularly treat/supply health certificates for APET, who supplies our PetCo with animals. I do not know if A-Pet does all Petcos, or all animals, or if it is just this one.

Apet Inc. (Illinois)

299 Beeline Drive
Bensenville, IL 60106

Toll-Free: 800-837-APET
Phone: 630-595-6808
Fax: 630-595-0365

Very cool
Get a hold of Ray at bay reptiles he posts in classifieds He can tell you were they come from.It is genetic they are breeding them in elsalvador i thinkj They are breeding with some albinos can't wait to see red albinos.Also Tom at herps unlimited knows the place they are from I knew but for got.The one i have is het for albino.Hope it proves out long time to go.
Good luck
Mike

Sunglow iguanas! That would be pretty cool!

I feel strongly that this is some sort of scam to get suckers to pay alittle extra $ for an iguana. I think that this is a dye they feed them at hatching. The outcome is usually the same when me and my husband end up rescueing the adults when all these people posting "look at my new iguana" find them unmanagable. Good luck with your new guy. And please have him vet checked.

I promise you it is not a dye and not due to consuming orange veggies. I've had Nim for almost 2 years and he is still his orange-red color. Depending on mood and ambient temperatures, Nim's colors can range from a dark almost red-brown to almost a true red color. Attached are a few pics of him (none of them are recent, but his colors are still pretty much like they are in the pic). An interesting observation was that he had a green "tummy" when I bought him and it slowly turned orange/red.

L8r,
Don

Beauty. Good luck with her.