Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's an article from my home state of Florida, which describes some of the problems with wild iguanas.

I *love* iguanas; but what do you do with hundreds of wild iguanas?

And yes, I know what they do with iguanas in some countries -- but I doubt most Americans could be coaxed into eating a lizard!
Iguanas may be voted off the island

-----
Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.0.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde)
1.0.0 Uro mali (Wizard)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
1.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Jade and Emerald)
0.4.0 Homo sapiens (Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/

I think they should be destroyed.

Before anyone gets all upset, let me explain.

I love iguanas, too. But they're not native to Florida and they're obviously destroying the ecosystem down there. There aren't enough rescues for all of them, and, even if there were, there aren't enough homes for them all and, even if there were, how many people would decide that they didn't want an iguana afterall and just let it go again?

This problem will stop when people stop thinking it's okay to "Free Iggy". You can't release a pet just because you get tired of it.

Quaker, or Monk, Parakeets are illegal in many states, including the one I just moved from, because of the feral populations. It really sucks for bird fanciers, but there's a very good reason for it. It's very popular for people who are tired of their pet birds to just release them. In most parts of the US, most Psittacine species will die. But the Quaker Parakeet has been able to survive in some pretty harsh climates, making it a major threat to ecosystems. In response, states like Wyoming have chosen to make it illegal to keep them as pets.

There are stories like this all over the country. The more exotic pets are popularized, the more we will see feral populations like the Monk Parakeets in Wyoming and the green iguanas in Florida.

If it's that big of a problem, then maybe Florida should, indeed, pass a law to control green iguanas as pets. It sucks for those of you who are responsible herpers in Florida, but there's a bigger issue of ecology to take into consideration.

Besides, that doesn't mean they'd have to ban the animal... maybe just make it harder to be able to obtain and legally own an iguana.

Just my opinion.
-----
~Alika~
1.0.0 green iguanas
0.1.0 cockatiels
1.0.0 senegal parrots
0.1.0 blue-fronted amazons
0.0.1 red belly piranha

>>I think they should be destroyed.

It may be necessary; the sad part is, it isn't the iguanas' fault, but they're the ones who pay the ultimate price.

>>This problem will stop when people stop thinking it's
>>okay to "Free Iggy". You can't release a pet just because
>>you get tired of it.

I've seen people do this everywhere I've been. It's sad, really sad, and most of the problem is education and a lack of responsibility. Most people don't know that the cute little "iggy" they bought is going to grow into a meter-long reptile. That $20 baby iguana is going to cost thousands of dollars in upkeep and housing.

>>Quaker, or Monk, Parakeets are illegal in many states,
>>including the one I just moved from, because of the
>>feral populations.

One of my great regrets is my unintentional contribution to the problem. I had a female Quaker for a couple of years. We hung her outside during the day so she could get fresh air. One day, a flock of "wild" Quakers landed in our orchid tree; Jacky bit through the heavy cable ties holding one of her doors closed, and joined the flock.

>>There are stories like this all over the country. The
>>more exotic pets are popularized, the more we will see
>>feral populations...

Even worse is that people buy animals for their aesthetics; few of these exotically-colored snakes would survive long in the wild. Wild caught animals die in transport; many captive bread animals are badly inbred, much like my late, lamented Ziggy.

I try to be part of the solution by adopting injured or unwanted creatures. Our red-eared sliders (another troublesome released species) are wild caught (one from a cess pool!); my iguana, Rex, is a shelter rescue (wounded tail, healing nicely). The plated lizard is a purchase from a pet store that was clueless, and our venerable Uro mali was a rescue from another store where he was injured.

When people ask me about getting a lizard (or any pet, for that matter), I strongly urge them to find an animal that needs a home, instead of supporting the breeders. I know people need to make a buck, but breeding exotic animals is only a recipe for sorrow -- for animal and human alike.

>>Just my opinion.

A very good opinion it is.
-----
Scott Robert Ladd
1.0.0 Iguana (Rex)
1.0.0 African Giant Plated Lizard (Clyde)
1.0.0 Uro mali (Wizard)
0.1.0 Corn Snake (Amber)
1.1.0 Red-Eared Sliders (Jade and Emerald)
0.4.0 Homo sapiens (Maria, Elora, Becky, Tessa)
blog: http://chaoticcoyote.blogspot.com/