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I am interested in having an iguana in my life, but I wasn't sure if that it would be the best pet for me. I have reptile experience and I currently have 2 Leopard Tortoises. I do have to take into consideration that I have a very large and hyper dog and my husband and I go camping a lot. I didn't know if they liked to go on vacation or who could watch such a large reptile.
If anyone could give me a realistic answer would be great.

Thanks,

Casey

Iguanas have the personality of the reptile world, however it is like having a tenn with razor sharp teeth.

I just had 14 stitches removed from my srist from a 12 year old tame male iguana.

Iguanas are the most surrendered lizard.

Iguanas need to be tamed. You have to constantly handle them and give them attention to them to keep them tame. If you buy an iguana, put it into a cage, and leave it alone, then it probably won't be tame. My iguanas give to me what I give to them. My large female is the calmest iguana I have ever seen. But ever since she was a hatchling I have hand fed her, taken her everywhere, let her free roam frequently and just gave her love like she was a child. Now I have a four foot spiky sharp toothed "teddy bear". My other iguana is about 2 feet, 2-3years old. I don't take him out all that often and I usually don't hand feed him. When I go near him he gets a little aggressive. But if my girlfriend goes near him it's a different story. My girlfriend gives my little guy what I gave my big female. A kid I know had a large male. The male was never out of his cage, and the only time my friend went near him was to feed and clean. That iguana was the craziest animal I ever saw. He would hiss, whip, bite, or do anything else to cause injury. He was not neglected, he was in great condition, he just wasn't domesticated. He wasn't unhappy at all. So an iguana could be a "display" animal , if the cage was the size of a room and you were brave enough to go in the room to feed and clean it. Or you could have a tame iguana that you could take for car rides and let sleep on the top of your door that would never think of biting, whipping etc.... But don't expect that tame iguana not to bite you ever. My female bit me by accident one day. I was helping her get shed off her face before I fed her, and she had her eyes closed and thought I had food. She turned and bit my finger and sent me to the hospital. The bite was my fault not hers. Other people might disagree with me, but I can only comment from my own experience and opinions. Hope this helps! -Joe

An iguana can make a good pet, for the right person. I'm not sure I'd recommend one to someone who intends to be away from home a lot, as it isn't nearly as easy to find someone to watch a large, sharp lizard as it is a cat. Unless you know someone who is comfortable around reptiles and is willing to learn how to take care of one, in advance (so the lizard gets to know him long before you leave), you may be stuck at home. I'm not sure about taking him with you, I guess it depends where you're going and for how long. And although it's already been mentioned, I'll re-stress the importance of handling him often to tame him and keep him that way. I have enough cuts from Ike perching on me without him trying to hurt me everytime he comes near me. I was lucky enough to get one with a great personality, and I prefer it that way. (Although I currently have a 3 inch scar from his first experience on a leash...He wasn't impressed)

Good luck.

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0.1.0 Ball Python - Shaman
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Ike
1.0.0 Tokay Gecko - Fang
2.2.0 Cats - Pumpkin, Furball, Pixie, Stitch
1.0.0 Cockatiel - Ozzy
0.1.0 Budgie - Tweetie
1.0.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Floyd, R.I.P. Rascal
0.0.1 Rat who was too friendly to be eaten - Scabbers

>>I am interested in having an iguana in my life, but I wasn't sure if that it would be the best pet for me. I have reptile experience and I currently have 2 Leopard Tortoises. I do have to take into consideration that I have a very large and hyper dog and my husband and I go camping a lot. I didn't know if they liked to go on vacation or who could watch such a large reptile.

Whenever someone asks "Does [species name] make a good pet?" I always want to ask "Define good."

Tortoises are very different than iguanas. I have three tortoises, 2 box turtles, a teeny leaf turtle, a blue-tongue skink, and together they are less work than my one iguana. The 'one' is notable because for years I had as many as 22 green iguanas (most sexually mature males) here at one time, back when I was doing ig rescue and rehab.

Some igs get along with some dogs; some don't get along with any dogs. Fear often tranlates into agression towards the feared object, so the size disparity doesn't necessarily matter, especially if the dog is one who is actually not particularly bothered by the iguana. Some dogs are, and will cheerfully try to make the iguana into a chew toy when not supervised. And did I mention, accidents always eventually happen?

Some people take their igs on vacation, schlepping a portable enclosure, bowls, heat lamps and pads, power strips, towels, paper towels and disinfectant, a cooler of iguana food, and food prep utencils. Oh, wait. You're going camping? I take it that you don't mean camping in, say, a motel?

Aside from the difficulty in providing at a campsite the tropical temps iguanas need, there is also the matter of why people go on vacation, especially camping. They want to get away, relax, maybe do some hiking, rock climbing, fishing. All of which is difficult if not impossible for at least one of them to do when there is an iguana to be kept safe and secure.

It can be difficult to find pet sitters who really know how to care for iguanas. Oh, yes, there are people who say they do, but what they really mean is "Yes, I can come in and put the food you pre-prepared into a bowl and put the bowl into the cage and maybe get yesterday's bowl out of there and cleaned for the next day's use."

What they don't mean is "Yes, I'm comfortable catching and picking up and carrying iguanas who really don't want me to, so I can take him into the bathroom and run his bath to potty him, and then let him soak for a half hour or so, while I clean and straighten out the enclosure and make more food (including going shopping for it and preparing it properly) because it's summer and he is consuming more than you thought he would so we ran out while you're still gone."

One way to find iguana-experienced pet sitters is through your local herp society, reptile rescue, and reptile vet office. If you don't already know who is in your area, check out the lists and resources at my Herp Veterinarians and Herp Societies & Rescues web pages.

And, speaking of my website, if you haven’t already done so, please read my Iguana Care, Feeding & Socialization article. It is linked to my Green Iguana Care page, where you will find lots of other information you should read before deciding on an iguana - especially the one on Breeding Season Basics.

Other than that, and apart from the multitudes of bite and claw scars on my arms and the sky-high utility bills, sure, igs make great pets - if you're willing to turn your home and life upside down for them.
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Melissk - PH Meliss
Pet Hobbyist - Green Iguanas
anapsid.org
Iguanas for Dummies

Yes, in my opinion, they make great pets, or I guess a better word would be they are rewarding animals to keep.
But the most important thing is...Do all people make great iguana owners?
If you are willing to give the commitment and care, you will do fine. Enjoy your iguana, if you choose to get one.
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My Babies:
Sherry - 18yr old Mustang Horse
Rosemary - 7yr old Pit/Sharpei mix
(2) BABY GREEN IGUANAS - IGNACIO & CARLOS (SEX UNKNOWN) - COULD END UP BEING IGNACIA & CARLA

>>But the most important thing is...Do all people make great iguana owners?

Ha! This kind of reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"There are no dangerous animals. Just stupid people."
- Marshall Thompson

(Those of you as old as I am may remember him from the TV show Daktari)

There is a reason why green iguanas remain the #1 dumped reptile in the US and increasingly in other countries where they've become popular: too many people getting them just are not cut out to be iguana keepers.

A good way to help determine if you are cut out to be an iguana keeper is to volunteer at a rescue that takes in lots of iguanas, and work with them there, getting involved in all aspects of care, from taming to cleaning to feeding to dealing with medical issues. For many people, doing this gives them the satisfaction of quality interaction without the primary responsibility of having an iguana in their own family for the next 15-20 years.

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Melissa Kaplan
Anapsid.org