TRI-CITY HERALD (Kennewick, Washington) 10 November 05 Lost lizard (Elena Olmstead)
The critter in the large metal cage at Tri-City Animal Control in Pasco tilted its head back and closed its eyes as the facility's manager Bruce Young scratched it behind the ear.
The 4-foot-long green iguana leaned in, loving the attention.
The jumbo-sized lizard, which has been dubbed Fred by the animal control officer who has been caring for it, came to the shelter nearly a month ago. So far, no one's come looking for him.
Joe Roggenkamp said the shelter got Fred in mid-October after getting a phone call from two lawn maintenance workers who spotted it while they were mowing a lawn in Richland.
"He was just having a good ol' time in the flower bed," Roggenkamp said. "He was enjoying the sunshine."
Roggenkamp said the reptile wasn't difficult to capture. For the drive back to the shelter, he just turned up the heat in his truck and let the cold-blooded animal lay across the dashboard.
Once at the shelter, plenty of people were interested in adopting it, but Roggenkamp said he was intent on trying to find its owner.
"To get a lizard like this and let him walk off, I can't see that happening," he said. He's sure someone out there is looking for a lizard on the lam.
After 21Ú2 weeks without a phone call asking about an iguana, Roggenkamp decided to take Fred home. He borrowed a 5-foot cage from the shelter, placed several branches in it and put Fred in the spare bedroom.
Roggenkamp also got a quick education in lizard husbandry, using the Internet to learn what iguanas eat and what to expect with a large lizard lounging around the house.
Chris Ellis, manager of Aqua Tropics pet store in Kennewick, said the animals are vegetarians, eating mostly green, leafy vegetables and fruits. He said the size an iguana grows to has to do with how much it eats. The more food, the larger, with a 4-footer considered fairly good-sized.
Roggenkamp has found Fred to be fairly easy going, even willing to perch on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, the animal control officer has taken out an advertisement in the Herald in an effort to find Fred's owner. If no one claims him, Roggenkamp is prepared to give him a permanent home.
"He's ugly, but I like him," he said. "He'd have to do something pretty drastic to get kicked out."
Lost lizard