Reptile & Amphibian Forums

At about 5:15 PM today CST I found a large green lizard with green spiney things on his back, and a green and black striped tail hanging onto the bricks at my front door. He jumped off the bricks and ran into my hedges, where he climbed quickly away from me, and I am not sure if he is still there since I can't see him. I live in Pensacola, FL by Perdido Key. If you have lost your lizard in the Pensacola Area please post. This lizard looks well-fed and happy, and they don't occur here naturally this large, or at least I have never seen one wild in this area. I don't know anything about lizards, but I have seen these in pet stores, and he doesn't appear to have a beard, but he does have a throat sack like chameleons have. I have some pictures of him in my digital camera but I can't figure out how to upload to this site. Thank you.

Out of curiosity, may it be a Green Iguana?
That sounds like what you're describing

Waddle, dorsal spines, Green/black tail.. Large
They're pure vegetarians (Greens please, no Lettuce, no matter how good you hear it is for Chompy, your neighbors anorexic Iggy)

Due to any number of releases from ill advised pet owners..
They have captured much of the more tropical florida, including several Islands..
I admit ignorance at where you are, so it's entirely probable it wasn't a wild animal, but instead a Captive, recently released or escaped..

Reccomendations: Post a few signs and notices, make sure the owner is legit and isn't someone wanting to make it BBQ (Down here in SoCal/Mexico, they're tree chickens)
If no sign of owner.. Try a local Reptile rescue of some sort or even keep it yourself.. If he let you take him without trouble, I don't wager his/her temperment is too bad..
I wish you the best in any area.
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2.3 Leos
2.0 Beardie
1.1 Common Boa
0.1 Sav (Bosc) Monitor
1.1 Ackies
0.1 Giant BW Tegu
Thousands of Roaches, T's, and Scorps.
Wish for: Candoia Sp, Frilled D

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2.3 Leos
2.0 Beardie
1.1 Common Boa
0.1 Sav (Bosc) Monitor
1.1 Ackies
0.1 Giant BW Tegu
Thousands of Roaches, T's, and Scorps.
Wish for: Candoia Sp, Frilled D

He did not let us "take him"...when we tried to shoo him (with a folded newspaper as I was afraid he would bite us) into an empty 30 lb cat litter container (like a big bucket) to try to hang onto him for someone who may have lost him, he jumped off the brick wall, grazed my leg, and waddled/ran like heck to the hedges, where he promptly disappeared into the vegetation and became very silent. I think he knew we were looking for him in the hedges and sat perfectly still so as not to make any noise!

We feed a stray outside cat canned &/or kibble cat food where he was found yesterday, and I think he may have been eating that even though they are supposed to be vegetarians...there's a "trail" in my lawn exactly where he ran that looks like maybe he has been here in my hedges awhile, eating my tomatoes and their leaves, as well as the catfood. The neighbor has a fishpond in her back yard with lots of tropical foliage and is overrun by frogs and snakes so there is plenty here to eat. I will post a few signs in the neighborhood, but if his owner wants him, I call him "Ernesto Verde Iguana" after the Hurricane spawned yesterday) he will have to be found & caught. I'm assuming owners of lizards can call their pets and the lizards come to be given food and can be caught???? Someone told me they are territorial, so I am assuming he is living in the hedges for now. It has been very hot and mostly dry but humid here in the Panhandle of Florida, and this area is considered Wetlands.
Thanks for the pic and response!

Yah, they're territorial.. ansd as far as the cat food goes... it's not too unusual, it's always possible that the owner fed him Monkey biscuts, and he knew to feed on such, though it contains proteins possibly killing because of the kidney troubles...
They're not used to it.
Iguanas eat anything but they are only supposed to feed on plant material...
But whatever keeps him feeding as it stands..

No, most lizards do not come when called, though occasionally, one can learn.. Iguanas are intelligent enough to do, though it depends on the individual... Tegus as well.

Hopefully you can find his owner.. otherwise.. call Animal rescues or otherwise in the area willing to take the Iguana.

Or who knows.. sorry, typing on the fly
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2.0 Beardie
1.1 Common Boa
1.1 Ackies
0.1 Giant BW Tegu
Thousands of Roaches, T's, and Scorps.
R.I.P. My Beautiful Savannah Monitor.. and my prized Leopard Geckos..

Hi I was just reading your post and I don't know if you have captured the Iguana yet, but; it will not survive the winter in Pensacola Fla. Iguana's are tropical species and won't survive your winter temps. So if it isn't brought indoors for the winter it will die from exposure. Next spring it can be put back outdoors when the temps reach 75*.

Hi kcaj,
I have not seen Ernesto the iguana since the first sighting when he ran into the hedges. I look for him daily, but as yet have not located him. There is a large rough area behind the houses on this street, we live in a golf club community, and it's like a jungle back there. I can't even walk through it, too many felled trees and weed overgrowth since Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and it is wetland. I am hoping he will come back to my bricks when it gets a little chilly, maybe he will remember the warmth he felt there on the side of my house by the door. I hope someone finds and captures him before the winter. Last winter was mild and didn't get underway until about December, so maybe there is time for him to be found before then. If I see him again, I plan to attempt capture, then take him to the pet store for them to take care of him until someone gives him a home or his owner can be found. I have 3 cats and a bird, and am not equipped to care for an iguana, but he is really a beautiful lizard. I just don't think I can afford a terrarium or find time to clean a lizard terrarium, and care for him as he should be cared for with all my other duties. No one has advertised losing an iguana in the papers or locally with signs, and no one called me when I put a sign up, so I think he was purposely let go...perhaps his owner was not aware he would grow so large and didn't want him anymore. Some people are just not cut out to own pets, and they don't find out till much later, after already acquiring one. I wish Ernesto the best and hope I can find and capture him before it gets cold.