Adopt an iguana

EnRICHing the iguana/keeper relationship through accurate care information and compassionate re-homing.

ADOPTABLE IGUANAS

Lucy

LUCY

Lucy's keeper contacted RICA to see if we could find a new, loving home for Lucy. This was a very hard decision to make, but due to her situation, she felt it was in Lucy's best interest. Lucy is very tame and has been well cared for. The following is Lucy's bio:

Female
Iguana age: 12
SVL: 14 inches
STL: 21 inches (she lost much of her tail)

Reason for new needing a new home: We have a newborn and the household has become too busy to give sweet Lucy the attention she deserves.

Vet care and health history: I have been Lucy's sole owner since she was an inch long. She's been well cared for with regular vet visits whenever necessary. She's in great health. She broke her tail about 4 years ago and as a result much of it had to be amputated about 4 years ago. It healed well.

Diet: Lucy eats hearty greens, such as kale or dandelion, daily. (I sprinkle it with a calcium supplement a few times a week.) We add other foods when in season. She absolutely loves green beans, strawberries and cantaloupe, for example. Sometimes I add dry iguana pellets as well. We provide her with a bowl of fresh water daily, too.

Habitat and living conditions: Lucy's been free-roaming for her entire life, though she spends roughly 90% of her time in the area we have set up for her with appropriate lights and heating pads. (Right now it's an expanded bookshelf in my home office, but closets minus the door have worked very well in the past). She comes down to go to the bathroom in her litter box and every once in a while to hang out and explore the room or house.

Temperament: She's very sweet and calm and social. Since Lucy enjoys being around people, she'd prefer a cage/open home in an active spot in your home. She's never once bit anyone (and has no tail to snap!) and is popular with all my friends' kids, who love to pet her and spray her with water. I've even taken her to a senior center to meet residents. She will bob her head when she's feeling stressed, but we just listen to her and leave her be, then, and she soon calms down. We have a dog she generally gets along with, though she has shown signs of jealousy lately. Lucy would prefer to be the center of attention.

Handling: Lots, for her entire life. It's no problem at all to pet Lucy or carry her.

House broken: Yes

House breaking details: She has an old rabbit cage that she goes in (there's litter in the tray under the cage, so it's easy to pull out and clean). In the past, she's also used a water box and the tub.

Included with iguana: You can have everything -- the wood perches and "ladders" we've outfitted her home with in the past, her water dish, heating pad, lights, litter cage. I'd be happy to talk through outfitting the space you have in mind for her as well.

Other information: I am so sad to come to the decision that a new home would be the best situation for Lucy. I want to be sure she goes to a home that will love and appreciate her and properly care for her so she can best enjoy her remaining years. She's a good girl.

Lucy is a very tame 12 year old female

Hi! My name is Lucy! Pleased to meet you!

There is some slight regeneration at the end of her tail

I need a new home. Will you adopt me?

Flower

2/4/2010

Flower was left outside on a snowbank in St. Paul, MN on 1/28/2010. The temperature was about 4 degrees. A kind man named Tony discovered her there and took her in. She was already limp and couldn't move. He warmed her up, and she revived. At first, he and his girlfriend, Vicky thought of keeping the young iguana. They called me and I went over there to look at it and give them instructions on iguana husbandry. However, after a few days, they realized they wouldn't be able to give the proper care it needed. So they surrendered the iguana to RICA on 2/3/10.

Flower is resting comfortably and basking. She ate all her food today. She is skinny, but not emaciated. Her right hand does not seem right and she has a rostral abrasion. Flower will be seeing Dr. Baillie on Monday.

Clearly, this is animal abuse. If Tony hadn't found her and taken her in, she would have frozen to death, which is very painful. We do not know what the long term affects this will have on her future health.

Flower is estimated to be about two years old.

Update: 3-10-2010

Flower is doing very well! She is eating like a horse and uses her poopy box! She still has her fingers and toes, but the end of her tail is dying off. How much of it she will lose, remains to be seen. Flower hates being touched. She is probably not ready for adoption yet, unless by a very experienced, and patient keeper who fully understands and accepts iguana behavior.

Hi! My name is Flower!

Lil' H

Iguanas can hold their breath for a long time

Ahh, a nice bath in my private spa!

Help! The hand monster has me!

1-24-09

Another surrender from the MN Herpetological Society. And like all the others, we have gotten no prior information. A good guess would be that it was an unwanted Holiday present. It's hard to name a hatchling because there's no way of telling if it is a male or female. That won't be evident for a few years until it reaches sexual maturity. For now, Lil' H is eating very well, and is even shedding! And yes, that is a cereal bowl Lil' H is submersed in. Remember, this little hatchling will grow up to be a 5-6 feet long and 10-15 pound adult iguana! Many people keep their hatchling in a 55 gallon, or even 125 gallon aquarium. This will work for the first year. The problem, however, is that you have to reach in from the top. That is like being a predator to the baby iguana and is guaranteed to freak it out! The challenge then, when using this type of habitat, is to come at Lil' H from the side, rather than above. Also important, is that exposure to UVB light is extremely important during the first three years. This is when the bones, muscles and nerves are developing. Make sure the cover is not glass or plastic as that filters out all of the UVB. Also a too tightly woven screen can filter out as much as 30% of the UVB light. The advantage of this size tank is that it is long enough for a baby iguana to thermoregulate. You can create a warm side and a cool side and that is ideal. However, the problem is after about a year, the baby is no more! Now, the hatchling is yearling and ready for his/her new enclosure. It is a myth that an animal only grows to the size of its cage. While it is true that the growth is slowed down, resulting in a stunted lizard, the iguana will still grow, if at a greatly reduced rate. Just be prepared to build a custom cage in about a years time. With hatchlings, you will have to build a few cages to accomodate their growth. But by about 4-6 years, you should have a big enough enclosure to house your iguana for the rest of its life.

Lil' H is getting big!

hatchling iguanas will grow about a foot a year.

Lil' H has grown a lot!

My, how Lil' H is getting big!

Lil' H is literally a handfull!

KING

1-24-09

King is one amazing iguana! He is about 7.5 years old, and what a difficult and challenging life he has had. When you look at the photos, you will either feel repulsed, or pity. Please resist those feelings and admire him for his determination to survive.

First you will notice how deformed his jaw is. The lower jaw is stunted and does not meet up with the upper jaw. It is also offset. The front of the upper jaw is exposed underneath. His nostrils are somewhat closed up and this makes it hard for him to breathe when he gets excited.

He is missing about two thirds of his tail. It doesn't appear that it will be growing back. It has healed nicely, though, and it was probably amputated for whatever reason we don't know.

King was surrendered to the MHS in September 2008. He was adopted by a member who was overwhelmed by his care and gave him up to a local Animal Humane Society. They contacted MHS, who contacted RICA, and on 1-24-09 I went to take a look at him. The vet at the Humane Society gave King subcutaneous fluid treatment. I brought him to RICA's main foster facility and had him soak in a nice warm bath for a half an hour. He was placed in large enclosure that has appropriate UVB lighting and heat.

He is actually an active guy and explored his new surroundings. He also gets a bit cheeky and even bobbed his head at me a few times! He ate very well too. I was concerned about how he was going to eat with his upper jaw jutting out so far. And the best part, is that he knew right where the poopy box is, and has pooped in it twice already!

So when you look at King, think of his namesake and see the indomitable spirit that resides in his broken body. You will be inspired.

Lack of UVB light can cause bone deformities

My name is King

feed your iguana fresh food such as dark greens, not iceberg

I eats my yummies!

I may not be pretty, but I sure am smart!

2/23/09 UPDATE ON KING

King had his vet check and the good news is that his blood chemistry is within normal range. He had an elevation of white blood cells, and was put on an antibiotic treatment, which was finished in two weeks. The bad news is that the rest of his tail is fused up to his hips. He is getting around very well, but as this is usually a progressive disease, it will only get worse. However, none of that has stopped King from going into breeding season! For about two weeks, he was allowed the use of a plush "sex" toy to relieve himself.

King is eating well, and has shed a few times. He is also very mobile for an iguana with spondylosis.

King will be a special needs iguana for the rest of his life. Due to the way his jaw is deformed, some of the mouth tissue is exposed at the very front of the upper jaw. This will have to be monitored for trauma, should he fall or rub his face on a wall. In addition, the fusing of his vertebrae will probably continue to advance up his back. His fingers and toes are crooked, mostly likely due to past hyperparathyroidism. He will need special housing with easy to climb ramps.

12-25-09

King continues to due well in spite of his shortcomings. He is finishing up his breeding season and throughout it all, he still ate like a horse!

King still have a very healthy appetite!

There is tender flesh on his snout

iguana skin can take a long time to heal.

King's snout has healed very well!

Izzy

Izzy is a young female who has had her first breeding season. In June 2009 she laid 25 eggs! She is about three years old and has had only one keeper. Izzy is a nervous, wary girl who can't get enough to eat. She is very active and doesn't care to be handled much. She will hang out on my shoulder, but too often she just wants to climb up to my head. She has most of her tail, and by that I mean she has only lost maybe the very tip of it. Her fingers and toes are in good shape and the rest of her body is well formed. She is not a picky eater and will lick the platter clean! Izzy has not been very good about using the poopy box, but hopefully, as she gets older, she will be more likely to. No guarantees! She is probably best adopted by an experienced iguana keeper who understands iguana behavior.

1-17-2010 Update

Izzy is getting fed twice a day now, and it seems to help with her personality. She is still wary and startles easily, but she seems to have calmed down, if just a little bit. Most iguanas can be offered food once a day, but Izzy will thrive with twice a day feedings. More good news is that she has been pooping in her poopy box! This is quite an accomplishment and I think it means she is becoming more tame.