New Owner of an (Axanthic) Green Iguana

[Coconana]

Hey there guys! So, my fiancé texted me the other night saying 'hey hun, I guess we're getting a free blue iguana'. When he got home from work, he explained that his co-worker's wife's ex-husband bought their kid a baby iguana, but the wife wanted to give it and the setup away once she realized that she couldn't care for the iguana once the kid lost interest.

Although I've never owned an iguana before, both my fiancé and I are used to keeping other reptiles (and thankfully we have the time, space and utter determination to care for this one). I've triple-checked the items that s/he came with, and I'm relieved to say that our new addition has the correct lighting setup and enough hides/things to climb to keep it entertained for a good long while. If anybody here as experience with iguanas, I'd love to hear what you've got to say, especially when it comes to dietary requirements/suggestions, socialization and nail care.

The juvenile came to us in a big tank that we're going to section off once we pick up some plexi glass. It's filled with coco fiber, which we will be removing and replacing with reptile carpet tomorrow. S/he's about two feet long from nose to tail tip, and has obviously never been handled or worked with by anybody, though thankfully s/he doesn't whip. S/he is currently relaxing in a quiet corner, and will be given a few weeks to settle in before we start working with him/her.

They were feeding him/her a dry food diet with lettuce, so I ran to the store immediately to pickup some fresh organic butter squash, carrots, and parsnips, which were shredded in my grater and will be given to the juvenile with a mixture of fresh collard greens and kale. I've got mango and banana as well for the occasional tasty treat as well. Not sure where we can get a hold of alfalfa pellets around here, but we'll be looking for them at a local feed store later on in the week. We'll also be picking up some calcium supplement as well... I want to make sure this guy/gal gets put on a proper diet since that seems to be the biggest issue when it comes to longevity of captive iguanas.

Anyway, sorry for the wall! Here's the little one below. S/he's much, much bluer in person, and I'll do my best to get some better photos tomorrow when the room is filled with natural sunlight.

Thanks for taking a peek!! Again, I'd love to hear any suggestions experienced owners have for me to make this iguana's new life the best it can be.

 

[schmiggle]

Nothing to say about care, but that's a really nice looking iguana!

 

[Coconana]

Nothing to say about care, but that's a really nice looking iguana!

Thank you so much!! My partner showed me a picture of the little thing, and I was already signing up for various iguana keeping groups and sites to learn everything that I could!

I got a bit of a better photo of him/her last night while casually sitting and talking beside his/her cage.. Man, he gets bright blue when s/he's anxious.

This iguana's so quick! It was recommended to me to gently rub some coconut oil overnight onto the stuck shed along his/her spines, though I'm not sure if s/he will even let me get near enough to help with the issue. I sat down last night to sit beside the cage at a reasonable distance, and this thing launched itself across the entirety of the tank like a slingshot.

I watched him/her for a little while, and eventually the iguana started to calm down. When I sat broadside to the cage to look over my photos, s/he even started to get curious and stealthily moved closer to the side of the glass to investigate me. It's not much, but it's certainly a start!

 

[Mossae]

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but on the many Facebook posts I have read that blues seem to be a little more skittish than the greens or reds. Hopefully someone can chime in and correct me

 

[Shawnee]

Very cute little guy, but an iguana is a HUGE commitment, as I'm sure you are aware. Do you know if it's male or female? If it's male you need to be prepared for dominant and aggressive behavior as it gets older. It simply doesn't matter how well you tame it or how much time you spend with it, when it comes time for breeding season it is very possible he will get aggressive and dominant. Hopefully yours turns out female. He can be the nicest iguana you've ever seen for 10 years, until one day he "goes crazy." It happens with iguanas. Definitely do some reading on how to deal with that when the time comes, as iguana injuries are no joke, they can cause serious damage. Now, there are some very sweet iguanas out there. And even more nasty spawns of satan iguanas. It doesn't hurt to put as much time in with it as you can. This is a highly intelligent animal that with specific needs that if they are not met is going to end up a horrible situation.

Another thing to consider with an iguana, is their adult size. You will need to be able to comfortably house a 6 foot lizard if he does get that big. A lot of iguana owners just build a pen in their backyard and let it free roam because of how big they get. It's not feasible for a lot of people to have a 6 foot lizard inside because of how big an enclosure they'd need. Some people renovate an entire closet into a enclosure. They get BIG. It can be a rewarding experience raising an iguana, for the right person, but these animals are really high maintenance and in my opinion (And most others opinions) are not great reptiles for a beginner. It's good you have experience with other reptiles, but this is a whole other ball game than something like a ball python or a leopard gecko. Perhaps you have tegus, or some kind of monitors? Those are good animals to have experience with and will help you as you transition to an iguana.

 

[viper69]

I agree with Shawnee 100%. It's funny how iguanas got nailed as the best pet to have by so many people, likely do to iguana farming. When really the best lizard is probably a leopard gecko.

Sadly, too many iguanas are given up because people cannot house a 6' lizard, most people do not have the space to accommodate such a large reptile that is more active than a snake.

Male iguanas, once they hit puberty, their attitude sets in and they typically become difficult to deal with for most people. Yours is quite pretty.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I agree with Shawnee 100%. It's funny how iguanas got nailed as the best pet to have by so many people, likely do to iguana farming. When really the best lizard is probably a leopard gecko.

Sadly, too many iguanas are given up because people cannot house a 6' lizard, most people do not have the space to accommodate such a large reptile that is more active than a snake.

Male iguanas, once they hit puberty, their attitude sets in and they typically become difficult to deal with for most people. Yours is quite pretty.

Yeah. Reminds me one i know here in Italy.

Vegan, animal front, "oh spiders/T's? You criminal and your criminal enclosures! Leave those to their wild".
Therefore, years ago, Iguana was too big for his house.
Clowns.

 

[louise f]

Male iguanas, once they hit puberty, their attitude sets in and they typically become difficult to deal with for most people.

Yeah, when i was about 16 i had a really grumpy male Iguana , every time you crossed his path, he striked you with his tail like lightning, awww. But i loved him, still miss the big guy. Every now and then i think of getting one again. Either that or a dog.