I have an adopted female green iguana which I’ve had for more than two years now, and she is an absolute gem. Sure she is in no way the best looking iguana, and shows signs of a hard life. Typical iguana story- parent gets iguana for kid, kid grows up and leaves home and parents decide not to keep kids pet iguana. Well, this is the “lucky iguana” version, where it is not abandoned, left to die or neglected, “set free” or in any other way damaged beyond repair. She is 16 years old, which is all well documented, so I know she is no spring chicken. A few months ago, just after moving into a new house, I was gifted (read- left with…) a male iguana. No biggie, feeding more than one is not that much worse. I do a lot of presentations and shows with the animals and the extra “cast members” come in handy. He had his tail amputated and some other minor procedures before I got him, and so he’s had his fair share too. But he has a great personality and even at 6, has not turned nasty in any way.
Problem was, I was not set up for another Iggie, so, lo and behold, nature takes over and I’m left with a gravid female iguana
. A bullet I had hoped to dodge since it was a very short exposure to the male before I got him his own cage built. So, it’s my fault of course, but now I’m left with the decisions;
Do I incubate the eggs, and add to the MILLIONS of baby iguanas entering the country, knowing that there is no market for them, and even if I manage to sell more expensive CBB babies, that they have a large chance of being the next abandoned herp?
Do I boil or freeze the eggs? In my heart I would feel really bad doing this, but this course of action has been suggested and advocated by many, including notables such as Melissa Kaplan.
I would not mind going for a happy medium, incubating a few. They might be infertile, and then the choice is made for me, though I’ll know soon enough. I would not mind having one or two baby Iggs, they are a joy and would be nice to raise “perfect, happy and healthy iguanas”. Something I have not had the opportunity nor honor of doing. And in the back of my mind I know that soon enough, I’m going to have to replace my female iguana too, which will suck, but be made easier knowing that they will be “hers”. I know what the logical choice should be, and when the time comes I should just adopt one.
But none the less, I figured, get it out there, even as a cautionary tale. It happens, and we have to deal with it. My hope it that how we (or I) deal with it, shows the right moral and ethic character.