Did you start as a keeper with iguanas?

Did you start as a keeper with iguanas? I started with wild caught snakes and lizards when I was young. the first store bought reptile was a green iguana. I had him for several years. Did you start being a keeper with a green?

Nope not me. I started with rescues that hate people. Kind of an odd way to go, my first iguana was an adult that was as mean as they get, but it worked. I love iguanas, this is our current one:


We usually adopt out the ones we get in when we are sure they are ready to go to a good home. This one though has me wrapped around her fingers and I will not be adopting her out. She is about 9 years old or more, when we picked her up her colors were almost solid black. She is just doing great.

Good looking iggy Michael!! How old is she? I have a female about the same size. The one I have is a five year old.

She is somewhere around 9 years old, she came with an injured tail and missing nails. Something that we were not expecting was her to grow her nails back, if you saw her toes when we got her, you would not beilieve it either. She is one of the most interesting iguanas we have had to date, she hated men when we got her. Now she loves it when I hand feed her, if I just toss her greens in the cage she will stare at them on the plate and not eat. She is not very good around other men and is okay around women, it is so cool to know that she trusts me. She does not like it when my wife feeds her, she sits on her perch and gets a bit snotty.

with starting out with those painted red ear sliders from the very gone days of the Cats drugstores and the Wool Worths department stores. THEN was the green iguanas. Although I never ever kept the green iguanas species I sure in the heck sold hundreds and hundreds ( unfortunately ) in my retail days.

Originally Posted by old guy

with starting out with those painted red ear sliders from the very gone days of the Cats drugstores and the Wool Worths department stores. THEN was the green iguanas. Although I never ever kept the green iguanas species I sure in the heck sold hundreds and hundreds ( unfortunately ) in my retail days.

I too remember those days of old. It seems like just yesterday, man I am getting old. I remember my first iggy. He was named nub, he was a sure import. I picked him out of about ten others. He had only three legs, one of his front legs was gone at the elbow. I felt sorry for the little guy, thus the reason for my choice.

Michael, I also know about the rescues of iguanas. Not long ago, I was given a female with a real bad case of tail rot. She was in real poor shape. I had to remove the tail above the black rotting part. She was very yellow when I got her and just so thin. I got her on antibiotics and am very happy to say, she has a new home, and is doing just awesome.

I have told my wife that I would not take in any more iguana rescues, but I can not seem to say no to a reptile in need. Especially one in such dire need as that girl was in.

I started with an Iguana, I had a few when I was younger, but everytime they got to be about 3 feet or so, my parents would make me sell it. I'd sell it and soon enough I'd get another one, and same thing. Then I went to anoles and geckos for a while, then when I got to be about 11 I didn't have anything anymore. Then just about 2 years ago I got back into it, with two more iguanas (rescues) and then I sent them off to new homes where I know they will be happy for the rest of their lives. I then bought my female tegu and everything else i have after that. I currently have a 3 legged iguana who is missing his front right arm right above where the elbow would be. I took him in because a pet store was going to kill him because he was missing that leg. Needless to say, I couldn't let that happen, he was a great eater, and active and beautiful colors, he's really skittish, but he didn't diserve to die. So he's in my hands now.

Good job taking him in Art!! It is good to know there are people willing to help with rescues.

I started with a green ig that was kept in too small of a cage, was chewed up by the owners black lab, fed only a diet of romaine and cucumbers....two of the least nutritious veggies! She had no UV light and was cold as a stone. To this day, she prefers to be cold rather than warm....somehow she just got used to it in the 2 years they owned her. She is now 16 years old, loved and spoiled rotten, has been a free roam ever since we got her, very loving gal. We now have an Eastern box turtle and two new baby igs as well..........no traditional pets, just reptiles.