Iguanas

Iguanas are not ‘furry kittens with scales'.  They are beautiful exotic animals that can grow up to 6' long and live for up to 25 years, but they have exacting requirements to ensure that they remain fit and healthy.  Before adopting a ‘rescue' iguana, you need to ask yourself a few simple questions:-

• Do I have enough room for a habitat large enough to accommodate the iguana?
• Do I have the time to spend with it? (you will need to spend time handling it daily to keep it tame, clean its vivarium, and prepare food for it).
• Are you willing to pay vet's bills should your pet need specialist medical attention?
• Can you afford to provide a suitable habitat, light fixtures, heating devices, UV light bulbs (which need replacing every six months), food and vitamin drops etc?
• Will I still love it after a few years when the novelty of owning an exotic pet has worn off?

Before you even consider adopting an iguana, please find out all you need to know about them.  For a really good site on iguanas click here

And don't need buy an iguana from a pet shop (most ‘captive-bred' baby iguanas are actually ‘captive-hatched' the eggs having been taken from the wild).  Common problems for captive iguanas are metabolic bone disease from calcium deficiency, mouth rot, respiratory disease, abscesses, and ulcers. Wild iguanas do not suffer from any of these illnesses.

There are many rescue centres in the UK with a variety of abandoned animals.  D.W.A.R.F. takes in a constant stream of unwanted iguanas and it's a job to find them all homes.  Iain Newby who runs the centre will be very happy to talk about iguanas with you to help you decide whether one would make a suitable pet, and he can sometimes even provide you with a set up.  However, be prepared to be ‘grilled' on your knowledge of the species, and have your home vetted.

So you still want to adopt?

Take a look at our Exotics rehoming page to see what is available.....