New Iguana (rescue case)

Well, I adopted another animal that was in need of rescuing. I really need to stop doing this

This time around it is an iguana. Well, Cherokee wanted a lizard and I found one. I wanted to start with a small one but after I heard this guys story I felt sorry for him and had to take him in.

When I talked to the woman on the phone I found all that all she had been feeding him was grapes (sigh). He belonged to her husband, who has since left, and she has tried for three months to find this guy a home (no luck until I felt pity on him) and everyone in the house was scared to death of him. He is about 2 (I would guess, he is almost full grown), part of his tail is missing (she didn't tell me this on the phone)...

Let me back up

We went to where the iguana was, the house wasn't that clean, there was a fly strip in his cage , he didn't have any water in with him, looked like he hadn't had water in a while, his cage was secured so well it was **** near impossible for me to get it open to get him out, so how in the world were they able to open it to feed him? I am told that he is pretty tame and has been handled, yadda yadda yadda. Well, since everyone in the house was so afraid of him he hasn't been handled or played with in like three months or so. He got out when we got home and really didn't want to get back in the cage.

We got him some water, need to hook his heat rocks back up, have to go pick up his "real" cage (he is in a huge dog crate tonight since we couldn't get the cage in the van with everyone...I don't even really want that cage because you can't get it open so I need to come up with something quickly since we have to take the dog crate back tomarrow when we pick up his actual cage) Gave him some water that he is playing in, gave him some fruits and veggies sprinkled with reptocal (I really think he needs it). Gave him a stick from the back yard to climb on.

So, any advice on iguana rehab? Cage ideas?

He seems pretty mellow. Letting the kids pet him and scratch his chin and everything. Seems to be enjoying it. However, when he got out he really didn't want to go back and gave me a really hard time about it all.

Georga
The Zoo Keeper

I was just telling Chris that I am really unhappy with the heat rocks. An idea that I seen on one of the kids TV shows had a neat idea if they had to be used, and that was to put other rocks around the heat rock to difuse some of the heat. These are two pretty good size heat rocks. Our house is hot/humid enough right now that we shouldn't need anything like that anyway.

As I said, we have to go pick up his cage tomarrow. It was a homemade thing, overall it isn't "bad" but it is not something I would use. The bottom of it was covered in those large woodchips. Yea, easy to clean material there. The light is built into it (going to rip that out and keep it, probably going to give him the turtles lamp for tomarrow until we get his stuff). There was a fly strip hanging up in there covered in flies. ICK! I have good reason to believe that not only was he neglected but he was abused as well.

He is easily 2 1/2 to 3 feet long.

When he discovered that I put food in there he scarfed it down. I think I might need to put more in there before we go to bed. He acted like he hadn't eaten in some time. Poor thing.

Ordered Iguanas for Dummies from Barnes and Nobles yesterday. We do have a couple of misc. reptile books in the house (one is just on iguanas and there isn't much info in there).

Thanks for the help.
This would have been easier (at least I would have had half a clue) had we started with a small one and were with it from day one than having to re-acculmate the animal. Leave it to me to bring home an unwanted castaway (isnt the first time, probably won't be the last)

Georga the Zoo Keeper
(had a friend tell me once that I should just open a petting zoo and charge people admission)

[Lizgirl]

Jorgha,

I am so proud of you. Rescued iguanas can be rewarding. It sounds like he will warm to you and your family especially after you shared how your kids were able to touch him. Just keep handling him.

Another good book to read is Green Iguana The Ultimate Owner's Manual by James W. Hatfield.

One way to get the iguana to willingly go into his cage is to put his food in there and then trail food from outside the cage to inside the cage. Don't worry about over feeding him right now. He might be under nourished.

Toirt's advice is good.

Look at the pic. of our cage. If it isn't then pm me and I will send you one. My hubby built it out of 2 x 4's and plexiglass.

Well, we got the iguana (we were told it was a "he" and I found out it was a "she" and she came with the name Kahula....Cherokee now calls her Godzilla) into her temporary cage (large wire dog crate with the tray put on the bottom of the cage instead of under it) and she seems really happy in there. Lots of air flow (something she didn't have before), sunlight (something else she didn't have), etc. Found a large branch in the backyard (we have a lot of brances come down out there, you can never get all the sticks and branches up) and she just loves her stick and looking out the window.

What I learned today after getting her in some really good light is that you can see her ribs, poor thing. Chris went back tonight because we were supposed to pick up the cage, Chris told her we didn't want it but we did need the light. The light isn't even the proper light. It is just one of those long lights like you seen in some kitchens and closets and bathrooms.

I think the weirdest thing that I have witnessed with her is her jumping from the chair to my husbands computer table. I didn't realized they could jump like that. She got up there and just started knocking everything off the table (hence the Godzilla name) and decided that the computer monitor was a good place to perch.

I have no idea where the second heat rock got off to (thought about putting it in there just as a rock), but the first one went in the trash because it was broke....I mean I have no idea what was holding it together, probably just the heating elements.

She is eating like nuts. The guinea pigs are getting mad at me because Godzilla is getting "their" dandilion leaves. LOL!

She loves the attention the kids give her and she let me pick her up today when we moved her into the other cage.

Well, that is the iguana update.

Thanks for the help everyone.
Never had to rehabilitate a reptile before.

Well, right now you can see her ribs. and she is only about half grown. I wish I knew how much of her tail is missing. She also acts like her water pool is the greatest thing in the world. Wonder how long she was without it.

It is amazing that they can jump like that. They don't really look like they could jump like that. I suppose when she is full grown that is really going to freak me out.

[Lizgirl]

Jorgha,

Just watch out for your house plants. Isaac thinks he can eat whatever is green. He is doing better inside, but he still likes to nibble on my outdoor pots if I don't keep a close eye on him.

They like to up high, hence their ability to climb. I always thought Isaac's back legs looked like those of a frog. They can jump easily as you've witnessed, getting down is another matter. They are not graceful and often clumsy.

It sounds like Kaluha/Godzilla is doing great and now has a loving family. It sounds like she will reward you as well. Just give her lots of love and attention. Try to get a UVA/UVB bulb soon. That will help her maintain good coloring, energy, and health. The sunlight is great, but if it comes through the window, it filters out all of the healthy rays that she needs. When she is more accustomed to you and knows you, you can try venturing outside with her.

You might want to fashoin a leash for her. Trevor used a piece of leather and a nut and bolt. The leather was cut in the shape of an "H" with the middle being very wide. Then he brought the other four pieces around the forelegs and together at the spines. Then he connected them through holes in the leather with the nut and bolt. He had several holes so he could adjust the leash as Isaac got bigger. He is of course too big now for his first couple of leashes and he seems calm and confident enough to go outside on his own without a leash. We still keep an eye on him. He doesn't like the noise of lawn mowers and he has a tendancy to chase people who are afraid of him. I don't know if it is because he can smell fear or what. It is funny, especially when one of the people happened to be our landlady who is on our list of people who need to be chased.

Again I am glad that you took her in. I would rescue more if I had the room. However Our apt. is overflowing with lizards, people and stuff as it is. It would be mean of me to introduce anymore.

Well the bad thing is (or maybe it is a good thing with all the animals in the house these days) is I can not keep any plant alive. I kill everything (but aloe) that I touch. Don't ask me why, I don't know.

The window is open except for at night so I know at the moment she is getting both filtered and direct rays The windows start about a foot from the floor and go up the ceiling. She likes looking out them. It's kind of funny to see from outside. Have a cat in one window and a lizard looking out the other.

Thought about getting her a leash. Cherokee wants to take her outside for walks. Our front yard is like a dandilion field so she would have a grand feast out there. LOL!

all all
I make cages,and sell them for $75.00. theyre nice because you can put a heat lamp on top and a uvb lamp also. there is a tree and basking shelves also.you could use this for young iguanas or other small pets or even small birds.
If you need a large cage, I saw one where they used a childs small plastic swimming pool for the base and large hardware cloth to make a circular cage, then all you need to do is make the top out of the same thing. I would use machine screws and washers to hold it in place and make a door, similiar to the one i have on my cages. If you want to check them out i can send you some photos.
good luck with your iguana.
kym sue:hershey:

[shoot259]

jade how big are the cages?

[canadiancritter]

Old thread. Last post was from 2002