Raising iguanas: Part I

The following information is made for the vegetarian green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and not for other iguanas as the egg lizard or the Chilean iguanas.

Before adopting an iguana you must know some basic things before making up your mind. Iguanas are reptiles, they are not common pets, that is why they are considered “exotic pets” and they are hard to domesticate. We mean by domesticate them to get them get slightly used to the presence of human beings.

Over half of baby iguanas bought as pets are less than one year old, which means that they are not easy to take care of, since they have to pass through many infectious and traumatic diseases.

Besides this, iguanas are carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to human beings, some of them quite severe as salmonella that can even cause death. They can also transmit bacterial diseases; - Mycobacterium, Aeromona, Campilobacter, Leptospira, Pasteurella, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Klebsiella, Neisseria, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, etc.- viral diseases, parasites, fungus and acari.

Raising iguanas demand lots of care, which jeans that you must count with good money, time and patience. And there are not much veterinarians specialized in iguanas or reptiles in general, so if your iguana gets sick or presents a strange symptom, it would be kind of tough to get a diagnosed and treatment for it.

Iguanas get stressed out so easily: by noise, human beings, other animals, cold, heat, bad nutrition, etc.; which could cause them severe diseases and death.

The most wanted exotic pet online

In the last years there has been produced a great pet exotic demand of the most assorted species; from midget rabbits to snakes.

For instance, iguana pets are very popular. There are over 300 species of this scaled and short-legged reptile, between terrestrials and marines. As for their behavior, they are lazy and indolent. They live around 40 years. Females start reproduction at seven.

Amongst the tortoises, the most wanted is the South American “red strip” (8 inches approx.), green and oval shell. They eat fish, larvae, amphibians, molluscs and vegetables, since they habitats are puddles and lagoons.

Another demanded exotic pet is the midget rabbit or exotic rabbit, specie that appeared just 30 years ago. It is very appreciated for its unique size, resistance and easy care. Besides, these mammals –no, they are not rodents- have the advantage of not acquiring human disease and not transmitting them.

Lizards belong to the saurian family and eat insects. Among the most requested are: chameleons, anolises, etc.

On the other side, their maintenance is not so expensive, since they can be kept in cages and their feeding is base don pellets. They are adaptable, caressing and do not make disturbing noises. They live approximately for 10 years.

But, undoubtedly the most popular exotic pet nowadays in the States and Europe is the ferret. The main inconvenient o this animal is its bad smell.

Last but not least, the last trend in exotic pet care is installing a pet aquarium at home, in which you can have fish in salad water, octopuses and midget sharks. Nevertheless, this alternative can be quite expensive for the high maintenance requirements.

The exotic pet boom

Although the most popular animals at home and the most favorite of grownups and children in special are still dogs and cats, in recent years there is an increasing boom of exotic pets, such as, ferrets, iguanas, snakes, and even crocodiles and sharks. These species come from faraway places, which supposes a higher cost, not only for their freight, but also for the special care and grooming they require.

So, before you buy one, it is better you are informed and conscious of treating it right. Besides, you have to consider that these pets suffer an important environmental and climatic change, for this, it would not be recommendable to buy an animal that would be unhappy at a home space.

Exotic pet recommendations

When you choose a pet you have to evaluate the pros and cons of each one, of the facility of living with it and its capacity to survive and live comfortably out of its natural habitat. Therefore, the first thing you have to take into account is that exotic animals, as snakes, iguanas or the different types of turtles are specially vulnerable at habitat and feeding change.

This way, the best is buying these animals at a specialized exotic pet store, where they can provide you useful advice and instructions on exotic pet care and nutrition.

In addition to this, get in contact with any relative or friend who has an exotic pet of the same specie of the one you want, to give you an idea of how it is really living with an exotic animal (which you can not always find in animals books).

Definitely, the most suitable thing is adapting your home’s environment to the animal’s needs, considering it comes after a long trip in –sometimes- not so good conditions. For this, and the increment of the illegal traffic of exotic animals, it is recommended to buy them in a specialized exotic pet shop that can guarantee accurate animal health conditions.

In case you choose a snake or iguana pet, it is recommended to build a terrarium to create a space similar to the pet’s habitat. This method also works for chicken spiders and ground hedgehog.