Beware of Attack Iguanas!
My older sister and her family were never much for animals. In fact, when her daughter’s bird died, her comment was, “oh, good, I do not have to feed it any more.” To make matters worse, her husband is highly allergic to animal fur and dander. I never thought the day would come when my sister would have an awakening, but the animals of the world had much in store for her. I know she has fallen in love with at least five creatures, loved and cherished them each. They all found her, too, when she wasn’t looking. Critter, Ed and Buddy all have their own stories, dogs who found a home under impossible circumstances – but their stories are for another day. Animals can do that to you, sneak up to your well-protected heart and climb right in, even when there is a “No Vacancy” sign clearly displayed there.
Friends of theirs who were leaving for New Zealand had asked them to adopt their dachshund; she had papers and there had been generous offers, but they wanted a home where she would be happy. She had already claimed her new family, even sleeping on their sleeping bags on campouts. The pup was affectionate, small, and peppy, so my sister thought it would be fun. Bijou, as she had been named, became an accompaniment on many of the road races my sister and her family participated in. She could run faster than the wind and had the stamina of a camel. I was always amazed that such a tiny creature could be so determined and so speedy! For an ankle-high canine, she was able to become a part of their family, despite her obvious height restrictions. And her nearly hairless body did not pose so much distress for my brother-in-law.
Molting
One day my sister heard Bijou barking up a storm in their yard, which was out of the city in the peaceful Ojai Valley. She rushed out, only to find a small iguana swimming in her pool! My sister promptly got the pool strainer and rescued the beast, with Bijou barking all the while. This was the dramatic entrance of a tiny, scaly creature that was destined to win my sister’s heart. He was about six inches long, scaly and green. Not sure what to do about this intruder, my sis set to work to find out if he might be missing from somewhere nearby, to no avail. She then began researching how to care for her new houseguest, who was soon to become a family member.
The iguana got through where no one else had. My sister became intensely attached to its welfare and dedicated her downstairs bathroom (sorry, guests!) to it. Her hubby initially made a large wire cage for it, but after a while, the iguana was too large and too bored with it, so it took over the entire room. The iguana required a lot of heat; they need to be kept at about 90 degrees in order to sythesize their food properly. I hesitate to think what their heating bills were, but that room was the warmest in their entire house. And the iguana must have been healthy, because it grew absolutely HUGE – now almost five feet long! The bathroom had windows, so he was free to look out at all the greenery outside their home. Best of all, he was safe.
This iguana has been through a lot of adventures, despite living indoors. They named it Jack, but came home following a luncheon to find 43 eggs had been laid! Hello Jackie, Good-bye Jack! She got free from her harness in the wintertime at one point; my sister was sure she would perish because it gets mighty cold in the valley in winter. But the neighbors called, and reported she had fallen from their tree into a pile of bricks. My sister went to retrieve her, thinking they were bringing her home to die. Surprisingly, after a bit of a patch up, she was fine. Her wanderlust seemed to cease after that, and she was content to roam about her room and the rest of the house (with my sister of course) for the duration. She gets outside for the occasional sunbath too. (See photo)
Enjoying the sun
Jackie is now well over a decade old and quite healthy. Her diet consists of a lot of greens and a few carefully selected vegetables and treats. She practically leaps on you if you approach her with a pancake piece. Other than the vet patching her up a time or two, she has been relatively problem-free. So many young iguanas never grow to their full size due to limitations of diet and environment, ignorance of pet owners, and being killed outdoors by cats and dogs. To learn how to properly care for your iguana, should you live with one, please check out this Green Iguana Society website for further information. With the proper environment, iguanas can live long, healthy lives with human guardians to keep them safe.
Outside Jackie’s room is a sign that reads, “Beware: Attack Iguana.” And she has attacked, too, right through an entire family’s defenses (along with those canine pals I mentioned). If you were to visit her family, you would be allowed to see her under my sister’s watchful eye – she is a member of family after all. I am not sure how much longer Jackie will live, but most captive iguanas do not live very long, although they can live for over two decades with proper care. When a certain small iguana took a dive into a swimming pool, she selected just the right one, with just the right barking dog to welcome and save her. Pretty clever, those iguanas….
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