Already in pms mode!
Now is the time in this site where I become "pms woman from hell!".
Some reptiles are definately easier to care for than others. As a rule, snakes are normally easier to care for than lizards, Iguanas being one of the most difficult (in my opinion as well as many other rescuers out there!) to care for PROPERLY! I stress properly because the vast majority of the ones i've seen, even in pet stores are not getting the proper diet and or space required for them.
Putting an iguana in a 20 gal. tank with several other baby iguanas is misleading, and honestly, any herp lover walks by, sees those cute little faces, checks the price and thinks "WOW! a 20 gal. tank and a Ig! what a deal!". What a deal indeed. What some stores fail to tell these people is that those cute little guys can get up to 6ft. in length and will shortly outgrow that little tank. Actually tho, now that I think about it, most don't survive to actually 'outgrow' that tank.
The sad reality
Some pet stores don't tell people, is that those little babies need to be fed fresh veggies and a bit of fruit daily, and if you really want it to live? Try twice a day. That means (for me anyway) standing at the counter for 2 hours out of my day chopping and peeling veggies into nice bite size strips for them. OH! and don't forget, they need vitamins, daily baths or at least access to a soaking place, their tanks cleaned and disinfected at LEAST weekly. More often if you aren't comfy training them to poop in your bathtub at the same time each day. This is to say nothing of the cost of heat lamps and undertank heaters. (NOT hot rocks!)
Gee, it sounds like I just hate iguanas! The opposite is actually true. I love them enough to provide the very best that i can, and have begged, borrowed and bartered in order to get them more, or 'better' than what they had. (hey, I'm not too proud to beg! they come first!). If you are inquiring about an iguana, be prepared, mine don't go to new homes easily. Convince me they'll be treated like the little beauties they are, and you have a great chance of adopting one. If not? Buy a cricket. They're easier to take care of (unless of course you're using them as prey for other reptiles and need them to eat and be healthy, then they die off 2 hours after ya get them home. argh!) AND they'll sing you to sleep at night!
Reptiles need love too!
Because of all the animals I've taken in and cared for, nursed back to health, laid awake at night and worried about or petted and tried to calm in the wee hours of the morning, i'm a bit pessimistic, and to be very honest, a bit hesitant to let any of my animals go. I've seen what and where they've come from, most I've had for over a year trying to tame and get back to health and it breaks my heart to hand them over.
need more info? try Melissa Kaplans site...shes awesome!
www.anapsid.org
