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Post by zeus on Dec 22, 2005 18:06:42 GMT -5
Hello to everyone, i am new to this site as i have just acuired a iguana. yesterday actually. i adopted it from petco, the only info they had was that the people who dropped it off said it was about a year old and that its a dessert iguana. ive done some searching and i can clearly see that its not. so my question is can anyone identify this little guy?? well hes not very little about 1 1/2 to 2 feet total, and i think its a female. i need to know what she is so i can give her the proper care, along with peace of mind. she is very fiesty right now but im sure after she gets settled i will be able to handle her, i hope anyway. enough blabbing, lets see some pics!  |
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Post by Marie on Dec 22, 2005 18:27:41 GMT -5
Welcome Zeus,
I think you got a Ctenosaura Similis or Black Iguana. They tend to be aggressive and bitey. They are herbivores but tend to be omnivores when babies.
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Post by zeus on Dec 22, 2005 18:36:02 GMT -5
yes i was just doing some more searching and was going to post that but you beat me to it. I think its either a Ctenosaura pectinata, or like you said similis, thats a bummer, i want to be able to handle her but if thats innevitable i just might take her back how can i tell if its male or female?
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Post by Marie on Dec 22, 2005 18:55:50 GMT -5
Just because they tend to be aggressive and bitey doesn't mean they are impossible to handle. May take a lot longer. I hear you shouldn't try taming until 1 year old. You will need to get some good gloves though to do it--IgGrips. As for the male/female, I am not sure.
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Post by Marie on Dec 22, 2005 19:32:34 GMT -5
I've been told that like green iguanas you may be able to tell the gender by the pores. Also if it is a juvenile to feed it crickets with the greens.
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Post by zeus on Dec 22, 2005 19:43:47 GMT -5
thanks for all the replies, unfortunately i decided to return him. he was just way too aggressive for me. if you even put your finger next to the tank he would hiss and spaz out. being my first iguana i didnt think i should start with him, also i want something tame like a regular iguana i guess. the pet shop wasnt too happy, but i mean cmon, they said it was a dessert iguana, i passed along the info i found about him but it seemed they didnt care much. The way i see it, it would have been returned either way since at the same time i was looking at him a mother and daughter came in and if i didnt take him they would have, i probably saved the girl a bite or two. well, lesson learned, do not take something unless you know exactly what your getting, he was just so cool looking and different. next time.
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Post by ChamZilla on Dec 22, 2005 19:52:27 GMT -5
Just remember to do research before you bring a pet home next time also. And don't buy anything on impulse. Iguana's take time to be social they just arn't born that way. My male has bitten me quite a few times and he's only 1 year and a few months or so. And let me tell you he was a rescue too, but it takes time and patience with any animal. If you get an iguana as a baby and its tame and lets you do anything to it, its probably not in great health at all. So make sure you read up as much as you can  Good luck on your searching. But iguana's arn't a beginners pet at all. Might try a blue tongue skink or something like that to start out. Or an Anole. |
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Post by Marie on Dec 22, 2005 19:52:40 GMT -5
Sorry it didn't work out. Green iguanas are only tame if you tame them though and they can become aggressive during breeding season. And on rare occassions don't come out of that aggression. If you want to adopt, I like to suggest you check this adoption listing www.greenigsociety.org/rescue.htm Also someone posted about an iguana that needed a home but that one may take some taming. |
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Post by Dominick on Dec 22, 2005 21:09:49 GMT -5
It was indeed Ctenosaura Similis, a spiney tailed iguana. And yes, they are quite a handful.
Best if you stay away from the iguanid family. They all tend to be difficult to tame and if you are not up for the challenge, best not to attempt it.
Try a bearded dragon, in my opinion one of the best pets you can get!
Good luck!
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Post by zeus on Dec 23, 2005 18:19:10 GMT -5
haha, well by beginer i ment ive never had an iguana, ive owned plenty of other reptiles and animals. the only reason i took him so quickly was because they said if i wanted him i had to take him, i did ask if i could come back cuz i wanted to do a little research first. i understand that any reptile will need patience, but this being my first iguana i wanted a good experience, and the fact that this one is one of the more aggressive ones i didnt want to keep him and then 6 months down the road have a 3-4 foot lizard that is ready to take my hand off when i change his water. get what im saying? I might just go for a snake instead next time. and yes i know what im doing there also, ive been into reptiles since i was eating carpet fuzzies. thanks for the replies
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Post by Patrick Kubeja on Dec 24, 2005 7:51:12 GMT -5
Hey there Zeus
That was a nice spiny tail you had there sorry you did not want to keep it. I wish you did, it can be an exciting experience in having one. But research is the best before you get any reptile.
And yes I do know what you are saying I bought a Amazon Tree Boa once not a beginner snake at all and I did not know anything about it till I got home and read up on it. Well the end story it died.
But after I read up on them I found that getting a proven eater is the best! Then you do not have to worry about the eating part.
Now before I got my Cyclura I read up on them the information I could fine that is and talk to people that had them. And now Bronx’s is thriving here in my house….
Will that is all I have to say I hope you did not take anyone’s post the wrong way because it was not the intention we are here to help in anyway we can…
Thanks
Patrick
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Good luck on your searching. But iguana's arn't a beginners pet at all. Might try a blue tongue skink or something like that to start out. Or an Anole.
