Reptile Awareness Day

October 21st and it’s Reptile Awareness Day. Currently there are 435 animals listed for adoption on petfinder.com. That, of course, is a mere fraction of the pets who are discarded. Unwanted snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and amphibians, perhaps more than any other pets, are dumped in the wild or  ignored and left to die rather than being re-homed. So as you enjoy some of my favorite reptile photos below, remember these creatures are as deserving of caring and responsible ownership as any other animal.

“SALAMANDER, n. Originally a reptile inhabiting fire; later, an anthropomorphous immortal, but still a pyrophile. Salamanders are now believed to be extinct, the last one of which we have an account having been seen in Carcassonne by the Abbe Belloc, who exorcised it with a bucket of holy water.” ~ Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1914)

Go Green: Save An Iguana

Iggy died of neglect. I never got to meet him, which I regret, as I might have been able to help him.

I first heard of Iggy’s existence soon after moving to a new home. The next door neighbor came out to chat and during the course of the conversation commented on how difficult it was to get her teenage son to take care of his iguana. You know, the usual problems with testosterone-driven, defiant 15-year old man/boys. I didn’t think much of it at the time. The mother apparently was aware of the problem and I simply assumed that she was responsible enough to take care of it. Wrong!

A few weeks later the woman told me that Iggy was dead. Seems her son kept forgetting to feed the poor creature and by the time Iggy was taken to a doctor it was too late to save him.

Adding a Rescued Iguana to Your Family

Not everyone wants a pet who’s cute and cuddly or who can fly around the house. Many who want a different type of pet opt to purchase or to adopt an iguana. Iguanas require specialized care and, because of that, there are an abundance of iguanas who have been rescued and who are awaiting loving homes.

Rescued iguanas typically come from abusive or neglectful situations and, as a result, are unhealthy and will need a lot of care and attention. A rescued iguana may also require considerable, expensive veterinary care, something you must carefully consider before you decide to adopt a rescued iguana.

Caring for a rescued iguana is much different than caring for other types of pets. Some of the factors you should take into consideration when making a decision, include:

Time and patience. Abused iguanas are going to be mistrustful and frightened, especially at first, which is natural for any animal that has been hurt at the hands of a human. You must have the patience and the time to prove to your newest family member that he is safe and he can trust you.

Space. Don’t expect a rescued iguana to bond with you immediately or even to come to you willingly at first. Give your iguana the space that he needs. When he begins to feel comfortable in his new surroundings, you can take the first steps to holding him and interacting with him more.

In addition, never force interaction with your iguana while he’s healing from whatever physical problems he has: At that point, the most important thing is for him to get healthy again. Once he’s healthy, you can start working toward bonding with him.

Unfortunately, not all iguanas can be fully rehabilitated, and there is no guarantee that your iguana will get over the abuse and be able to bond with you. Make sure you understand and are willing to accept that risk when you adopt a rescued iguana.

Care. According to the Green Iguana Society, rescued iguanas and iguanas in general tend to be dehydrated. As a result, you will need to give electrolytes (ask your veterinarian for the exact amount) to your iguana via a syringe to help him become hydrated again. A qualified vet will be able to show you how much to give and how to often to give liquid to your iguana.

Diet. Chances are your iguana was not fed the proper diet in his previous home. Depending on how long he was with the rescue who saved him, he may or may not have already had his diet changed over. If it has not been changed, you will have to gradually change your iguana’s diet so he is getting the foods he needs. The process of changing the diet should take no more than two weeks.

Finances. Veterinary care for an iguana can be extremely costly, especially when ongoing care is required. Be sure you can afford the necessary veterinarian care for your rescued iguana.

Finally, if you are adopting a rescued iguana and little is known about his past, it’s essential that you take him to an experienced vet for a thorough checkup. The Green Iguana Society recommends having the vet do a full blood panel, a fecal smear, and a fecal float.