[net.pets] Lizards as pets

lwe3207@acf4.UUCP (Lars Warren Ericson) (05/07/85)

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I just saw a Brazilian movie, "What have a done to deserve this?", which
included a reasonable-sized green lizard which I took to be an iguana.  It
was about 10-12 inches long, with a girth of maybe 5 inches at the belly,
and bright green.  It looked quite tame.

What kind of lizard was this?
Are they legal in the US?
Are they expensive?
Are they smart?
Are they hard to take care of?
Are they friendly?
Do they bite?

Thanks,
Lars Ericson
Arpa: ericson@nyu
Usenet: {floyd,ihnp4}!cmcl2!csd1!ericson

esr5945@ritcv.UUCP (Eric Rose) (05/09/85)

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In responce to the person who asked about lizards as pets...

	I did not see the movie he was talking about, so I cannot
say if the lizard was an iguana, but that sounds like a reasonable
guess.

	I can tell you what I know about keeping iguanas as pets.  When
I was about 15 I had two seperate jobs tending over animals ( I had
origanilly wanted to be a vet, untill I discovered computers!).  Both
places had an iguana.  

	Iguanas are relatively easy to feed.  They eat fruit (bannanas,
apples, lettuce), but will also much an occasinal bug.  But they
are primarily vegetarian.   They are much easier to feed, for example
than snakes, who must eat whole animals (worms to rabbits, depending on 
the size and make of the snake!)  Also a dish of water is a must.

	Since Iguanas are cold-blodded, they must be kept in a warm
environment.  This is usually accomplised with the help of light
bulb.  I don't remember the wattage, but I would guess somwhere in the
50-60 watt region.

	Iguanas can get quite large.  The ones I looked after were both
about 4 1/2 feet long (including the tail).  The cage should be dry
and large enough to let him/her roam.  Small rocks are good for the
floor, but we used newspaper to make it easier to clean.  Never use
the funnies (or any other colored newsprint) in an animals cage!!  A
few branches to climb on are necessary. Also a place for them to get
out of the light is necessary.  Usually an overturned box with a few
holes in it does the trick.

	In general, they are not the most active animals one could buy.
They will often sit in their cage and stare at the walls, but they
do get active if they get used to you.  One of the iguanas
I used to care for (ziggy) used to shake head up and down and get
very excited when I came to take care of him.  I would let him walk
around the floor, but you have to be careful, they could get themselves
in trouble mighty fast!

	One problem with them is they are reasonably exotic, and if
something goes wrong with him/her, you might have a hard time finding
someone who knows anything about it!

	I don't know about the prices for iguanas, but they are not
cheap!  The ones availible in pet stores are usually small (maybe 6 to
12 inches), and therfore more delicate than the ones I have been talking
about.

	I plan to get an iguana when I graduate from this place
(3 days and counting.... )  I think they make interesting, if not
good pets.

	If you plan to get one, remeber they do need some specialized
care and attention, but they are pretty neat!

		
				Eric Rose
				ritcv!esr5945