i did read the article. from keeping fish for so long i learned that there is a difference between what you read in a book and what real world people tell you. petcos little fact card tells me that pacu and oscars get 12". if i did everything exactly by the book i would be buying "goldfish water" and stress reliever. green iguana are like rats, ive seen hundreds in florida. i think they are extremely easy to keep.
i started this thread asking if there are any foods to avoid or foods that are really beneficial.
Sorry Sir, you are COMPLETLY and UTHERLY wrong. Green iguanas in Florida are everywhere because they have plentyfull of everything they need and that is sun shine, tropical temperatures pretty much year round, suitable habitat and tons food plants growing everywhere. If just one of those things fail they are gonners and so is that in captivity. I have been keeping green iguanas for 16 years of my life now, I came this close of breeding them in two separate ocasions many years ago and in total Ive probably kept, babysat and rehabed close to 20 animals. I currently keep a copple (female bred in Europe, which is a hard find) and in my old house, at one time I had 7 of those, most rescues. And those same rescues were once beautifull babys that were brough by people, often much more willing to learn than you appear to be, and however failed misserably because they lacked the experience, means or simply grew old of their animal. And I was the one that glue the peaces of the jar together again.
And now let me tell you what. Green iguanas are one of the most DEMANDING, EXPENSIVE TO HOUSE AND KEEP and PRE-PURCHASE RESEARCH needy of all lizards you can possibly get, rigth allongside large pythons and monitor lizards. They would be side by side with high end extremely expensive reps if there wasnt mass breeding farms. To get where Im at Ive read HUNDREDS of books and articles. I keep my igs in excedingly acceptable indoor cages, larger then igs have here in zoos, wich are actually makeover large wardrobes, however even then I see in them a major need for direct sunshine and enrichment that can only be provided by a tropical greenhouse or a outdoor enclosure, and I will not rest untill I can give them just that. Ive kept iguanas in a greenhouse and I can see the diference it makes in there lifes. And that costs money. Should all iguana keepers have a green house or room size enclosures? I would say makes the diference between triving and mere surviving....
By the way one last thing, many green iguanas are nothing short of dangerous, a big male can easily give you a way nasty bite that will require stiches to close. What will you do if that happens to you? Will you give away your pet? Will you kill it? Please do both to you and the lizard a favor and dont buy it. By the way, remenbar me telling I was close to breed green igs on a copple different ocasions? That is something I would not try today, as good homes are excedingly hard to find, not even zoos, if I had cb babys now and I do have some cb green anoles by me, I wouldnt ever adopt any to a person with your atitude. Shame that pet shops only think of profit and wont do the same policy.
