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Iguanas/Questions Answered by Expert Sara J Gwerder
| Subject | Date Asked |
| iguana care | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: rockheat,food,the( iguana dont like dry food)proper amount of heating time ,proper care at all ... A: Paul, Thank you for looking to make sure you will care for your iguana properly. I will copy and ... | |
| Iguanna emergency | 1/12/2011 |
| Q: I have a six year old iguanna my largest of 4 I have my large iguanna caged in a closet converted to ... A: Timothy, I am so sorry to hear about this incident. I understand that keeping pets can be ... | |
| skittish iguana | 11/4/2010 |
| Q: I just got my baby Ig yesterday, I know he really need to have a bath but when I go to grab him he ... A: Matthew, Baby iguanas are extremely paranoid creatures. Their instincts tell them that anything ... | |
| 7 month old iguana | 11/3/2010 |
| Q: My iguana isn't using her back legs. There is a bump on her lower back. I think maybe she injured ... A: Darlene, Unfortunately, this sounds to me like a classic case of advanced metabolic bone disease. ... | |
| red little creature on my iguana | 10/27/2010 |
| Q: i dont no much about what he has been threw,he is about 1 and a half years old, but he has these ... A: Your iguana probably has mites. They are a very common infestation. Mites are very small and burrow ... | |
| Worried! | 10/26/2010 |
| Q: After reading some of the answers you have given to other worried iguana owners i am definately ... A: Megan, Firstly, thank you for the compliment. I take pride in my work and I truly try my best to ... | |
| i think my iguana is sick | 10/21/2010 |
| Q: my male iguana iggy, doesn't look well. i gave them both (male and female)to my dad, because i ... A: Martin, Sir, when iguanas stop eating and look very thin, this is a huge red flag. I think that ... | |
| Giant Iguana iguana | 9/21/2010 |
| Q: Have had my Iguana(large) for five years with no hasstle.This last week have noticed about 20cm of ... A: Carol, Most commonly this is caused by dry gangrene. If it keeps spreading upward or if the bone ... | |
| i need to give my iguana away | 9/9/2010 |
| Q: i biult a cage for my iguana and the only place i can fit it in is in the basement. my dad is going ... A: Elliot, If you need to give your iguana away, try advertising your iguana in local classified ads ... | |
| Iguana food. | 9/7/2010 |
| Q: I have a small garden of cosmos in my yard, I know they are not sprayed with pestacides or any kind ... A: I do know off the top of my head that rose petals are edible for iguanas. I am going to paste a list ... | |
| iguana feeding | 9/3/2010 |
| Q: This weekend, my family and I are going to Niagara Falls for Labour Day. We are leaving Friday night ... A: John, Realistically, iguanas can go quite a long time without eating but I know from dealing with ... | |
| My juvenile iguana wont eat, is losing weight and is aggressive | 8/21/2010 |
| Q: I got a baby iguana about a week ago and when i got him he was actually kinda fat but cute. We got ... A: Mr. Lewis, Well, my initial thought after reading your question is the very first sentence: you ... | |
| Lump on iggys leg | 8/18/2010 |
| Q: Ok well ive had my iguana (iggy) for about a year and month or so, he has great coloring a nice ... A: Natalie, Well, where exactly is the large lump? Is it on a joint or is it on a muscle? What does it ... | |
| Subtympanic shield problems | 8/13/2010 |
| Q: About two weeks ago, iguana went into his first shed. I couldn't be more thrilled!!! I just have ... A: John, The subtypanic shield is likely papery and flexible because it had just shed. When an iguana ... | |
| Iguana laying on the bottom of cage lately. | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: Ive owned my Green iguana now for a little over a year. I have a cage built for him with a basking ... A: Tyler, Let me ask you this: has there been any changes to his diet or energy levels? He is still ... | |
| Landscaping for the outdoor cage of my new friend | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: Sara, I'm having an issue trying to decide the best flooring for my outdoor cage. This cage is ... A: Kim, Here is the list of recommended plants via anapsid.org - a very reputable reptile information ... | |
| Flooring for the outdoor cage of my new friend | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: Sara, I'm having an issue trying to decide the best flooring for my outdoor cage. This cage is ... A: Kim, Well, honestly, anything is an option. I was immediately drawn to the idea of astroturf from ... | |
| zilla | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: I feed her mustered greens,collard greens and green ... A: You can do it a couple of different ways: you can use a popsicle stick and pry the jaw open and ... | |
| baby iguana | 7/30/2010 |
| Q: I just gat a baby green iguana 2 days ago. She is in a very large custom enclosure....so big I have ... A: Brittin, Yes! This is normal! I like to describe baby iguanas as extremely stressed-out and ... | |
| zilla | 7/30/2010 |
| Q: I feed her mustered greens,collard greens and green ... A: Molly, When an iguana doesn't eat, this is not a good sign. This is the tell-tale sign that ... | |
| Iguana aggression | 7/23/2010 |
| Q: 8 days ago, I purchased 2 young iguanas from a pet store. About two days later, we purchased ... A: John, You cannot stop that behavior because it is instinctive and normal. Iguanas are generally ... | |
| My Iguna has sowllin it's toe | 7/22/2010 |
| Q: My Iguana was climbing his/her cage and his nail fell out and it's swollen and blackish white were ... A: Isabelle, This is very common believe it or not. The nails can easily get caught on wire or other ... | |
| bump on my iguanas face | 7/20/2010 |
| Q: please help my iggy has a large bump on the side of her face i will send a photo please help me. It ... A: Tyler, Indeed, this is not good. It does appear to be a localized infection. You undoubtedly need ... | |
| iguana uvb and supplements | 7/16/2010 |
| Q: Before I begin to ask more questions I'd like to take this oppurtunity to thank you for all your ... A: John, Do not worry so much about them being in there for 8 days. Metabolic bone disease begins to ... | |
| iguana tail | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchased two baby green iguanas. They both are very healthy, but one of the ... A: John, No...no...no....this is typical. What it sounds like here is the iguana lost a portion of its ... | |
| green iguana diet | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: I am very proud to say that i recently purchased two gorgeous baby iguanas. I will be picking them ... A: Very well! I will help you, for this is something I love discussing. I especially love discussing ... | |
| what's the best way to make humidity | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: i've been looking into green iguanas and i saw that the temp needs to be around 90 degrees but you ... A: Joseph, Humidity is important, this is true. Without it, the iguana will have dry skin and it will ... | |
| Green iguana | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: I have a green iguana, she is fairly young and i noticed that there are little black bugs on her and ... A: Tony, Any small bugs that you see on an iguana are usually mites/lice. What they do is burrow under ... | |
| Red Bumps | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: I've noticed that my iguana has a red bump on his toe, at first I thought it was food so I tried to ... A: Delilah, Bumps, scratches, cuts, etc. are common injuries for iguanas and come and go quite ... | |
| My ig is driving me crazy!!!!! | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: Ok We are almost positive that he is a male ig about 4 1/2 ft. Named Godzilla. Um Lets see he is ... A: Male: -usually has femoral plugs (holes on inside of leg that contain a white, seminal plug) ... | |
| Constipated iguana not drinking water | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: I have a 9-year old iguana. A few days back she laid 29 eggs. After that she had constipation for ... A: Mrs. Tune, Indeed, there is no harm in using these methods to try and induce defecation assuming ... | |
| My ig is driving me crazy!!!!! | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: Ok We are almost positive that he is a male ig about 4 1/2 ft. Named Godzilla. Um Lets see he is ... A: This makes quite a bit of sense, that article about breeding season aggression hits on the issue of ... | |
| My ig is driving me crazy!!!!! | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: Ok We are almost positive that he is a male ig about 4 1/2 ft. Named Godzilla. Um Lets see he is ... A: Darlena, I am sorry your iguana is acting up and I am also sorry to tell you that it sounds like ... | |
| Tympanum | 4/1/2010 |
| Q: my iguana recently got out and cats got ahold of her and broke her tail and there is a hole in her ... A: Kara, The typanum is the external eardrum and is very thin and easily piercable. It sounds to me ... | |
| sick iguana | 3/31/2010 |
| Q: Our iguana is 14 years old and last night it started vomiting clear fluids. He has not been eating ... A: Colette, I do not often hear of iguanas regurgitating and/or throwing up and have never heard it ... | |
| when do i know when my iguana is ready. | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: what age or size do green iguanas lay eggs? and my iguana does not use her terrarium.. AT ALL how ... A: I will do my best to answer them. I don't have a lot of details from you regarding your iguana's ... | |
| iguana | 3/24/2010 |
| Q: yes i have a problem with a iguana i think he as mouth rot and i dont have the money to afford a vet ... A: Shannon, What makes you suspect mouth rot? What are the symptoms? To be honest, antibiotics are the ... | |
| How is this possible? | 3/24/2010 |
| Q: How do I phantom this? I have an iguana named spike and she is laying eggs and she is the only one I ... A: Joycelyn, No need to think Spike is a magician, she is going through her annual mating season. It ... | |
| tougue repeatedly out to one side | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: I took my 4yr. old green iguana out today.After a long winter in M.N.and an hour of sun,we came back ... A: Jan, I am not particularly concerned about him having his tongue out, I have an iguana that has ... | |
| my iguana elbow is bleeding....HELP PLEASE | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: I just got two small iguanas from the pet store about a week ago and notice that one of them wasnt ... A: My first impression after seeing that picture is that this iguana is VERY skinny and probably not in ... | |
| my iguana | 2/19/2010 |
| Q: Howdy. My name is Kristan Stephens I am 13 years old. I have had my iguana for eight months, but I ... A: Kristan, Indeed, live plants are a lizard luxury and are encouraged for a number of reasons. 1- ... | |
| large male with lump in jowl | 2/10/2010 |
| Q: I have a large male iguana(9.5lbs) mature, at least 10 years old. I recently noticed a grape sized ... A: Lynda, Based on what you have described, I am inclined to believe that the lump you are describing ... | |
| MBD- Jaw swelling | 2/3/2010 |
| Q: My Ig (Duke) developed MBD at about 8 months of age. (now at 18 months seems to be recovered) but ... A: Sean, All deformations and disfigurements caused by MBD are usually permanent. The disease itself ... | |
| Iguna tail | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: I went home yesterday and to my shock izzy's tail was gone I found it on the floor it looks like it ... A: Louise, Yikes, the tail breaks are very common, but if your iguana didn't sustain any trauma, I ... | |
| Swollen Subtympanic shield | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: My iguana has had a swollen subtympanic shield for a couple of weeks now. Is this normal or should i ... A: Mindy, I am not quite sure if you are describing a swelling of the actual scale itself on the ... | |
| some is wrong with my iguanas foot | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: Ok my iguana is around 4 years old and its front right foot is swollen and his thumb (i guess that ... A: Don't be worried, it is alright. It is very common to get confused at the pet store and overlook ... | |
| some is wrong with my iguanas foot | 1/20/2010 |
| Q: Ok my iguana is around 4 years old and its front right foot is swollen and his thumb (i guess that ... A: James, Yikes, that looks awfully painful for your iguana. I am reading and re-reading what you ... | |
| Baby iguana | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: I got a 4 month (ish) old iguana (jason!) on the 7th January. He was in a 6ft high by 3ft viv but ... A: Ok, well this is a very common situation with new iguanas. Usually, when an iguana gets put into a ... | |
| doubt on UVB light | 1/14/2010 |
| Q: Recently i just seriously doubt the effects of UVB light.i went thruogh a iguana caresheets ... A: Kew, I am truly shocked that you were told by anyone with reptile experience that iguanas don't ... | |
| Broken leg baby iguana | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: I was about to leave when I heard a clash in my room from my cat, thinking she just jumped on my ... A: Interesting description of the injury... a dot above and below the knee might indicate she was bit ... | |
| Broken leg baby iguana | 1/9/2010 |
| Q: I was about to leave when I heard a clash in my room from my cat, thinking she just jumped on my ... A: Ok, this sort of thing happens more than you would think where iguanas break bones, tear ligaments, ... | |
| Plant in habitat | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: I have a young iguana (not even a year old) and I was wondering if it is ok for me to have this live ... A: Looking at your picture, I am truly amazed by what a nice enclosure you have! Your iguana is ... | |
| iguana and cat | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: i have a green iguana that i have had for almost two years. her (well we think its a her) living ... A: Your cage looks VERY nice and suitable for your iguana, you seem to be keeping it at a good ... | |
| Fluid filled spikes. | 12/31/2009 |
| Q: My iguana has what seems to be some sort of sticky fluid in his spikes. What is that? A: Riley, When iguanas' skins are getting ready to shed, the underneath layer exudes "parting fluid", ... | |
| iguanna | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: My iguanna is in a cage alone and i went to feed her and saw a big white egg shape thing under her ... A: Rachel, The egg shaped object is probably an egg. Believe it or not, female iguanas can and do ... | |
| Green Iguana | 12/23/2009 |
| Q: I asked a question awhile ago about my 6 year old iguana's annul pores being blocked, he has lots of ... A: Dan, I do not recall ever getting a question from you or from anyone about an iguana with a blocked ... | |
| Iguana "Cloe'" | 12/22/2009 |
| Q: My ig. is 3 years old and her front left leg is dangling. I think she may have broken or pulled it ... A: I have some questions for you so that I can better understand the situation here. Now, you say her ... | |
| Size of my iguana | 12/13/2009 |
| Q: is it ok that my iguana is 3 years old but is only 10 inches long SVL? By the way the is snout to ... A: I have pasted a size and growth chart into my response so you can gauge where your iguana is as ... | |
| My+iguana+is+still+mean+how+do+i+fix+ths+situation | 12/8/2009 |
| Q: +He+is+still+very+skiddish+and+runs+away+from+me+when+i+try+to+pick+him+up+in+the+mornings+and+after ... A: This is a very common relationship between an iguana and his or her owner. I have an iguana named ... | |
| sick iguana | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: 3 days ago i took my iguana to the vet...he was really dehydrated and had an abcess on the left side ... A: This situation you are in with your iguana does not sound good. I am so glad to hear you took him to ... | |
| igauna | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I have a 3yr old female ig and she is not eatn . She is not in a cage .she is n her own room .I have ... A: It is good that you are interested in learning how to improve the care you are giving your iguana. I ... | |
| rescued iguana | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: We rescued a small green iguana that someone had abandoned in the park in November. She (we're ... A: This is a cute scenario you are describing because it is so typical. I will discuss typical iguana ... | |
| Iguana | 11/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a male Iguana around 8 mounths old i have just noticed that his midle toe on his back foot is ... A: Bissonnette, I am glad to hear you are concerned about your iguana and am knowledgeable of the ... | |
| mites | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: i have several iguanas and notice they are getting small black spots on there skin ,and the area is ... A: Moore, Thank you for your interest in learning more about the animals you care for so that you may ... | |
| My iguanas | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: I have a 4 and a half foot male iguana and a 2 and a half foot female I have housed them together ... A: Alyssa, In the wild, iguanas mate towards the end of "summer" (wet season); this is also the time ... | |
| sick iguana | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: My iguana has some type of skin problem, it is hard and greyish and it's seems as if it is making ... A: Leticia, I cannot say what this condition is with certainty, but I can only try to advise you as to ... | |
| Iguanas and travel | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: I have an ig that I had recently (within the past 10 months) purchased from a family that was going ... A: Jay, I have given some thought to your question and I think there are some things you need to ... | |
| i think my iguana broke his toe? | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: i think my iguana broke his toe(back left foot "thumb") it's all twisted and looks a tad ... A: Dylan, To be honest with you, broken toes are very common and happen to a large number of iguanas. ... | |
| sick iguana | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: My iguana has some type of skin problem, it is hard and greyish and it's seems as if it is making ... A: Also, please consider this condition, which may be very serious, so if this sounds like what your ... | |
| follow up question | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: it seems like it filled with liquid and i don really know what to do with it, I'm not from USA so ... A: Rilind, I do not think the baby oil is necessary to use, just a bath should be fine and try using ... | |
| my iguana has a small black spot under the skin | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: it seems like it filled with liquid and i don really know what to do with it, I'm not from USA so ... A: It is great that you are noticing changes in your iguana and paying attention to them because often ... | |
| Best suggestion for the situation at hand. | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: I have a female ig that is a little over 16 months in age. She is eating normally, getting plenty of ... A: Jason, Just an F.Y.I., iguanas need an internal temperature of 87 degress BEFORE DIGESTION CAN ... | |
| iguanas | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: i used to have a green iguana that layed infertile eggs without being mated and now im getting a ... A: Kasadee, To the best of my knowledge, the female Rhino Iguana, just like the green iguana should ... | |
| spikes | 10/23/2009 |
| Q: I got my Iguana when he was about 1 to 1 1/2 years old. He is now about 4 1/2 , My question is about ... A: Insufficient humidity is a huge cause for the bad shed to happen and the spikes to be lost, I just ... | |
| spikes | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: I got my Iguana when he was about 1 to 1 1/2 years old. He is now about 4 1/2 , My question is about ... A: Jo, Sounds like you have your iguana under great care and he sounds very healthy by the way you ... | |
| Height and Weight of an Iguana | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: My little girl is doing a project for school and she is doing it one iguanas because we have one. ... A: I am so excited that I may help you. I love educating people about iguanas. I will give you a brief ... | |
| Igor my Iguana | 10/3/2009 |
| Q: I've got 9 year old male Iguana,I had a problem feeding him for the last 6 weeks,he would only eat ... A: From what you are saying, it sounds like it has been long enough since you flew Igor to London that ... | |
| scales turning black | 10/1/2009 |
| Q: Is this normal and if not should i be worried. Also ever sine i got him his front foot is swollen ... A: It is great that you are noticing changes in your iguana and paying attention to them because ... | |
| iguanas | 9/28/2009 |
| Q: I live in NJ and Florida.This is my first trip to Fl this season and I brought my new puppy along.I ... A: Susan, I will give you some insight into iguana behavior in hopes you can become a bit more ... | |
| sick iguana | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: WE have a Spiny Tail Iguana, and threw ignorance on our part he has gotten mbd, and was dehydrated, ... A: I am sorry to learn of your iguana developing MBD. The good news about what you have described is ... | |
| iguana behavior | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: Why does my iguana pretend not to like me? When I go to pick her up or pet her she runs for her ... A: This is a very refreshing question to receive. This is a very common relationship between an iguana ... | |
| Swollen Cheek Area (Only one side) | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: I just returned from being out of town for a week. My dad was taking care of my iguana while I was ... A: You have a beautiful girl! She looks so sweet and cute! Anyhow, keep in mind, I am not a ... | |
| my baby iguana | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: Sara, me and my boyfriend got our baby iguana about 3 or 4 weeks ago. He's very energetic and eats ... A: Jasmine and Rick, This is so cute! Yes! Your baby iguana is very overwhelmed! Hatchling iguanas are ... | |
| Sick iguana - not eating | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: For several days she has not eaten. It looks like she is constipated. She has been very lethargic. ... A: My first thought on this situation is that your iguana definitely needs to be physically examined by ... | |
Sara J Gwerder
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions about the best types of lighting and heating sources. I also am very knowledgeable of metabolic bone disease, foods of which to comprise a balanced diet, growth rates, personality and decoding of iguana body language. I cannot provide any medical diagnoses, but can instruct you on the best home care in addition to a veterinarian's instructions. I can recommend when to seek professional medical advice.
Experience
President and founder of Louisiana's only nonprofit iguana rescue mission and sanctuary called Raptor Rescue Iguana Sanctuary. I am an iguana owner of over 5 years and specialize in the rehabilitation and rehoming of pet iguanas. I currently have 10 iguanas in my home all of which receive medical attention when needed, fresh food diets, freedom to roam, top quality sun-simulating lamps and playtime with other iggys. See my website at www.RaptorRescue.org for more info.
Organizations
Networked with PETA, Resource for Iguana Care and Adoption, and Petsavers
Publications
My "iguana bill" is being introduced to the Louisiana State Senate and aims to mandate that retail pet stores be required to distribute veterinarian-approved informational literature with the sale of any exotic animal. See the article:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/north_lousiana_lawmaker_wants.html
I am currently in works with ZooMed, a popular reptile supplies manufacturer, to revise their advertising on their popular reptile basking bulbs to alert customers that their bulb does not emit UVA and needs to be used in conjunction with a UVB source.
Education/Credentials
No formal education in herpetology or veterinary medicine, all knowledgeability on this subject has been gained through personal research and years of hands-on experience with this animal.
Awards and Honors
Nothing formal as of yet.
Past/Present Clients
15 rescued iguanas since May...Currently, I house 10 iguanas in my home by the names of Trogdor, Isador, Miss Jacky, Pete, Balthor, Mr. Pop, Twizzle, Spunky, Peatree and Medina.
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