How long should a 5 year old green iguana be?

[ashesc212]

I think I just found a reason to "rescue" an iguana that comes with a cage. The cage is 8' tall and the lizard looks to be less than 3 ft long...it's 5 years old!!!! PLUS, THIS GUY NEVER EVER CHANGED THE UVB BULB IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS!!!!! WT*???? He's like, "if it's not dead, why replace it?" OMG.

Here's the other problem...he has not taken this guy to the vet in 5 years since he first got him! ARGH!

Idk, I think I might take him. He wants $150 for the cage, iguana, and accessories.

Here's the post:
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The only thing I'm worried about is that he might have MBD and what that would entail for vet bills.

 

[DaveDragon]

If you're out of work this could be a big "can of worms"!! I'd think he should be that big at a year old! Greens can get aggressive, they guy says he's a little snippy. But, if you're like us, you enjoy a challenge! I don't know anything about green iguana growth patterns but if it's like a Tegu he might not get much bigger. The big question is his temperament, I think male greens get most agressive arounf their sexual maturity, maybe 4-5 years old. This phase may pass, or it may not. Have I answered a question or have I added more???!!! :mrgreen:

 

[ashesc212]

Oh man, so is their temperament irreversible with time and care? You definitely provided more questions! I like challenges but I'm worried about vet bills with this guy. What if he has MBD? What if there is something else wrong with him? There's a lot of "ifs".

Maybe I should go rescue one of the beardies in MD instead:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.reptileinfo.com/Rescue_Listings.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.reptileinfo.com/Rescue_Listings.aspx</a><!-- m -->

They are in sad, sad shape.

This may sound pathetic but I'm afraid Kwayze might be upset if she sees me and another beardie together. LOL

 

[Beasty]

A well fed, well heated, well lit male should be about 5 feet or more even at 5 years and could keep growing up to, I have HEARD about a 7 foot 30 pound 17 year old green iguana. Note, I said heard. Point is, this could possibly be a female or not well fed, lit or heated, not to mention the moisture factor of this rainforest creature. (the latter is by far the easiest to fall short on as well as most common) There's a million variables but I have personally seen grown 8 year old greens around 3 foot and in poor color. A common thing in these is MBD and stunting from low moisture levels. I rescued a female who had the same body size as my 5 foot male but her tail had 4-5 layers of shed stuck on it making her tail about 16 inches shorter than his. BUT she was a major sweetie.
Dave's right though, these guys can be expensive and troublesome to feed and house properly. There's a TON of misinformation online and in print about them and they are the most abused reptile bar none. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://anapsid.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://anapsid.org</a><!-- m --> has great info if you decide to get it. I used to raise and breed green iguanas back in the early to mid 90's before the internet and can likely help with questions.(BTW, while a good vet is always a great idea, they ain't cheap! I've kept herps for years on end and only taken about 4 to the vet and lost as many out of all my years.)
If it were me though, I wouldn't put that kind of time, effort and cash into a green iguana ever again. Rock Iguanas are a far better choice in many ways. The enclosure would be the temptation to me in that deal. While green iguanas are not without worth or potential to be great pets, an angry 3 foot+ lizard of any type can be difficult if not impossible to sell or even give away, much less one that you can pick up a hatchling of for $20 in "Anytown" USA.

Bottom line: Be educated as much as possible about any animal before taking on that responsibility. This could be a golden opportunity or your worst nightmare. Been there done that.
Good luck to you!

 

[ashesc212]

Yeah the cage is tempting. To rescue one of the beardies I'd have to spend that much on a cage anyway. I would love a rhino iguana or a cuban rock iguana but not only are the iguanas expensive, so are the cages that they don't come with haha.

(What don't I want though...I'd like water dragon, a frilled lizard, one of each type of snake, etc. etc....red tegu, b&w tegu...)

I did a bunch of research online about their habitat and food, etc. I don't mind that it's a green iguana. An animal is an animal in my mind (except for the stinky ferrets that I have argh).

I don't know...he's going to send me more pics tonight and that way I can get a better look at the iggy.

 

[DaveDragon]

This may sound pathetic but I'm afraid Kwayze might be upset if she sees me and another beardie together. LOL

That's sounds like a BIGGER problem!!!

 

[MMRR - jif]

That animal, providing it is actually a male, still has the potential to become a 6 foot lizard with some proper food and care. It doesn't look underweight in the photos. The cage, however, is not appropriate for a Green Iguana unless it is being kept in a room with an ambient temperature of 80 degrees and high humidity. Screen cages just don't hold heat and humidity and the furnishings in that cage are minimal. If I wanted to I could build that same cage for under $100. If you really want the iguana do the research and go for it but you should do some major revamping of the enclosure. I'd be willing to help with any questions that you might have.