Apart from in a zoo, I wondered if any SF users had actually ever seen a real-life iguana in the wild?

An ex-work colleague of mine said he saw one in Austalia, but I don't know if he was kidding me.

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
Apart from in a zoo, I wondered if any SF users had actually ever seen a real-life iguana in the wild?

An ex-work colleague of mine said he saw one in Austalia, but I don't know if he was kidding me.

I saw loads of 'em in Belize when I was doing my jungle training out there. A local dish was iguana pie too - small, similar to a pork-pie with a light curry flavour. Delicious!

My next door neighbour owns one.

I used to remember it that when it was let out of it's heated tank (in the summer o course) it used to climb the curtains and hide up the the top of them.

I should be thankful to that iguana and lego i suppose, they are at the root of my love of film making. I spent hours filming the iguane rampage through lego built cities while my friend shouted 'argh! godzilla!' in a fake japanese accent.

Wilf

Originally posted by Sam Miguel
Apart from in a zoo, I wondered if any SF users had actually ever seen a real-life iguana in the wild?

An ex-work colleague of mine said he saw one in Austalia, but I don't know if he was kidding me.


Were you in some way doubting their existence?

We were having a barbie when one came for the food.
Looked seriously big to me. Prob 3ft or more. Spat at us and backed off. Kooaburras were divingdown after the sausages too.

Hazel

I take it that was in Oz, and not Derbyshire?

They are indigenous to Australia, then?

Can someone giveme rough estimate of how many there are in the world?

They're not only indigenous to OZ, but to the Southern United States, south america, galapagos, west indies and even Fiji (Galapagos Islands are a habitat for the worlds only marine iguana that grazes on algae!)

Having piqued my curiosity on iguanas, you will be delighted to discover that Iguanas are of the family Sauria which includes all lizards. There are eight genera of Iguanidae and something like 36 individual species of Iguanas, including the large tree living Green Iguana - Iguanidae Iguana Iguana Which seems to have given the whole family its name.

I couldn't find any exact numbers on the worldwide Iguana population simply because that data doesn't exist. However a large number of Iguanas, particularly the species that mass over a kilogram in weight are on the endangered list, with some species listing as few as 200 individuals left in the world. This is down to trophy collecting and loss of habitat.

After Godzilla and Jurassic Park films in the 90s, the trade and traffic in Iguanas rocketed, much to the detriment of the wild iguana populations worldwide. As many as 800,000 Green Iguanas were inported into the USA from south america in 1995, most dying after a few years. Unfortunately most people discovered that they do not make very good pets, and really require the care of skilled herpetologists to really flourish. A well cared for green iguana can live for over 25 years (and reach a size of two meters or more).

Iguanas bite, and when they do, they don't like to let go. Most Iguanas carry enough germs to fell an entire household with Salmonella or somesuch.

Thanks, phan: that was good of you.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Iguanas bite, and when they do, they don't like to let go. Most Iguanas carry enough germs to fell an entire household with Salmonella or somesuch.

Thank god next doors iguana is blind, the amount of times it could've had my finger off.

The blindness made it look even more like a mindless rampage, before any of you ask

Wilf

Originally posted by BrainThrust
Thank god next doors iguana is blind, the amount of times it could've had my finger off.

The blindness made it look even more like a mindless rampage, before any of you ask

Wilf

Iguanas dont bite you at all, thats such an urban myth! They do have horrid mouths though.

The only danger from Iguana's is their tails which have razor sharp spines on them that can cut flesh down to the bone in a single whip of the tail

My friend used to have an iguana called Jenny. I've never seen one in the wild though.

Originally posted by RPG
Iguanas dont bite you at all, thats such an urban myth! They do have horrid mouths though.

The only danger from Iguana's is their tails which have razor sharp spines on them that can cut flesh down to the bone in a single whip of the tail

They can and do bite from time to time but tail whipping is the preferred method of attack :)

My herps have always been ok though, never been attacked by any of them - that might change though if I ever get a Bosc...

Originally posted by RPG
Iguanas dont bite you at all, thats such an urban myth! They do have horrid mouths though.

The only danger from Iguana's is their tails which have razor sharp spines on them that can cut flesh down to the bone in a single whip of the tail

No one mentioned anything about people!

When Iguanas do bite, which may be seldom - generally when they are extremely threatened, they lock their jaws, and won't let go until they are no longer threatened, they are killed or their jaws are forced apart.

I saw heaps of them in South Amercia. In one village there was a large tree in the middle of the village square. In the middle of the afternoon, someone would put heaps of lettuce leaves under it, and Iguanas would just drop out of the tree to feed - hundred of them (amybe not hundreds, but that's what it looed like!) - amazing sight.