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Living with Iguanas

They're fascinating animals, but caring for an iguana takes commitment

Darry Conner picked up Bubba on a whim. Now, nearly three years later, they're still going strong.

The administrative assistant in Duke Hospital's Department of Radiology thought that Bubba, an infant iguana, would make a nice anniversary gift for her husband, Ted, who is allergic to furry pets. After all, Conner had owned an iguana as a college student, raising it on a diet of lettuce, junk food, meat, eggs - even the occasional M&M candy - that seemed to suit it just fine.

But this time, Conner did a bit more research.

What she learned through searching on the Internet, reading books and talking with other iguana owners was eye opening. Suddenly she was getting an education in metabolic bone disease, egg binding, full spectrum flourescent lighting, reptile-associated salmonella and a host of other exotic terms.

"If I had known then what I know now, I would have thought long and hard before picking an iguana up," said Conner. "And I'm pretty sure my husband would have said, 'No.' People have no idea how complicated these guys are. Or how totally dependent they are on us for care."

Iguana hatchlings may look like pocket-sized, amiable versions of long-dead dinosaurs when they're sold at the pet store, a reptile show or given away as prizes at county fairs. But they are fragile animals prone to a host of potentially fatal maladies if denied proper care. One study estimated that up to 90 percent of baby iguanas in captivity die before reaching adulthood. Now Conner and other area lizard lovers are trying to spread the word - and find new homes for some unwanted pets - through Triangle Iguana Rescue. As the group's classified ad placed in Dialogue stated back in November:

"Triangle Iguana Rescue has several iguanas who need good homes, serious inquiries only. If you don't want a 6-foot lizard, don't get an iguana; they are expensive and time-consuming to maintain. ... If you are not willing to make a long-term commitment to this iguana for the next 15 to 20 years, do not respond."

Don't get Conner and her cohorts wrong. They love their pets and want others to share that experience. But they don't want to see any more sickly, malformed, abused and unwanted iguanas in the hands of folks who are unwilling to give the lizards what they need.

"People buy them and don't know what they're getting into," said Conner. "They think they're going to be like a goldfish - you just put them in a cage, throw some food in and forget 'em."

Raleigh veterinarian Dan Johnson, who owns Avian and Exotic Animal Care, has seen more than his share of iguana horror stories. "People don't put the thought into purchasing and caring for these animals because for years they've been thought of as disposable pets," said Johnson, an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University known affectionately as "Dr. Dan" by Conner and many other area iguana owners. "We get middle-of-the-night emergencies from owners that are the culmination of abuse over months and years. People need to give iguanas the same level of care that they would give to a cat or a dog." Triangle Iguana Rescue (TIR), made up of area iguana fanciers who Conner has met through e-mail, Internet news groups and the annual North Carolina Reptile and Exotic Animal Show (this year's show is May 5 and 6 at Dorton Arena in Raleigh), offers iguana information and tips. Members also rehabilitate ailing iguanas and foster unwanted ones in hopes of finding them new homes. For more information about TIR, contact Conner by e-mail at dconner@acpub.duke.edu or by phoning (919) 383-5333. The group currently has nine iguanas up for adoption to good homes, including Leno (so-named because he has a protruding chin caused by calcium deficiency) and Little Girl, who was found in her cage in a Dumpster. Pictures and other information about the group are available on the Internet at http://hometown.aol.com/iggygirl34/index.html. Prospective owners must complete an adoption form, convince the group they are knowledgeable about iguana husbandry and have living quarters already set up for the iguana. TIR has tried to spread the word by purchasing classified ads, setting up information tables at exotic animal shows and giving fliers to veterinarians and pet shops. That's how Wou Smith, manager of Dubey's Pet World in Chapel Hill, heard about the group. "We do have people coming and looking for places to get rid of their iguanas," said Smith, who sells hatchlings for $18.95 but doesn't stock larger iguanas. "It's not a pet I would recommend for kids." It may also not be a pet for immune-deficient individuals, young children or elderly people because iguanas carry salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious illness. Johnson said he has referred a number of folks to TIR, both for tips on raising their lizards and for adoptions. "You have to do your homework," he warns prospective owners. Conner still has Bubba, who was renamed Bubbette after it was determined that "he" was really a "she." "She isn't just a lizard. If you ever get to know one, you'll know what I mean," Conner said. "She has a definite personality and routine. She's very tame. She's potty trained. And she's spoiled rotten." A regular morning for Bubbette includes a bath in the tub, which doubles as an exercise stint and potty break. She spends warm, sunny afternoons basking in a special portable cage in the house's sun room. Her nails are "clipped" (actually melted) every two weeks. When Bubbette isn't in her specially made $500 home, she enjoys lounging in the Conners' bed and cuddling with her owners. Bubbette even has her own web site, at http://www.geocities.com/conne009mcdukeedu/. Visitors can see pictures of Bubbette and her friends, learn about her likes ("giving sweet little iguana kisses") and dislikes ("to be awakened") and find links to a wealth of other iguana sites. "We just want people to know what they're getting into," said Conner, who is now caring for a foster hatchling that is awaiting a new home. "Iguanas don't come with instruction manuals."