Iguanas are reptiles that are typically found in rainforests in southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. These lizards grow into adults that look like miniature dinosaurs and often reach six feet in length (Hancock). Perhaps because of their frightening appearance, they have become one of the most popular reptiles purchased in pet shops today. Unfortunately, many pet owners find out too quickly that their impulsive, “cool pet syndrome” purchase results in a dangerous, time consuming, and expensive proposition (‘Why Adopt? “).
For these reasons, an iguana is not a suitable pet for families with young children. Studies have shown that owning and caring for a pet can have positive impacts on the owner’s health and sense of worth. They can help reduce stress, provide loving companionship, and foster responsibility because they are something the owner must be responsible for (“7 Reasons You Should Get a Pet” 1). While these are all benefits that one might see when owning a pet, these benefits depend upon the type of pet owned. A wild animal with aggressive tendencies won’t likely provide the same benefits as a calm, loving, domesticated pet.
From the moment they are born, parents’ primary concern is for the safety and well-being of their children. It doesn’t make sense then to bring into the home a pet whose behavior is at best unpredictable. According to content presented on the Dr. Exotic website by author Christine Hancock, an adult iguana is “aggressive and territorial and will not hesitate to use their strong and powerful jaws, nails, or tail. ” She goes on to say, “Always use extreme caution when handling any iguana. Iguanas are wild animals and you must always treat them in a manner that respects the fact that they may be dangerous. Knowing they are dangerous, no parent would feel comfortable leaving a young child unattended with this animal. In addition to the safety concern, caring for iguanas requires a great deal of time and effort. Iguanas grow up to six feet in length and can live for up to twenty years in captivity (Hancock). They grow rapidly and “within several months can outgrow a 30-50 gallon aquarium” (Hancock), requiring the owner to build increasingly larger enclosures or them that must be cleaned and kept hygienic (Hancock).
Iguanas need a very temperaturecontrolled environment with heat lights and humidity and must be handled frequently in an effort to tame them (Hancock). These reptiles eat dark leafy green vegetables and some fruits (Hancock). So they require regular grocery shopping for fresh produce. Parents with young children are kept quite active just attending to their child’s needs. Finding the additional time needed to spend training, shopping, feeding, and or building new housing for the rapidly growing iguana can be quite burdensome on the family. Not only do these pets require a large commitment of time and care, they are expensive to own.
The building and regular cleaning of enclosures that will fit the growing iguana, setting up the proper environment for the animal, and feeding the animal can be quite costly. These animals can also have medical problems like metabolic bone disease, kidney disease, and parasites which can result in significant medical expenses (Hancock). Most families today work hard to meet the financial demands of having a family. Adding such an expensive pet to the mix, puts even more burden on the family financially.
While, adopting a pet from a shelter provides the animal with a new chance at a better life” (“Why Adopt? “) and is an admirable act, it doesn’t mean that the animal will be easy to take care of. In fact, just the opposite is often the case. Often once an animal is placed in a shelter, it has been mistreated or neglected to the point that a great deal of additional work, expense, and care is necessary to make the animal healthy and gain its trust again. As previously mentioned, the additional time, expense, and care required for these iguanas is not something the modern family with young children has readily available.
Iguanas are some of the most popular reptiles purchased from pet shops today, yet it would definitely not be wise for families with young children to adopt one of these pets. The hundreds of iguanas showing up in shelters (“Why Adopt? “) indicate that these pets are much more difficult to care for than their former owners anticipated. Parents with young children considering purchasing or adopting a pet would be better off looking for a more even-tempered, lovable, and social animal that won’t overly tax the family in terms of their time, finances, health, and well-being.