Buddy

Let me tell you about my other iguana named Buddy. He came to live with me about two years ago. I was working at a wildlife refuge at the time and a co-worker had found him in a field near his home. He caught him and we tried to find a home for him. Well, I know it is hard to find homes for even cute, cuddly dogs and cats, so you can imagine that we did not have any luck. But seeing as how I have a soft spot in my heart for animals, yes even reptiles, I took him in. It turned out to be good. For a short time he actually lived in my bedroom free-roaming. This was okay, but he needed his own space. (Or maybe I needed mine.) Anyhow, my husband and his grandfather followed my plans and built a cage for him. Buddy was already 2.5 feet long. He seemed healthy enough but he has several scars all over his body and at one time must have lost his tail although it has grown back. He is very gentle, so I know he must have been handled a lot.
Being the responsible person that I am, I put a ad in the newspaper for a found iguana. No one claimed him. Maybe people who own iguanas don't read the newspaper, they just line the bottom of cages with it.
I named him Buddy because he was so gentle and I figured I could use him for classes. At the time I was doing several reptile classes with two of my snakes. I thought Buddy would make a good addition and his name might show people that he may look a little scary or intimidating, but he can be a friend. In fact Buddy's first and, sadly only, class was a Bass Pro Shop thing that lasted all day long for four days in a row. He did well, and for the most part the people's reactions were positive. But the long days of thousands of different people were hard on him. He has not done a class with me since. But this is also because my classes were about native reptiles and Buddy is not one of these. They may live in Florida as feral iguanas but they are native to central and south America. Also I do not have a demand for classes now that I am not working at the wildlife refuge at this time.
Buddy is an example of what a really nice, gentle iguana can be if someone will take the time and effort to be nice and gentle to them.