How would you feel about a ban on the importation of Green Iguanas into the United States, Canada, and Europe?

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Until more learning howto care for these animals is figured out, I would put a temporary ban on them...when demand overwhelms supply, (which is not likely to happen) then lift the ban...a permanent ban? I dont think so....my thoughts....Lyn

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Lyn Green Iguanas have been imported for a long time and thier care is pretty much well documented so I dunno if thats really a valid excuse. I just have a question do Greens breed in captivity and if so how well? If it can be bred in captivity then I say ban them and have captive bred only.

There are thousands of large iguanas living in 10-20 gallons, thousands of iguanas dropped of in the street like a dog or cat, thousands being abused, mistreated, killed, abandoned, thrown out to iguana farms to be tortured to death, bred just for food in iguana farms, un caring and unnowledged people leaving there iguana to suffer in a small cage when diseased, and fed proteins which they should not have. The majority of these iguanas are captive bred.

I would ban the importing of iguanas every where possible and have people take quizzes in a very intelligent zoo, top rated herpitoligist, online wild life keeps that are full of the best herpitoligists and zoo keepers. Another thing I think would help is a pic of the person presenting the pic of the cage they plan on having for the iguanas whole life, and what they plan on feeding... Soon I feel many many more herps are going to be the same as iguanas. In abuse wise. For example bearded dragons. As well as many other herps due to they're ever growing popularity.

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I think there needs to be more education, about herps in general - they are a very misunderstood animal and too many people believe misconceptions and myths about them. Green igs are all too much abandoned or neglected, mainly due to their size, but also so are herps like burmese pythons. I think there needs to perhaps be a temp ban as Lyn suggested, but I also don't think that people should readily breed igs in captivity, for the main reason that it doesnt matter where the igs come from, too many are mistreated, and it is mainly due to inexperience and lack of knowledge.

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

I went with other; I think education is key, price is the other. If they adopted a size limit, hypothetically: no Iguana under 18" snout to tail length may be sold. This would drive the price up and hopefully lessen the "disposable pet" tag that Ig's seem to have gotten.

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I would just make it really difficult for the buyer. Just to make sure they are dedicated.

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This is not the place for governmental regulation. It is up to us as keepers and such to educate places like pet stores and make information readily available to those thinking about keeping one. I commend one of the big box pet stores (I can't remember which it is but I was in the local branch yesterday) that has accurate care sheets for all the animals it has in house plus ones that it does not and the manager / reptile girl siad that the store no longer would carry igs because of the population problems.

Even now most books published and sold at pet stores are full of inaccurate information. In all the books I have flipped through only two (Kaplin's and Hatfield's) are good enough to to use. Both appear cost prohibitive to a new keeper. For Dummies needs to come out with a version of MK's book that is abridged like there other desk references but have a list of good web resources.

The fact that iguanas are farmed for food is wholly irrelevant to this argument. Iguanas have been a food source longer than they have been even considered to be pets. Recognize this, don?t try to ban it, get used to it.

The only time that I would consider backing a ban on something is when it poses an outright danger to humans which don't really have a choice of being around it (eg hot snakes, big cats) or causes major problems when it gets loose (eg pampas grass, zebra muscles). Even then I have a hard time supporting one.

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~ Mark

By all means they should be banned there are enuf captive greens in the world as pets that could be bred to feed the want for these magnificent animals. I would rather see healthy captive igs breed and produce healthy babies, I think if this happened over a few dozen years you would see less problems with the newborns certainly might even breed out the fear factor that is hardwired in. I think this should be the same for all "difficult" reptiles or any exotic for that matter. Perhaps in a few 100 years Iguanas might even reach domesticated status, of course I realise that brings up a whole new set of issues but it is an interesting topic for discussion.

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I'm just saying, some people sell they're iguanas to a food farm. To get rid of them as they cannot do it... Most iguana farms that are for food are made up of hideous acts. I was not even counting them as why theys should be banned. Just stateing a fact. It should be a government regulation to have checks on every one's iguanas. They should be required to have licenses for owning a iguana, be quizzed, and have a monthly checkup where they HAVE to bring they're iguana to a knowledgable vet. Or they are fined heavily or arrested. If the country has laws on endangered animals and the aspca protects animals. They should be protecting iguanas.

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