Iguana Sitting

Last weekend, we fostered an iguana. Rather, we saved her from euthanasia and got her safely to a rescue. She had been living with an elderly woman who was recently diagnosed with cancer and had to give her up to a veterinary office. The people at the vet's weren't sure what to do with her, and were a little afraid of her "attitude" . . . we caught wind of the situation and took her in.

Her original name was the very creative "Iggy", but Mike affectionately renamed her "Overbite". I hope the pictures explain her name.
She didn't so much have a bad attitude as she just wasn't used to being handled a whole bunch. I would say that she was fine, considering she got moved around a lot in a short period of time. She whipped her tail at me once, the first time I came near her. She tried to bite whenever we picked her up, but ended up falling asleep on our laps.

The poor thing has such a severe overbite he tongue lolls out.
Her lower jaw never fully developed, thus giving her the severe overbite you see in these pictures. It was probably caused by not getting the proper nutrients and sunlight. She also looks as though she had a touch of scoliosis.

[Jumps onto soapbox]
Iguanas are more work than people realize. They *need* sunlight -- natural sunlight, NOT a lamp -- daily to absorb nutrients, and they *need* a balanced diet. Please, people, if you are considering getting ANY kind of pet, please, please, please buy the *current* edition of a care manual for that animal, READ it, do as much research as you can on the animal, talk to the local reptile society, realize how big the animal is going to get and how long it could live, and have everything you need ready for it *before* you bring it home.

[Jumps off soapbox]

I leave you on a happy note -- a ridiculous picture of Overbite.