People just love to buy baby iguanas. Our neon color and the dinosaur look, as well as the cheap price tag, make us very popular. The truth is that iguanas are neither cheap nor easy to care for. Typically, an owner will try to sell their iguana at approximately 3 years of age. After the owner discovers that it is impossible to sell an iguana to anyone who knows anything about iguanas, then they look for a rescue place to save their iguana from being euthanised. Usually, they still want to sell the cage. What is a rescue to do with no cage? Considering that most people want to give up their iguana when they are afraid of it or when they don't want to pay for medical care, they will be very lucky to find someone to take their iguana. Many owners have just released their iguana into the back yard even though this is illegal in most states, including Virginia. The most common excuses for giving up an iguana is that the son or daughter isn't interested anymore. The second most common reason is that the owner is moving.
Buying a baby iguana may be a fifteen year committment. Do you know what your life plans are in fifteen years? Military housing and some apartments and home owner associations ban pet reptiles.