TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Feeding Iguanas

Heading into Philipsburg today we decided to test out the theory that iguanas love lettuce. So armed with a wilted bunch of leaves, off we went. Hubby gets credit for the photos. While attempting to find a good spot where I could feed "Iggy", over he comes. He wasn't shy or afraid and walked across the rock in front of me, and waited patiently while I tried not to fall off of a wobbly rock and break my ankle. When I offered him the lettuce he took it gently, didn't snap at all. And boy, did he love the stuff.







Hubby named this one "Mr. Iggy". He was very skittish and wouldn't come and take the lettuce, so I left him some. We plan on going back and feeding them again as it was fun.

Really great shots!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
Someone use to put out tons of lettuce (something green) near the gate where we stay. There were so many of them in the bushes there! The bushes have been removed, but we still get to see a few. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Birdwatcher, glad to hear you took my advice. (from another post here.)

He may have been a little hesitant because the lettuce wasn't crisp enough to his liking.

Great photos.

So they're picky eaters? I'll buy a fresh lettuce for them next time.

Personally, I believe if you start to feed a wild creature then you must continue to do so. For example, if you place a bird feeder out at the beginning of winter then you are obligated to do so throughout the winter as the birds have come to expect it. JMHO. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

That being said check out this link regarding food for iguanas. Lettuce is not something they should have very often, if ever.

http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm

Thanks for posting the additional info. It looks like it depends on the TYPE of lettuce, some types of lettuce and greens are recommended as a staple part of their diet.

Great pictures!

[quote]SeaStar said:
Personally, I believe if you start to feed a wild creature then you must continue to do so. For example, if you place a bird feeder out at the beginning of winter then you are obligated to do so throughout the winter as the birds have come to expect it. JMHO. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

That being said check out this link regarding food for iguanas. Lettuce is not something they should have very often, if ever.

I read the list and it appears to be aimed at pampered pets. I fed a few lettuce leaves to an iguana living in a location with very little vegetation. It was a treat and I doubt it did any harm. Next time I'll take an apple (peeled, cored and chopped as per the list) and try that.

As for the bird feeders, I keep mine fully stocked all winter with seeds, nuts and peanut butter balls mixed with suet for any creature that may need something to eat when its -30 or below, and the ground is covered in snow and they can't find anything to eat.

Bravo!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Sorry to offend. My point was to share information.
I try to remember that while I think animals in the wild may be cute and friendly they are still wild animals.

Didn't offend me at all. I actually found the information very interesting and rather amusing, I didn't realize iguanas had a penchant for such a varied list of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Realistically, with the price of fruit and vegetables nowadays there are a lot of people who can't afford to buy half of what is on that list, let alone buy it to feed to an iguana or should I say "Pampered Pet"? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

"Anything with a mouth can and will bite. Most of the time an iguana will give warning when it's about to bite. This doesn't mean that it will aways warn, or that the clues are so obvious you will have immediate warning. You might not understand the clue, or it might be too subtle for you to pick up. But the short answer is; yes, iguanas are capable of inflicting serious bite wounds. They have extremely sharp teeth and powerful jaws. They can adjust the degree of strength they apply to a bite. So one time it might be a soft bite that barely draws pinpricks of blood. Or it might deliver a bite that will require a trip to urgent care, and possibly stitches. Untamed and unsocialized iguanas are not to be trusted with bare fingers and the use of heavy-duty leather gloves is recommended when handling one.

Iguanas have anywhere from 80-120 small, sharp serrated teeth. Think of a steak knife bent in half with the serrated edges on the outside. Sometimes, when you are hand feeding your iguana a nice big piece of Collard green, he will accidentally scrape your finger. Hardly a major wound, but it will draw blood nonetheless"

We took an island tour and our guide told us Iguanas are a protected species.

Reminds me of when I got nipped on the toe by an iguana in Aruba. We had been feeding them watermelon from the outside breakfast bar and one of them came up and took a little nip on my watermelon-nailpolish-painted toes.

The exact same thing happened to me there! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Where did you find them to feed? Curious

Lounging on the rocks by the causeway.