From: keith@alumnae.caltech.edu (Keith A. Schneider)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.herp
Subject: Ig jumps into pond -- GONE
Date: 22 Jun 1996 16:37:45 GMT

Hmm...  I've been lucky recovering my ig (when in Boston, my roommate
left the door open, and ig snuck outside.  I put up a "Lost Iguana"
sign in the front yard, and a week later a neighbor's kid found him.
He was in pretty bad shape, but he quickly got better), but I'm not so
hopeful this time.

I had just moved my things back to my parents' house for the summer.
We live on a farm, and there is a 2 acre pond about 100 yards or so
from our house (down a hill).  The iguana (Pedro is his name--the name
came with him when I got him, so I couldn't change it.  I might have
preferred something else) was pretty scared from the move.  I'd let him
sit in the windowsills (with screens) in the sun, but he mostly sat
there with his flap in, and he acted if he was scared most of the time
(sometimes his limbs would shake slightly if he raised them to start to
climb).

I thought it would be a good idea to let him bask outside on the
sidewalk one day.  Maybe this would warm him up.  I had taken him
outside other places before, and he mostly stayed near me (although one
time he tried to make a run for it, but I grabbed him).  This time,
though...

I don't know if he knew the pond was there or what, but all of the
sudden, he took off.  He had a small headstart by the time I stood up
and started running full speed after him.  I'm pretty fast, but not
fast enough.  His little legs were a blur of activity, as if they were
churning circles (they were flying high above his body).  He ran past
the barn, and just as I almost caught up with him, the splashed into
the pond.  I watched him propel himself deep underwater with his tail,
like a little alligator, and then he was gone.

I have not seen him since.  I waited by the pond for about half an
hour, but I never saw him surface.  Unfortunately, there is some algae
around the edges of the pond in places, and iggy is very camoflauged.
I don't think he drowned immediately, although I suppose it's possible
after that furious run.  There are some hazards in the pond, namely
snapping turtles.

I go down to the pond for an hour or so every day looking (with
binoculars) around the perimeter.  I really do not know how iguanas
would react to a situation like this.  He ran to the pond so I assume
he must like it there.  I'm not sure if he's still near the pond or
not, but this is my best bet I think, to look here.  I'll probably give
up looking in a week or so.  If he's still alive, he'll be happy for a
while, I guess, at least until the winter sets in.

It is not wise to take an iguana, not matter how tame (like mine)
outside untethered.

keith

Well, that was it. I later iguana-sat for a year. I keep this one usually in a big cage since my room was small. Walter was not very nice although I did manage to tame her quite a bit from whan I first got her. She's the one in the pictures.