National Iguana Awareness Day
Learn about how to properly care for, love, and treat the magnificent creatures known as iguanas, and decide if they could be the right fit for your home.
What’s not to love about an aggressive, cold-blooded, reptile with a nasty bite and a powerfully strong tail? Learn all about these cute critters, their habits and mannerisms, and also how to care for them on National Iguana Awareness Day.
History of National Iguana Awareness Day
As with so many pets, not all new owners of iguanas realize what they are committing to when they first take home their baby iguana. That little bundle of scales could one day grow to six feet in length! With very specific dietary needs and a rather reptilian personality, iguanas are said to be easy to love, but hard to care for.
National Iguana Awareness Day is the ideal opportunity to learn about keeping your iguana tame and friendly, how to care for its health and personal grooming, and how to house it comfortably so that it can live a long and healthy life. With the proper care and attention, an iguana can be a wonderful and rewarding pet for many years.
The perfect opportunity to improve awareness and grow in knowledge of these stunning creatures, National Iguana Awareness Day was founded by a group of regular citizens who were also iguana owners. Their hope was that they could help people understand that these reptiles are not “disposable pets” and they need special care. In fact, many folks quote the motto for iguanas as a pet that is “hard to care for but easy to love”.
It seems like National Iguana Awareness Day was first celebrated in 1998 and has continued on each year, particularly in the world of pet and reptile care. So get on board with this day, in honor of the iguana, and share the passion with friends and family in the process!
How to Celebrate National Iguana Awareness Day
Have a load of fun enjoying and celebrating this unique animal on National Iguana Awareness Day with some of these ideas and activities:
Learn Fun Facts About Iguanas
National Iguana Awareness Day provides a delightful opportunity for folks to grow in their knowledge about this unique and interesting animal. In celebration and to raise awareness for the day, learn some of these facts and share them with others:
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Green Iguanas Have Three Eyes
While the third eye that is on top of the iguana’s head is not a typical eye that can be used in the same way as the other two because it can’t see, it can sense movement and alert them of predator movements.
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Iguanas Can’t Stand the Cold
The places where these animals thrive make it obvious that they are meant for warm weather. In fact, if iguanas are exposed to temperatures that are too cold, their metabolism will slow down so much that they will enter a comatose-like state and sometimes even fall out of their trees until the temperatures rise.
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Iguanas Communicate Nonverbally
While they do not talk to each other, they do bob their heads slowly as a greeting. But when they bob their heads or tails up and down quickly, that means they are upset and should not be approached!
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Iguanas Have Long Lives
These reptiles can live very long lives in captivity – up to 20 years. That’s even a longer commitment than having a dog and about the same as a cat.
Adopt an Iguana
Those who are ready to make a commitment to a pet might want to consider adopting an iguana in celebration of National Iguana Awareness Day. Before adopting one, it is important to remember that iguanas get very large, they need a lot of space, they are very strong and they can live a long time! Also, they can be a little bit boring. But if these things aren’t a deterrent, then go ahead and consider adopting one of these interesting reptiles in celebration of the day.
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