Long Live The Iguana

I feel extremely privileged to have observed wild Iguanas while visiting Costa Rica some years ago. This is perhaps my all time favorite lizard and I am very grateful to be able to share our life with Spike.

Awhile back we adopted Spike from a fellow living a couple of towns away. It was one of those times that I told Jeanne "Be Right Back", whenever I say be right back without saying where I am going, I usually come home with something. Something like a pig, or a snake, a goat, a Tortoise named the Dude, or a green lizard named Spike. I think if I say "be right back again, she just might club me over the head and take my keys away.

Spike belonged to the boyfriend of the sister of the guy who gave Spike to us."
It seems the boyfriend dumped the sister, and the sister left the Iguana with the brother, and he did not want a Iguana named Spike. I must say he did take excellent care of Spike while he cared for him, and even went so far as to purchase the book "Iguanas For Dummies.
I am thankful he decided to entrust us with Spike.



In Central America, where iguana meat is frequently consumed, iguanas are referred to as "bamboo chicken" or "chicken of the trees."
And in Puerto Rico, the island's government is announcing plans to kill as many of the roughly 4 million iguanas as possible. The plan is to train volunteers to capture live iguanas and bring them to a processing center for slaughter and distribution to the U.S. Evidently someone believes demand for iguana meat is high in U.S.

I understand the need to control or eliminate an invasive species, but I love these giant green lizards and I would be disgusted if a "Bamboo Chicken" franchise opened in my town.

Viva La Iwana