Kala the Giant Green Iguana

I have adopted a five-year old green iguana whom I named Kala. She's got an interesting story, but a great future!


Kala's Story:
I adopted Kala on September 24th, 2005 as a five year old iguana of undetermined sex. Her previous owner was a professor who had grown to be too busy and wanted Kala (then called Lily) to go to a home where she would get the attention she needs. I jumped at the offer and soon was taking Kala for her first time outside and then home.

Shortly after taking her home, I realized that I was in deeper than I had thought. Kala, it turns out, has metabolic bone disease. I saw her deformed foot and how she didn't want to move around very much or put weight on it, and described it to the campus herpetologist (who happened to do the autopsy on Amazon) and he gave me the diagnosis of metabolic bone disease. Fortunately, the disease is still reversible, and Kala can become healthy again.

The other problem with Kala was that she got VERY stressed out. She would whip and display at the mere sight of a person and was very nervous around anyone. Progressively, with handling and petting (which she loves), Kala has settled down. She will actually come toward you to be petted sometimes, and sometimes nearly falls off her favorite log in the pleasure of being petted. She's still a mite nervous seeing hands coming toward her, but once she feels touch, she remembers and relaxes.

Kala still needs a bigger enclosure- she is too large for the large dog cage that she calls home. She's not comfortable yet roaming around the house, however, and prefers her cage to the outside. With time, it is my plan to turn Kala into a free-range iguana.

     




November 15, 2006

Well, it's many months later, and Kala lives in a huge 6'x4'x6' enclosure we built for her complete with sliding doors. We also gave her a towel, which she adores. She's doing better and better, with her tame periods lasting longer so that we now rarely encounter a wild Kala. Maybe a pissed-off unhappy Kala, but not wild. We did a program at the Humane society in August, but there was an incident with a volunteer and a little dog, so no more programs for a little bit for Kala. We'll wait till she's more comfortable with strangers and make sure no dogs will be around. Then she can enjoy it. She knows the meaning of 'No' and often obeys it, too, which is a very good thing. Otherwise, the place would never be the same! Below are some more recent pictures of her enclosure, and then her favorite hang out place outside her enclosure (the top of my husband's chair).