A dillemma on ethics concerning wild caught reptiles:?

Question

Having been an avid reptile owner for... well, all my life, I've learned over the years that captive bred is best... one way or another, I think we all do (If we're actually concerned about the animal as a species rather than just as a cool pet), and except for rare circumstances nowdays I may catch a wild specimen to admire it for a few minutes and release it after revelling in the capture, but keeping one of these is strictly taboo for me nowdays (with a few rare exceptions if I come across one ever again in my life... with intent to begin a captive breeding program).

Anyway, the heart of the so-called dillemma: (This has already been solved, but I'd just like more takes on it)

The other day, I open the door to go outside for a cigarette, and lo and behold, there's a hatchling green iguana hanging out on my carport. They're not a native species here in central Florida although I am quite aware of the fact that they are doing quite well in the area, eating people's flowerbeds, reproducing, and generally just being iguanas. But dangit, there's a green iguana on my carport. I know how to take care of them, I have a cage that will work for it for probably a year or so, so it's not an issue of "how do I take care of it", it's an issue of "This is a wild-caught specimen, am I depriving it of a legitimate life in the wild?" but there's also, "It's an introduced species, it doesn't belong here."

My first attempt at capture failed horribly... he got into a hole in the cinderblocks of the wall of my laundry room. A few days later, though I found him in my washing machine... I had left the lid up the day before, so I guess he goofed... he's eating fine, starting to shed a bit, living in his little plastic cage on the carport (well ventilated cage, shaded area... a bit of morning sun, but nothing scorching hot) eating T-Rex iguana food and romaine lettuce and hibiscus (so far... haven't had a chance to splurge on veggies since getting him) He's mellowing out a bit, starting to put up with being handled and actually letting us watch him eat now...

Am I:

a) bad for taking a wild animal out of it's habitat?

b) nice for "saving a poor baby iguana's life?

c) being a responsible steward of my local ecosystem by removing an invasive species from the habitat?

d) off my rocker for even posting this?

Answer 1

Well, ill go along with all your answers

A) This is really a matter of opinion. You are the same with me. I would not normally take a wild animal out of its home, but its an iguana! Though they are not native however, you are still taking it out of its 'natural' habitat. Of course, if I was in your situation, I would have taken it too.

B) Im sure the iguana would have been fine outside, but iguanas are generall mellow creatures, and as long as it has enough space, being fed without having to catch its own food would definatley be a plus, especially for a lone baby iguana.

C) Haha, well I Dont think taking one iguana from our yard would be helping a considerable amount, but hey! Now it cant reproduce anymore, so you may have been some help!

D) No, definatley not off your rocker. Its hard when you love animals so much. You want them to have a happy life, but your life evolves around caring for them and observing them. This is a very hard question, and though I dont have a definite answer, I know there is a good and bad to both sides. Try to judge the peroblem in the most unbiased way possible, from your perspective, then the iguanas, and hopefully the answer will come :) Good luck!

Answer 2

ive had a similar issue (altho with a slightly smaller species) recently. i found a european green tree frog. there not native to the UK but small breeding colonies have sprung up in the last 2 decades and are doing quite well in some places. i decided to let it go as they are overly harmful to the ecosystem. iguana's on the other hand do more damage and people dont generally like them very much, and they are seen as pest that need to be destroyed by a large amount of people.

i wouldnt say u actively saved its life but it may have been destroyed if it go into some1's flower bed 1 to many times

i would say C: is the best answer im dead against wild caught (as u can see from alot of my answers) but this is one of the few situations that i think its ok (your basically making the best of a bad situation) i hope you and your new iguana have good lives  

Answer 3

I would say A and D. I think you should of watched it for awhile and let it go. And D because in Pa (I don't know about Fl) it's illegal to keep wild life captive. So if the situation comes up I'm sure you can buy them in pet stores, and that's where your little one came from right. But good luck.  

Answer 4

All too. its not a native species, and to honest most people find them as pest. YOU KNOW what an adult iguana can do when cornered and captured. IT CAN WHIP hard and bite. They are considered a pest, and eradicated in parts of Florida. SO you did the baby a favor you are not bad and good on you for it. Just like if you found a Boa or a Python which I also know is fast become a problem introduces species that are thriving and actually a threat to the alligator pop since they kill and eat young and baby alligators.

Answer 5

Not (a) because the iguana is not a native species to your area; Florida is not his natural habitat..

I would say (b) because he will definitely have a better life with someone who knows how to care for him, (c) for saving people's flower beds, and (d) for even questioning your decision!

I bet if it was anybody else, they would've tried to keep it as a "cute pet" and generally do it harm by not providing the care he needs.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I don't live in Florida, but I am aware of the population of Iguanas that Florida has got over the years. And that it is legal in some parts to start shooting and killing them due to the population(s).

I know saving every critter that come to you house, I think everyone tries to take care of regardless if it's a wild animal.

I know from watching Animal Planet that they do have rescue/shelters for iguanas, so I would personally call one of them people up.

The diet for the iguana isn't the best, romaine has no nutrience, it is mostly water (greens to feed: collard, mustard, turnip, endive, watercress, etc) and the T-Rex iguana pellet food read the ingredient, w/in the first 10 ingredients it most likely will have some form of animal protein. Hibiscus is fine, should be treat tho.

A B C ...

a) think everyone tries to save everything that comes to there front door step, because it's like "it came to me for help, theres a reason it's at my front step", at least for the animal lovers

b) if I lived in Florida, I'd probably be feeding all the wild iguana that are roaming, which of course wouldn't be helping the problem what so ever ... but then when it gets to 5/6ft in length and possibly very aggressive (50/50 chance) what are you going to do then?

c) yes, iguanas are not native of Florida, and living in Florida I guess ppl think that they can just release whatever free because of such wonderful weather, but now you've got to deal w/ giving him/her the proper care and having a 50/50 chance if it will let you be it's slave, I'm sure you are aware of the aggressive behavior, of course the vet bills

- I would also like to add, that iguanas that are bought at pet stores (guilty of), we are just fueling the fire, means more iguanas can be caught as babies and shipped over from S. America (and other places). The one you found, could of been store bought and the person could of thought it would be fine on there should and ran away or it could of been a hatchling from the oh so many females in Florida.

d) no you're question was good, I think lots of ppl when they bring a wild animal into the house to care for think the same things ... I sometimes wonder why I even ever started answer Yahoo!Answers

Yes Iguanas can be a 15-20 yr commitment ... I've got one

There are some really great answers, w/ lots of different opinions and reasoning.

Sites for you to read:

http://www.greenigsociety.org/ - http://www.iguanaden.org/ - http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html

A great book to read and have on hand:

Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan

Answer 7

101% c.  The reason being is theyare an invasive species, and they are wrecking havoc with native and in many cases, endangered species in Florida.  Iguanas compete with the native gopher tortoise for some food in Florida, though not much.  Iguanas out compete native herbivore reptiles because there is not any natural predators.  Not only does it compete with native animals, there are many rare plants in Florida that do not have the natural defense to iguanas that they have developed over a millennium against native herbivores.  As a kid in florida, I used to see carolina anoles everywhere, they were as common as pine trees down there, now they are hard to find because the brown Caribbean anole out competes them for food, now the carolina anole is not as common as it was when I was a kid.

The native Floridian ecosystems are some of the most endangered ones in the US, second only to Hawaii due to invasive plants and animals and all the folks moving there from other places. The Florida I knew as a child some 35+ years ago is no longer there.

Not to sound like I am picking on anyones answer, CP iguanas are not protected in the wild, nor are any other invasive species in Florida, as a matter of fact the state of Florida spends 10s of thousands of dollars a year trying to get rid of them and have passed recent laws about importing certain reptiles. A fine example is the Nile monitor lizards loose in SW Fl. and burmese pythons in the everglades. They are killing rare native species.  One of the concerns with the nile monitor is that they eat crocodile eggs and they are just north of where one of the rarest crocodiles in world lives (the american crocodile) and if they start showing up there that could mean the end of the american crocodile.

Answer 8

  b and c .. keep him !! he has a better chance to live with you than he does in the wild

Answer 9

Why are you  beating yourself up. He is out of his natural enviroment and who knows what could have happened.

You did a good thing. He seems to like you he keeps coming back!

Enjoy your new pet.

He is lucky you found him!

Answer 10

I vote for c.. maybe d. If you live in FL, you know how introductions can foul up the ecosystem. Seen and Burmese pythons in the 'Glades lately? How about kudzu, the "Scourge of the South"? That's gradually working its way to me, just north of the Mason-Dixon line. I can only hope it selectively strangles all the multiflora rose.

Answer 11

I would say "b" and "c" because by removing him from the wild,you are saving him from possibly being killed by someone else because he is not native to Florida. I have a pet starling,which is an introduced species,and not protected,so I think I did him a favor.In the wild,a starling's average lifespan is probably about 2-3 years,and my Stanley is 7.I would have done the same thing.Have fun with your baby!!

Answer 12

First of all, you're not "taking a wild animal out of it's habitat", you're taking it out of a habitat it doesn't belong in anyway. If you want to keep it, fine. There's absolutely no moral dilemma.

If you REALLY want to be a steward of your local ecosystem, you'll remove every iguana you see, by whatever means necessary.

When taking an animal out of the wild, I think there are just two potential moral dilemmas two consider;

- The effect on the population (which really does not apply if it's a common species)

- The idea of depriving an animal of its freedom (which applies to captive bred animals too, in the strictest sense.) This one has to be up to the individual

Answer 13

invasive species should be removed. personally i believe they should be destroyed .but what your doing  achieves the same goal.(its removal from  its non native habitat) so i say C