red iguana

Astigma · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:38 pm Post subject: red iguana

anybody heard of them?

tegulevi · Respected Member Joined: Mar 10, 2005 Posts: 489

yeah i saw them on a web site once they were like 45,000 dollars though lol

arf-man · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:35 am Post subject:

I don't much about them, but this place sells them for $190

http://reptilemax.com/osCommerce/product_info.php?products_id=106

From some of the boards I saw, there's a lot of arguing about whether these are morphs or a color variation, etc. etc.

I've heard, though I have no personal knowledge, that albino reds are the ones that go for thousands of dollars...of course, that comes from a post on a board where everyone was puffing their chests and bragging about how much they know, so I have my doubts...

Hope this helps.

tupinambis · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:42 am Post subject:

I may be somewhat wrong on this, but from what I've seen, those are just plain green iguanas. However, clearly, they are not green, or at least not much so. What I think is happening here is the animals have been raised in a particular environment where it has induced that sort of colour. In Brazil, we breed and raise green iguanas, and if memory serves me correctly, our original stock was a customs seizure from Florida (ie. certainly not local stock, likely the same thing we all see in pet shops). They were green to begin with, that's for sure. However, after keeping them outside (like we do with most of the reptiles), they soon started taking on that red colouring as well. What I think is making the colour change is the dirt. The earth in most of that area is a rich red or purple colour, and I'm not sure whether they ingest it and it becomes incorporated into their skin, or if it isn't just from long term exposure and it becomes something of a natural tattoo. But if people really are selling that much, then maybe I need to change my focus from science to selling, because I can get them by the hundreds for "peanuts".

arf-man · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:22 pm Post subject:

I just ran out over the lunch hour and bought a couple dozen green iguanas at $15 a pop and a large bottle of purple Ritz dye...I figure purple igs ought to go for $10,000.

Just kidding, of course...

DeadIrishD · Honored Member Joined: Jun 07, 2005 Posts: 265

Is this like the blue Iggys?

herp_haven · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:36 pm Post subject:

I think it was found that the red gene in green iguana's is a genetic color morph. All of them grow up to be reds as adults now matter what environment they are in.

The albino reds all go for thousands of dollars, but never have I seen one for $45,000. Albinos are down to $1,600-$2,000 now.

Some people call their green iguanas "blue". There are some green iguanas that take on a turquoise color. But the true blue iguanas are the endangered Blue Cayman Island Iguana's. They are a different ss. of iguana.
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