Book Review

 By Ellen Knowles

Book:   Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owners Manual

Author: James W. Hatfield III

Year:  2000

ISBN:  1-883463-48-3

NOTE: A New 2004 Edition will be available soon.

Review

This may be the most comprehensive iguana book written.

Over 600 pages of information regarding the housing, raising, breeding and feeding of iguanas than you could ever hope to find in one place. Sure, it's a little costly, but darn well worth the investment. No serious iguana owner would balk at the price considering how much information this book contains.

Mr. Hatfield spent over five years gathering information from iguana owners, breeders and veterinarians. He also draws from his field research in Mexico and Central America as well as from his own beloved iguana, Za.

Any questions you could ask about an iguana is in this book. He starts with a general discussion about the green iguana, its physical characteristics and behaviors. He cautions readers to determine if owning (or being owned by ) an iguana is what is best for them. You can very easily learn what to feed your iguana as well as what you want to avoid feeding it.

The chapters regarding housing and lighting are excellent, but the information he gives regarding special care is absolutely something you can not do without.

I read this book from cover to cover when I first became an iguana owner and have referred to it often in the five years following. I feel that having had this book has made me a more knowledgeable owner and I can tell by looking at my iguana, Tyle, that I have done a great job of raising him. This pride is reinforced yearly by my vet when we go for checkups.

At just over five years of age, Tyle is five feet, six inches in length (his tail has never been broken). He weighs in at just over 15 pounds. He is not aggressive, free roaming and is just as important a part of our family as any other animal living in the zoo here. Feel free to visit him at Frank's Iguana Heaven in Yahoo! Groups.

ADDITIONAL REVIEWS

http://www.arav.org/Journals/JA014233.htm

http://www.iguana.com/testimonials8.shtml