Customer Reviews

Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is complete. Its about 3 inches thick and PACKED with more information about iguanas than anyone could possibly imagine exists about iguanas. It is clear from the get-go that James W. Hatfield III owns an iguana (in this case, Za, the "little" guy on the cover of the book) and is avid (one could even say, possessed), in discovering everything he can about his pet.

The books not only contains your basis iguana care information, but also sites specific examples from, not only the author's experiences in raising his own iguana, but from the enormous chain of communication he has established over the years with multiple iguana owners and reptile specialists. Its truly impressive, and a worthwhile read. The author has even invented the ultimate iguana habitat that he willing shares how to make yourself, for those of you out there who know how to use a hammer. (Unlike myself.)

I have one complaint, and it is actually more of a caution for new iguana owners. If you know nothing about iguanas, and have already made the mistake of buying one without research, perhaps you should buy a thinner book, just to get the proper overview. You could spend 3 years reading this book cover to cover! Or, instead of buying a different book, skip to the important sections like housing and feeding, before getting around to reading what parts of the country they come from.

The ULTIMATE resource guide, to be sure.

This book is the best and only book an iguana owner ever need buy. The price is a little high but the information is accurate (rare in iguana care books) and comprehensive, meaning there is no need to buy a whole library of books because everything you need to know is in this book. The book does have a problem with too many useless iguana owner comments that seem to be there as filler to make the book bigger. There are however plenty of those comments that are quite useful and the rest are easy to skim over. Despite this the information is still the best and it is written in an easy to read and and consult manner. Whether you want it as a reference or to read it cover to cover you will be completely satisfied with this book and your iguana will live a long, healthy life.

I was getting an iguana for my fiance as a gift. I had NO idea what I needed to buy or how to care for an iguana. I looked through many other books & finally found this one. It will explain, from beginning to end, everything you could ever want to know about iguanas! From deciding if it is the right pet for you, to very detailed care specifications. So many people buy iguanas, not knowing what kind of housing requirements it needs or what kind of food could be toxic to them. I've known of iguana owners who have let their pet run free through the house, never once giving it appropriate lighting or food. Sadly enough, their iguanas died. Our iguana is now about 3 months old and has been so much fun! We took it to it's first vet appointment (which I read is a must!) and the vet says it's one of the healthiest one's she's ever seen! Because of this book, I was able to know what to look for when picking out a healthy iguana and am very careful on what I feed it. I have also learned that it can sometimes take up to 2 years to figure out if your iguana is male or female (that's why I keep using "it"). I not only recommend this book, but it is a "must read" for anyone who is thinking about owning an iguana! Signed--Newfound Iguana Lover

Living in the Florida Keys we have dealt extensively with discarded Iguanas - perhaps 15 or more. People buy them, and get rid of them constantly - and down here, in the semi-tropics, they can survive (with difficulty)in the wild.
Hatfield's book is good, but expensive. For about the same price you can get the excellent "Iguanas for Dummies" by Melissa Kaplan (she has long term, extensive personal experience with the animals, & maintains a website that is designed to help pet owners and potential iguana buyers - not just for selling books. You can also add "What's Wrong with My Iguana" by John Rossi M.A., D.V.M. and "Understanding Reptile Parasites" by Roger Klingenberg D.V.M. -it depends where you shop, and how detailed you want to get. You will have far more information (by getting the three less expensive titles) for the money. If money is no object, get them all.
We liked Hatfield's book, but he has apparently raised only one iguana - extremely well - and the rest is research. Kaplan's book is based on research & a lot of personal experience. The experience shows through - there are tidbits of information that have been useful to us that we have not found elsewhere.
If you get Kaplan's book or Hatfield's before you buy an iguana you will definately be doing yourself and your animal a favor. Hopefully, the book will talk you out of getting an iguana if you are somebody who is looking for an easy, inexpensive pet. We love the animals, but based on the rejections we've seen down here, and the complexity of raising the animals correctly, we would never recommend them for pets.
Whatever book you get, you will still need to find a good vet., and that is not easy. Things go wrong with iguanas that are not covered with specificity in any of these books. We have been unfortunate enough to encounter them.

I bought this book thinking to myself, "I spend $32 some odd dollars on a book about Iquanas and I don't even read that often." I was sure I wasted my money until I got the book and begin purusing its pages. It is full of love and heart felt concern for the green fellow...I no longer have my Iguana, but I will NOT buy another one until I have completely read this book and have been saturated with Mr Hatfield's wisdom. This book is clear on what you should expect before you buy your iquana, what your should do after you buy it, and what you should expect for its lifetime. He is also sending out a free yearly Newsletters to further update you on any changing information he may get. If you buy any Iquana book it should be this one. Buy it...Buy it...Buy it!

If you own an Iguana or are considering buying one, do yourself a favor and buy this book. You'll find that this book will change the way you view your pet. You'll become a more educated and understanding caretaker - and your iguana will benefit from it.

This book made a hole new difference to me, I had so many questions before I bought it. How does the skeleton look like? How does the heart and lungs function? These are just two of many questions I had and I got almost all of them answered when I bought the book. The book really fills you up with so much information about the Iguanas that you never knew of. The book is very easy to read and understand and with the stories from other Iguana owners makes it fun to read. Buy it, if you you're thinking of being an Iguana owner or if you already are and don't have it.

Given the size of this book, one would have expected a comprehensive overview of the biology of green igauanas along with their care as pets. But the book is too anecdotal in its content, and so important topics are treated in a cursory fashion, especially the discussion on diseases and ailments of green igaunas. I have lost two iganuas because of black spot, but the author does not give a useful discussion of the origins and cures for black spot. The book is not without its virtues though, and some of the more interesting discussions include: 1. The scientific classification for iguanas. 2. How to differentiate betweeen the sexes. 3. The ability of iguanas to detect ultraviolet light. 4. An explanation os to why iguanas close their eye when an object is brought close to it. 5. The existence of a parietal eyes on iguanas, a fact that took me completely by surprise. The functioning of this eye is apparantly to act as a sensor for sunlight, enabling the iguana to move to the shade and avoid overheating. 6. The internal anatomy of iguanas. 7. The existence of a Jacobson's organ. 8. The importance of heat for adequate digestion. 9. The entire chapter on the feeding of iguanas. 10. The presence of salmonella in iguana feces. This has been reported in the press as a concern for iguana owners, particularly pregnant women. 11. The plans for the construction of an iguana habitat.

With more in-depth discussion on important topics, and with the omission of anecdotal insertions, this book would become the bible of iguana care and biology. The author is quite correct when he asserts that iguanas are difficult to take care of. That is why he needs to spend more time on treating the topics in more depth.

As a veterinarian who treats iguanas on a regular basis, I can not encourage enough people to buy this book. If my clients followed the instructions given in this book, it would reduce the number of iguanas I see by more than half. The price is very low for the quality and quantity of information provided. If you are thinking of owning, or do own an iguana, you will be missing out on a great resource and a fun read if you do not purchase this book.

I found an iguana roaming around my apartment building and I had no idea how to care for him, so I decided to head to ... buy a book on iguanas. I found Mr. Hatfield's book and read its reviews that other customers had written. I decided to buy the book. I recieved it and I was hooked. I never imagined that it would be such an amazingly informative book. Every question that I had about iguanas it answered, and then some. It was straight forward and reads more like a novel than a reference book. I fully recommend this book to anyone interested in iguanas, whether they already own one, or are looking to acquire one. They are an amazing animal, and this book captures what makes them so special. Thank you Mr. Hatfield.