Same species as a much-beloved pet I had some 40 years ago (not being allowed a cat or dog). OK, he wasn't quite equivalent, but nonetheless preferable to nearly all possible alternatives to those two supremely pet-adapted species.
I read recently that iguanas are no longer a legal pet in NYC, but that they are considered surprisingly intelligent and with distinctive personalities (which fits my memory). Don Ig Juan, as my father named him, was easygoing and friendly. He loved tuna cat food most of all, blueberries second, and would wait eagerly for me to finish my own breakfast and come to hand-feed him. It's true that he would rather pompously nod his head up and down, dewlap under the neck extended out, when he saw his reflection (another male iguana) in the mirror. But then he would lose interest, apparently realizing that the mirror rival wasn't real.
We ended up giving him to the Staten Island Zoo, leaving me a lifelong fan of this attractive and interesting species, although the fella or gal in this photo skittered off into the canopy below, having no reason to appreciate my bona fides.
Thanks for this nice post, Dan. Early pet memories are powerful, but this is an unexpected one. Mine was guinea pigs.
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