Iguanas

Animals learn quickly to not bother Iguanas because of the tails. I personally would never try and trap a Iguana and move it, but I dont have a problem with them and think they are pretty cool. Some Iguanas are federally protected and yes they will enforce. Iguanas can carry encephlitus Ive been told ,simular to other reptiles. I was told years ago that people would eat them but never had seen it so might be one of the many coconut legends. I would warn you to be careful in trying to catch one if its wild, they dont like to be held and...... well you'll see

Leave the iguanas alone. Here's a better idea. You can make beer money hunting mongoose in the VI. Government will pay 25 cents per animal - dead or alive.

http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/vicode/

Yea go for mongoose instead. I love the little cuties but they really do a number on native species. I also wonder if mongooses are the reason that STX doesn't have the beautiful orange faced parrots that STT has. I miss them so much! They are noisey for sure but they used to hang in the trees by my house in North Star and it made it feel so tropical! I've still not seen a tree boa on either island, in fact I wonder if the mongoose are why we don't have as many iguanas on STX as STT. I've only seen a fraction compared to the droves that were always lounging in trees all over STT. Had one at drakes seat that I would wave a banana peel too and he'd come charging off the tree up to the wall for it.

Oh and iggies can carry salmonella - make sure you wear gloves.... like welding gloves lol. I had a 5 foot as a pet when I was young, she was an ahole and MAN that tail is powerful! Haven't eaten it - heard it's fine - probably like gator I assume.

Aren't iguanas protected?
I have them all around my property in STT but they've never posed a problem. Aside from eating the flowers at the very top of my African Tulip and the Poor Man's Orchids trees...Oh and the loud crash they make when they fall out of the trees.

Mongoose population took a severe hit from a disease that all but wiped them out a few years ago. They do eat wild chicks and chicken eggs in the bush so not completely a bad thing.

ok thanks just wondering about some nuisance animals on the isle.

had a small possum in my coop one night, what a ruckus. 3 of my hens had it cornered and were taking turns attacking. I had to save its life.

What about rats?

Yes, there are rats and mice, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, roaches, mosquitoes, gongolos, termites, many different types of ants and other creepy, crawly critters.

Personally, I think the roaming, feral chickens and roosters are the biggest pest problem. Can be caught in a cat trap. (I hand them off to a lady farmer with a no escape pen up the hill from me.)

By the way, opossum catch their weight in ticks.
I wouldn't consider raccoons, armadillos and opossum, vermin.

Yes Iguanas are tasty, they eat them in Curacao

Yes, there are rats and mice, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, roaches, mosquitoes, gongolos, termites, many different types of ants and other creepy, crawly critters.

Personally, I think the roaming, feral chickens and roosters are the biggest pest problem. Can be caught in a cat trap. (I hand them off to a lady farmer with a no escape pen up the hill from me.)

By the way, opossum catch their weight in ticks.
I wouldn't consider raccoons, armadillos and opossum, vermin.

Yeah in Charleston, we have most of the same bugs. Cats love to play with the large roaches (palmetto bugs). My hens keep a lot of the insect problem down in the back yard as they are allowed to roam during the day (I clip one of the wings so they can't fly over the fence). Lots of black and brown widows. Mosquitoes are our state bird. No see ums are awesome right now; they will be gone in the summer when it's over 90 degrees.

Armadillos are horrible!! Their burrows are deep and can get under the foundation. Toppled my neighbour's shed!! They also destroy my front beds when passing through at night. Easy to catch, no bait needed, just a havahart trap along the fence-line.

Didn't know that about armadillos.
I knew they burrowed but not to that extent.
I use the haveaheart traps for chickens and roosters that invade my property.

They are a nuisance.

If you would consider a feral chicken removal business, I know you could make a zillion on St Thomas. I would be your first customer...

(tu):D

I lived at several places on STX since '95 and the only time I've ever seen Igaunas on my property was the homes I live at with swimming pools. Only then, IMO, are they a bother. They'd even poop on my pool solar covers and all around the pool deck.

Never heard of iguanas being federal protected. ....so go for it.

I wish there were mongoose.

There's an episode of Bizarre Foods in which they showed iguanas being caught and cooked in Trinidad & Tobago. The meal looked tasty.

I don't mind iguanas hanging by my pool during the day.

I just wish they'd be more respectful and poop in the bush like my dogs.

If you would consider a feral chicken removal business, I know you could make a zillion on St Thomas. I would be your first customer...

Offer the local kids 5$ a rooster.

I kept one around, but out of "my" (the ones around my property) 25-40ish chickens there's only 1 rooster.