Eating iguana meat may seem adventurous, but this unusual delicacy can pose serious health risks. If you’re wondering whether you should take a bite, read on to learn about the potential dangers of consuming this reptile.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Eating iguana meat can expose you to salmonella, parasites, toxins, and other contaminants that can make you sick. Iguanas are invasive species in many areas, so eating them poses ecological concerns as well.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the health, legal, environmental, and ethical issues around eating iguana so you can make an informed decision about whether to take a bite of this exotic fare.
Risk of Foodborne Illnesses
Salmonella
Iguanas can transmit salmonella, a group of bacteria that can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps in humans (1). Salmonella infection, known as salmonellosis, is one of the most common foodborne illnesses.
Reptiles like iguanas commonly have salmonella bacteria in their digestive tracts and can shed the germs in their droppings. If the meat is undercooked or knives used to butcher iguanas are not properly sanitized, contamination can occur.
According to the CDC, approximately 11% of all Salmonella infection cases come from contact with reptiles like iguanas. Children under 5 years old accounted for 30% of all reptile-associated salmonella cases.
From 2009 to 2019, approximately 450 people on average got sick yearly from eating or just touching iguanas infected with Salmonella.
Parasites
Iguanas may also transmit certain parasites like roundworms and tapeworms if their meat is eaten raw or undercooked. These parasites can cause abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, anemia, malnutrition, and weight loss in infected people.
A study by the University of West Indies found parasite eggs from two nasty species – Strongyloides and Oochoristica – in 62% of green iguana intestines examined (2). Proper cooking eliminates the risk, but any cross-contamination between raw iguana meat and other foods poses danger.
Toxins
Some lizard species like the Mexican Beaded Lizard produce venom that can be toxic. Although rare, Komodo Dragons are even known to occasionally attack and poison humans. Iguanas themselves do not produce venom, but can transmit poisonous toxins from creatures they ingest.
In particular, if iguanas feed on poison dart frogs or other toxic prey, they can accumulate the toxins without being affected themselves. However, people eating iguanas may fall sick if the toxins reach dangerous levels in the reptiles.
Cooking or freezing iguana meat does not remove these accumulated poisons. So fully knowing an iguana’s diet is important before considering eating them.
Ecological Concerns
Invasive Species Issues
Iguanas are not native to many areas where they have been introduced, and this can lead to severe ecological disruptions. As an invasive species lacking natural population controls, iguana numbers can explode rapidly and outcompete native animal populations for food and habitat.
For example, in South Florida and Hawaii where iguanas have been introduced, they are driving some native lizard species to the brink of extinction. Iguanas voraciously consume plants that native species rely on, alter soil composition, and their burrows erode shorelines and damage infrastructure (source).
Additionally, iguanas can transmit exotic ticks to wildlife leading to disease outbreaks. The situation has become so severe that government wildlife agencies have called on the public to humanely kill iguanas on sight wherever possible.
However, experts warn this issue will likely persist and encourage more research into sterilization programs and natural predators that can keep iguana populations in check.
Similarly in Puerto Rico, an exploding iguana population lacking predators has also damaged fragile island ecosystems. Iguanas devour plants, flowers and crops, undermine riverbanks causing erosion, and raid nests eating eggs and fledgling birds.
This has significantly reduced bird populations and other wildlife, in addition to hurting farmers. Efforts are underway to implement sterilization programs across the island with the hope of getting this issue under control (source).
Sustainability and Conservation
In their native Latin America where iguanas exist naturally and populations are controlled by predators and lack of resources, they play an important role environmentally. Green iguanas disperse seeds helping forests regenerate, their burrows create habitats for other animals, and juveniles provide food for birds of prey like falcons or wild cats like the ocelot.
Several iguana species have declined significantly though due to a combination of forest habitat loss and demand for the exotic pet trade.
Of special concern is the Lesser Caymans iguana which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (source). Found only on 2 tiny islands, there may be as few as a couple hundred individuals left.
Likewise the Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana has been reduced to small isolated populations that are threatened by coastal development, feral predators, invasive plants and hunting. In both cases parks and reserves have been set up to protect breeding areas, control predators like rats or cats, limit human disturbance and restore native plants these specialist iguanas rely on.
Sustainable Management plans that permit limited legal harvesting of common iguana species in northern South America has aided their preservation. Tribes like the Yekwana traditionally hunted iguanas for food and used skins for bags or drums within a closed seasonal period and allowed populations to rebound.
Regulated well-managed harvest systems based on their practices ensures iguanas remain a renewable food choice for indigenous groups instead of unsustainable poaching or land clearance for agriculture erasing wildlife habitats (source).
This maintains an ecological balance enabling human needs and biodiversity conservation to coexist.
Ethical Considerations
Animal Welfare
Eating iguanas raises several concerns regarding animal welfare. Iguanas are captured in the wild, often using brutal methods like snares that can maim the animals. Additionally, they are commonly kept in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions while awaiting slaughter.
This causes immense distress and facilitates the spread of diseases.
Furthermore, the slaughter methods used are frequently inhumane. An investigation by Compassion in World Farming found that iguanas were often killed via crude methods like slitting their throats or bludgeoning whilst still conscious. These violate basic animal welfare tenets around humane slaughter.
Cultural Sensitivity
Though iguana meat is considered a delicacy in some Central and South American countries, eating it raises concerns around cultural insensitivity too. Iguanas hold special meaning for many indigenous communities, featuring prominently in folklore, ceremonies, medicine, and art.
Consuming them could be seen as disrespectful of native customs and beliefs.
There are also worries that the rising commercial trade in iguanas could threaten subsistence hunting access for such communities that depend on these reptiles as a protein source. As supplies dwindle, prices rise, pricing out hunters feeding local families in favor of upscale exotic restaurants.
| Minimum wage in Honduras | $260/month |
| Cost of iguana meat | $14/pound |
As exemplified by the table, for marginalized groups, access to this traditional protein staple is rapidly shrinking thanks to outside demand.
Legal and Regulatory Restrictions
Import and Export Bans
Many countries have implemented bans on the import and export of iguanas to protect native wildlife. For example, the European Union banned the import of green iguanas in 1997 due to concerns over the spread of disease and potential impact on local ecosystems.
Countries like New Zealand and Australia have also enacted strict biosecurity laws that prohibit the entry of non-native reptiles like iguanas that may threaten agricultural production or cause unintended environmental consequences if they were to escape or be released.
In the United States, green iguanas are considered an invasive species in Florida and Puerto Rico where breeding populations are established. The Lacey Act was amended in 2016 to include four species of common pet lizards including green iguanas that now cannot be imported, exported, transported, sold, received, acquired or purchased in interstate commerce without a permit.
This was done to curb the problems associated with the release and spread of green iguanas which can be quite detrimental to local species.
Hunting and Fishing Regulations
Hunting or harvesting iguanas is legal only under certain regulated conditions and with the acquisition of proper permits in most parts of their range countries. For example, within the nine range countries where green iguana populations are considered endemic (their original natural habitat) – Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador – they can be legally hunted during designated seasons under specified quota limits overseen by wildlife management authorities.
In the United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida where invasive green iguana populations have taken a strong foothold but are not native, eradication or control measures allow expanded taking or removal exemptions whereas they are fully protected from any unauthorized capture or killing in their natural ranges in Latin America.
Regulations are set by local departments of wildlife conservation and can vary in allowing hunting iguanas for food, the pet trade or to protect property or livestock from damage – so laws should always be verified.
Conclusion
While eating iguana may seem like an exotic cuisine experience, the potential health risks, environmental impacts, ethical issues, and legal restrictions make this meat a highly dubious choice. With Salmonella, toxins, invasive species concerns, and animal welfare at stake, it’s wisest to skip iguana off your menu.
If you’re seeking a new culinary adventure, look to more sustainable, ethical options that don’t jeopardize your health or our planet.
