It's Easier Being Green: An Iguana Goes Out In Newport Beach

Last Updated on Sunday, 22 April 2012 13:22 Written by Lisa Anjozian Saturday, 21 April 2012 00:00

There are restrictions a proprietor can impose when you enter a food establishment in the United States. You could encounter a sign that says “no shoes, no shirt, no service” which means you have to eat somewhere else if you walk into one of these places barefooted and bare-chested. But it has gotten easier to take your green friend out for a bite to eat, if you choose. Dogs are commonplace at outdoor tables, I’ve even seen a parrot perched on a pedestrian shoulder, but Friday was my first experience waiting in line for pastries and coffee behind a lizard on a leash. The iguana’s owner had him on her arm, and as soon as he was noticed, the patrons cooed.

You can be a bolder pet owner these days, as more people recognize the benefits of inter-species relationships. Plenty of scientific research has corroborated what pet owners know—having a non-human family member can make you calmer, lower your blood pressure, contribute to your mental and physical health. Dogs seem especially well suited to the domestic relationship, as studies into their genealogy indicate their wolf ancestors self-selected to join human communities. If you’ve known a dog, you’d be hard pressed to identify anyone else who greets you with the same measure of abandon and enthusiasm. A dog will illustrate for you what it means to be beside yourself with joy. A lizard is a different matter. What’s in the mind of an iguana in a purple harness?

The iguana I saw on Friday appeared agreeable when a woman in a brightly striped shirt wanted to hold him, and when she put her hand under him, he scurried up her arm, to her chest, towards her face. Iguanas see color in sharp definition, and love warmth. Is that what he was after?