Iguanas in NYC
As of June 29, 1999 the ownership of the Common Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) has been banned within the city of New York.
The Department of Health made the move to ban hundreds of species of animals from ownership within the city limits claiming them to be harmful to the public. Ferrets, sugar gliders, the family Pythonidae which includes ball pythons (royal pythons) and the common green iguana are only a few of those animals that would now be illegal to own. These pets were lumped in with animals such as elephants, tigers, wolves, venomous snakes, bears and more.
Currently there is no provision for the current owners of these pets within the city to continue to do so legally. To date there is NO grandfather clause built in to protect the average citizen of New York City that owns an iguana or a ball python, which have been classified as wild, ferocious, fierce, dangerous or naturally inclined to do harm.
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