red little creature on my iguana

Question
Hi i just got an iguana from someone who was neglecting him and not caring for him, i dont no much about what he has been threw,he is about 1 and a half years old, but he has these little red dots on him that seem to move around like bugs and im not sure what they are, or how to get rid of them.They dont look comfortable for him, so the fastest i could remove the better.  

Answer
Dear Emily,

Your iguana probably has mites. They are a very common infestation.  Mites are very small and burrow under the scales and you can sometimes see them walking on the iguana and around the iguana's living area.

Please review this website for a good explanation of how to get rid of mites:

The common method is soaking the iguana in a betadine bath and cleaning the terrarium and all of its contents with diluted bleach water.

http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html

If you have any further questions, please follow up.

Sara J Gwerder
President
Raptor Rescue Iguana Sanctuary
Shreveport, LA