On local roads, frost heaves and political signs will not surprise many people come spring, but an iguana might.

This was the case in New Ipswich a few weeks ago when someone spotted an iguana on the side of the road, and someone contacted Jen Rheaume.

Rheaume is the animal control officer for Temple, and appears to have an encyclopedic knowledge of how to care for the reptile. 

“He was just dumped there,” she said in late April when she took charge of the animal, hoping that by now, between word of the find and social media, someone would claim him. However, no one has yet.

“He’s very shy, and was cold, so I got him into a cage with some warmth,” she said.

When Rheaume first found him, the iguana was brown owing to being cold, but with time has regained its green color. 

Iguanas are not native to New Hampshire, but rather to Latin America and the Caribbean, so Rheaume suspects it must have come from a pet store. Iguanas are cold-blooded, can’t retain heat and need heat lamps in their spaces 

“They don’t have the means to heat their bodies with energy and food - they have to go to a heat source," she explained, adding that snakes and birds are among their natural predators. She said she does not know why someone, after acquiring such a pet, would leave it on the side of the road.

“If someone thought, ‘It’s getting too big for the cage,’ there are options,” she said, such as the Reptile Rescue League and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Monadnock Humane Society does not take iguanas, but she added that another solution in such cases is to advertise online. 

“Just going on social media and posting ‘Looking to rehome an iguana’ can do it,” she said. “If one of those organizations can’t take it right away, they’ll direct you in a helpful way.” 

Rheaume has long been involved in caring for friends on four feet, serving as animal control officer for Temple for 14 years, and three for New Ipswich. She has no shortage of tales from this experience.

“I found a cat one time that wasn’t neutered, but did have a chip in it,” she said. “I was able to contact the owner, who said the cat had disappeared 10 months ago in New Ipswich, and I found it in Temple nearly a year later.”

Not all stories have such endings, as she has also been involved in cases of neglect where animals have had to be removed from a home, adding that there are also common scenarios resulting from people relocating. 

“People leaving an apartment will just leave an animal there, or dump them outside,” she said. “Honest, if you go online requesting help, people respond. But some people just leave an animal outside and say, ‘Someone will find you.’”

In spite of her other obligations and having just completed two performances with the Temple Drama Club,  Rheaume is nursing the iguana back to warmer health.

“He’s doing well and eating well - a big bowl of greens every day,” said Rheaume.

Collard and dandelion greens are among its favorite foods. After a stressor such as being left out on the road, it will often take an animal three days to resume eating. Rheaume remains hopeful that someone will reach out to her, which can be done via the town offices in Temple. She reiterated her plea that people use social media to let others know they need to relocate an animal.

“Just post it on Facebook,” she said. “You’ll be surprised; people will come forward.”