| Iguana |
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Green Iguana The green iguana is a very popular reptile pet in the United States. Each year large numbers of Iguanas are imported into the United States. Green iguanas can be found in many pet store in the United States. Because they are so popular, the price of the iguanas is between 15-50 dollars. Many people have purchased this lizard without any knowledge of the animal's care requirements. This has resulted in huge numbers of dead or homeless iguanas and frustrated owners. The best way to prevent this problem is through education. Purchasing or Adopting There are several things that need to be considered before purchasing/adopting an iguana the most important one is size, Iguanas get huge. Healthy iguanas can easily reach six feet which means they require huge enclosures. Iguanas are not easy pets, they have a very specific diet and environmental requirements that take effort and planning to meet. Children of any age are not responsible enough to care for an iguana, parents must assume full responsibility for the care of the animal (this is the same with any pet). Iguanas can make great pets, but they require a lot of attention and other special needs. Many new iguana owners do not know what they are getting into, and often end up giving their animals away because they no longer can or want to care for them. It is of utmost importance to select a healthy animal. The eyes should be bright and clear. No external parasites such as mite or ticks should be present. Check the vent for any signs of caked feces, and the nose and mouth for any cheesy matter or bubbly mucous. Avoid animals that display these symptoms. The animal should have bright colors, be alert, and active. Properly cared for iguanas should never refuse food, you should insist on seeing the animal eat. It is very important to check how the animals are being kept, note whether or not they are being provided with the conditions. Caging Iguanas are large reptiles, so they require a huge enclosure. The average size of an adult iguana is 5-6 feet. Adult iguanas should be housed in an enclosure with the minimum dimensions of 4 x 4 x 6 ft.(l x w x h). Iguanas require tall cages because they are tree-dwelling, and prefer to spend the majority of their time as high off the ground as they can get. Branches just slightly larger than the lizards body should be provided for climbing. Branches can be purchased or collected from out side, if collected form out side they must be sterilized with a dilute bleach solution before use (1 part bleach to 10 part water) and then washed with clean water. Baby iguanas can be kept in no smaller then a 55 gallon aquarium. When the iguana reaches 7 months it will out grow this enclosure, then they need to be moved into a larger enclosure. Many people prefer to home build a cage, because it is cheaper then buying one. Heating It is very important that iguanas receive proper heating. Reptiles can not manufacture their own body heat. Reptiles must provide themselves with heating or cooling from their environments, this is done by thermoregulation. Thermoregulation can be done by having a warm end (between 95-100 degrees F) and a cool end (between 80-85 degrees F) of the enclosure. With a night temperature between 70-75 degrees F. They need a basking site to quickly warm up, the easiest way to do this is a basking lamp. A branch should be placed under the heat lamp to provide the animal with a basking site. Make sure to place the bulb out of the iguana's reach so it cannot burn itself. Proper heating is important to maintain a healthy immune system and proper digestion. It should be noted that heat rocks are not appropriate heat sources for iguanas. Iguanas do not have the ability to sense a regional temperature, but an over all temperature, meaning that its belly could be cooking but the top might be just warm enough. Lighting Iguanas require UVB lighting. UVB lighting simulates the wavelengths of natural sunlight. Iguanas require UVB light to create vitamin D3 . Iguanas need this vitamin in order to absorb calcium in their diets. Without UVB lighting, iguanas develop a condition called metabolic bone disease, which is a calcium deficiency. UVB lighting is provided by bulbs specifically manufactured for reptiles (not plant grow lights). It is important that a basking branch be placed 10-12 inches away from the UVB source. The strength of the UVB lighting is severely diminished past 12 inches from the source. The lighting in the iguana's cage should be left on 10-12 hours a day, and turned off at night. If the light is left on at night, iguanas cannot sleep and they will become stressed. UVB lights must be replaced every six months, even though they will not burn out before this time, but they loose the ability to produce UVB rays. It is best to allow the iguana access to natural, unfiltered sunlight. Unfiltered sunlight is the best source of UVB light, but sunlight through a window is not sufficient as glass screens out the beneficial UV rays. Do not put an iguana outside in direct sunlight in an aquarium, glass aquariums heat up quickly and can cause death from overheating. Do not take the iguana outside unless the temperature is above 70 degrees F. Diet Iguanas are entirely herbivorous (plant-eating) from the time of birth and do not require any type of animal protein at any point in their lives. Older iguana studies indicated that iguanas displayed quick growth if fed large amount of animal protein, which is true. What is also true however, is that iguanas fed large amounts of animal protein do not live very long, often as a result of gout or metabolic bone disease. It is important to offer iguanas a diet composed of calcium rich greens, fruits, and vegetables. Herbivorous reptiles require a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1 in their captive diets in order to fare well. A diet that provides for this necessity is as follows : 70-80% Dark, leafy, calcium rich greens such as: collard greens, mustard greens, endive, watercress, and dandelion greens. If they can be obtained, mulberry and hibiscus leaves should be included as often as possible. Avoid iceberg lettuce entirely, it has no nutritional value. Spinach should be either fed in small amounts or avoided entirely because it contains oxalic acid, which binds calcium in the intestinal tract, making it unavailable. 20-30% Grated vegetables such as: carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, zucchini, thawed frozen mixed vegetables, and spineless prickly pear cactus pads. Avoid or feed sparingly: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, escarole, cauliflower. These vegetables contain iodine binders that can cause thyroid problems. 10-20% Fruits and flowers such as: strawberries, raspberries, mango, papaya, kiwi, melon, apple (no seeds), prickly pear cactus fruits and flowers, hibiscus, nasturtium, and dandelion flowers. Iguanas love bananas, but they should only be offered as a treat because they have the incorrect calcium to phosphorus ratio. Make sure to cut and grate all food into bite size pieces for babies. In addition to proper diet, iguanas require calcium supplementation. Calcium powder can be purchased at reptile stores. Calcium powder should be lightly sprinkled over the iguana food three times a week for juveniles (who should be fed every day) and one or twice a week for adults (who are feed once every other day). Water can be offered in a dish, but the cage should also be sprayed once a day to raise the humidity. Iguanas will often lick the water either directly from the spray bottle or off cage furniture. Handling Iguanas are not docile by nature, meaning that they might not tolerate being handled all that often. The best way to tame an iguana is to get a young one and start by picking it up for a couple of minutes EACH day. You must interact with it every day otherwise they will not like to be held, and they will scratch, bite and whip you with its tail. Iguanas are large, not naturally docile, and requires specific captive care requirements. The green iguana is definitely not suited for a beginning reptile pet. Educating yourself and others about the captive care requirements of green iguanas can help to reduce the amount of dead and homeless animals, and will improve the lives of iguanas and their owners everywhere. Back |
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