The
following is an "at-a-glance" look at iguana care requirements.
If you want more detailed care info then please visit one of the following
links:
www.iguanaden.com
www.sonic.net/~melissk
Temperature:
An iguana requires a temperature gradient with a "cool" area
in the mid 70s and a basking
area that
reaches the mid 90s.
Lighting:
An iguana requires two types of overhead lights. One light provides heat
in the form of an overhead basking source. This light can be a simple incandescent
bulb which heats the warm basking area to the mid 90s. Care should be taken
that the iguana cannot come into contact with the bulb or any burning hot
parts of the fixture. Start with a lower wattage bulb like a 65 watt or 75
watt bulb and test the area after it has time to warm up. Check the temperatures
carefully and make adjustments accordingly. A human heating pad set on the
"low" setting and
wrapped in a towel adds secondary warmth to the basking area. The second light
needed by your iguana is a UVB fluorescent tube bulb and it is different than
regular fluorescent tubes or plant lights. An iguana needs UVB lighting and
without it will develop Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) which is a serious (life
threatening) condition that can result in permanent disfigurement, paralysis
and death. There are many "so called" full-spectrum bulbs on the
market, but based on testimony of hundreds of iguana keepers the two lights
that are recommended are the ZooMed Iguana Light 5.0 (also called the Reptisun
5.0 - same bulb, different box - go figure) or the Durotest Vitalite. UVB
bulbs should be located LESS than 18 inches above your iguana for it to benefit
from the UVB producing rays.
Humidity:
Iguanas need humidity! Give them water! Feed them fresh food (higher moisture
content). Use a humidifier and mist them with a plant mister! Soak them in
a warm tub (hint: they like to poop in water and many igs only go once per
day - this means you can tub train them. Then all you have to do is scoop
up the mess and wash up the tub. Way better than cleaning cages!). Remember,
iguanas are RAINFOREST creatures.
Diet:
In the wild, iguanas are foliovores. However, our grocery stores don't
carry rainforest foliage therefore it becomes important to feed your iguana
a wide variety of fresh greens and vegetables supplemented by fruit treats.
An iguana needs a diet that is high in calcium but low in phosphorous. Iguana
diets vary from keeper to keeper but all good diets should be vegetarian,
should take calcium/phosphorous ratios into consideration, should consist
primarily of fresh foods, should provide variety and should NOT endorse the
feeding of iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce is iguana junk food. It fills
their bellies but provides no nutrients. Unfortunately, many of them seem
to have quite a taste for it (kind of like people and many foods which are
not good for them). This means that even feeding a little of it might cause
your iguana to become picky about eating healthy foods. Here in Illinois,
the availability of greens, veggies and fruits varies from area to area as
Illinois has both large cites and extremely rural areas. Quality of out of
season items varies greatly from week to week. Fortunately, though, during
the growing season, you can grow a garden full of iguana
foods here in Illinois! In feeding an iguana here is a suggested diet based
on typically available Illinois foods:
Greens
- 70 percent (should include a mixture of at least 5 greens together)
Examples: turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens
(and flowers too - but pick from an area that is chemical free!) endive, escarole,
green onion, leeks ,arugula, chard
Vegetables
- 20 percent
Examples: green beans, sugar snap peas, bell pepper (all colors), butternut
squash, parsnip, sweet potato
Fruit
- 10 percent
Examples: blueberries, banana, mango, fig
Do not feed an iguana dog food, cat food, crickets, mealworms or ANY animal protein! Doing so can lead to kidney failure for the iguana. Parsnips add vegetable based protein to the diet. Additionally, you can purchase human grade alfalfa (just sprinkle it on top of the food) from health food stores as a source of vegetable protein.
Housing:
Iguanas grow
rapidly. Many pet stores will sell 10-gallon aquariums with baby iguanas.
This is too small! Buy the largest enclosure you can because before you know
it that probably won't be large enough! Iguanas like to be up high as they
are tree-dwellers in their natural habitat. Therefore, they actually prefer
a taller enclosure than a low aquarium. Many people let their iguanas freeroam
one room or an entire house. However, special precautions must be taken so
the iguana will not become lost or injured. Remember, they can grow to be
six feet long and they must be able to turn around and to stretch out comfortably.
Please take this size information into serious consideration if you are thinking
about acquiring an iguana!
Important Note About Hot Rocks:
DON'T USE THEM!!!
Hot rocks can cause serious burns on iguanas. Do not use them. Use the incandescent overhead bulb and the human heating pad on low underneath as is discussed under "lighting" above. There are many pet care products on the market that are either worthless gimmicks or are potentially dangerous. They were solely created to separate you from your money. Always research pet care needs thoroughly on ANY new animal you are considering taking into your life. Furthermore, the person working at the pet store may not be an expert so don't take a salesclerk's word at face value - do the homework!
