Green Iguana Care Tips

Green Iguanas have gained popularity off late. They have not been effectively managed due to improper education. Here are some basic care tips which can be followed so that the iguana lives for a standard life span of 13 to 15 years are as follows:

Diet – Make sure you provide a healthy and wholesome diet; otherwise your iguana would either die or attract some disease. Young iguanas need to be fed with 2 feeds daily comprising of 1 part of protein and 2 parts of plant food. The ideal diet should comprise of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables like carrots, lettuce, apples, tomatoes, turnips and hibiscus flowers.

Make sure the fruits are organic in nature. Ideal calcium to phosphorus ratio needs to be maintained. Do not feed your iguana with iceberg lettuce, since it is devoid of nutritional value. It is advised that you do not feed non vegetarian food like meats in excess, as they would have a harmful effect on the bones and kidneys of your iguana and could also result in kidney stones formation.

It is important that you need to chop, grate and grind the food in your food processor. Mix the calcium and vitamins along with the mixture and then deep freeze portions in ice trays. In case your iguana has not eaten the food kept in the cage for more than 4-5 hours, then change the food, lest your iguana could have stomach problems.

Your iguana should be fed with fresh water, a place to defecate and also some regular exercises for it to remain fit and healthy.

Give them a bath twice with each bath of about 20 minutes. Iguanas tend to shed in bigger patches which starts from the head portion and proceeds to the tail. Provide a tree branch so that they are able to rub up against.

Lighting /Temperature- Iguanas do not need light for 24 hours. They need light only for 12 hours in a day.

Bedding and cages- Make sure to change the bedding daily, so that they do not attract germs. Cleaning the cages with warm soap water and then using a disinfectant is helpful.

Is Iguana The Right Pet For Me?

More than half of iguanas in the world die before of the fourth year of age. This is a worrying figure, which shows how little knowledge people have to opt for such an animal on its own, not only owners but also workers in the animal shops, which often do not know practically nothing about the needs of these beautiful reptiles!

What does this mean?

This means that it is not enough to get to the store and buy iguana;  according to being maintained by the advice given to you by the dealer (even those little info they will give you is false-from their own experience to tell you, because It already happened to me a few times that various dealers advised me to feed the iguana with only roquets and that it is enough that the temperature in the terrarium is 25 ° Celsius - arguing that “meetings shall be adjusted”, and similar information …).

You must read the more specialized literature, which deals not only with iguanas and reptiles in general, because each type of reptiles have different needs. You need to buy a book, find something on the Internet and then purchase iguana  with some experienced breeders and the best is yet to discuss this with a veterinarian who deals with reptiles!

Iguana is not among the animals that need easy care. Maintenance and proper care of iguana are very complex and demanding things. Consider a  fact that not every animal is for everyone, particularly those such as iguanas! Maybe this animal is not for you … really think good about it.

First, learn about everything that is important to care for Iguana, Equip sufficient Terrarium … and only then, bring him home. Never buy it and bring him home until you do have evrything that iguana needs ready!

If only for a moment you doubt the fact that some things you can not edit then don’t purchase iguana! Only when you fully believe and you will have enough time, will, knowledge, and eventually the money to care for such animal, you can choose to purchase one. Remember that this small green animal, that you see in the shop in a small terrarium, will grew up in a true giant, and will need a huge space and not just a small “box” in which he will not be able even to turn!

I hope you do not want to have your iguana included in those 60% of animals that die within the first few years of life!

So: the knowledge and desire for learning, space, time, good will, pleasure to work with both animal and money to the base, you need to live with iguana (and sounds a lot easier than you think-remember this! ).