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.

What To Consider As Essential For Your Iguana

We must know that iguanas in captivity are under stress, especially when iguana hardly get home, and is only accomodating  to live with us. When under stress, iguanas are acceptable to serious illness, so you need to provide them adequate living environment and conditions:

- appropriate and large terrarium, enough climbing areas and places for hiding …
- when resting,  never expose your iguana to loud radio or TV receiver, the light!
- iguanas need much attention of people so that does not become “bored”
- a lot of attention, the daily fresh food and water, clean living environment, respect …

Iguana is not an animal, which would only put in the terrarium and the looking at him only when you remember to - you could compare it with the dog, which most people know how to work with it. Would you like to place your dog in a cage till the end of it’s life and neglect him? Would you?

Iguanas nutritional needs are far more complex than the needs of many reptiles (little reptiles are only vegetarians!). Many iguanas suffer from deficits in the diet - we have to understand that iguanas in the wild eat up to 50 different species of plants and flowers a day, so if we will offer him five different types of vegetables won’t by far be enough. First, we must learn what types of fruit and vegetables are better for iguanas and which should be avoided. Iguana need at day  offered as many varied fruits, vegetables and flowers.

If you heard anywhere that iguanas can be feed like the cats and dogs - Well, forget about it!

If you do not want to destroy the kidneys of iguana and kill him within a few years (and these few years, I guarantee, the animal will be suffering … ) Avoid offering such food to your iguana, not only take but, in general, avoid integration of animal protein in the iguana diet!  IGUANAS are purely vegetarians! Any insect that it consume in the wild, it is consumed completely random!