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.

Green Iguana Care Is Not An Easy Task

It is a shocking fact that more than 50% of iguanas do not survive beyond four years of age and that is only because majority of people do not know how to attend to these wonderful reptiles.

The implications are not difficult to understand. When you buy your pet iguana from the store, the dealer could give you advice that is misplaced and that could cause severe problems to your iguana. It could be something as inane as advising you to only feed your iguana with cricks or recommending you to keep the temperature of the enclosure at 25 degrees Celsius; both of these may not be the right advice and you may not realize it until too late.

You therefore must be well prepared with information that you can pick up from specific literature about reptile care and must ensure that you buy your iguana only from experienced breeders. The need to identify the right vet and consult him prior to making your purchase will equip you with the correct information and put you in the right frame of mind, when you approach the pet store.

You must also be aware that iguana care is much different from the care you would extend to other animals. It can be very demanding and unless you are prepared mentally to go the distance, you should not look at the iguana as your pet. Hence you need to know about all the different aspects of Iguana care ranging from its terrarium, diet, lighting and temperature before venturing out to buy your iguana.

If during this learning process, you harbor any doubts about how you are going to manage all of it, then you need to relook at your decision. You must also remember that the physical space required for a growing iguana is huge and unless you can ensure this space, you would be guilty of improper iguana care and that could prove quite costly in terms of the mortality of this reptile. Finally, even if you can manage all the other requirements to satisfaction, you need to ask yourself one more time, whether you will be able to stay with this animal for an extended period of time and give it your personal attention and love. Only if the answer is an emphatic yes, you should go ahead with your purchase.