Iguana Feeding Information And It’s Eating Habits

Proper nutrition is crucial factor for iguanas, because many diseases occur because of incorrect nutrition. Iguanas are exclusively herbivorous throughout their life, so don’t be fooled that juvenile iguanas can eat various insects, because it is not true and may even harm your pet!

In one of the shops of small animals in the terrarium of iguana i have even saw the inscription: “… the juveniles consume insects, with age they become strictly vegetarians  ….” Can you think of that? And then you buy iguana in such shop, which probably has already some health problems (if they are feed with such food), and you get a stupid advice that you need to feed iguana with the animal food until it’s young (with that kind of diet you make the maximum damage to iguana) ….

Iguanas daily menu sheet must consist of:

* 45% of multiple leaf vegetables
* 40% of diversified vegetable
* 10-15% of fruit

Feed him 1-2 times a week, however,  you can add cereals to to menu, which should not exceed 5% of the total ration.

It is important that iguanas menu is as diverse as possible! In drawing up the menu, you must use as many different types of leaf vegetables and plain vegetables, also use different fruits but do not overdo it, just keep it in little amounts!

Also important is terrarium temperature of iguana: Iguana digest it’s food the best if the temperature in the terrarium is at least 29 ° C and therefore must be taken into consideration that the temperature during the day, in a certain parts of terrarium, doesn’t not fall below this limit! The fall in temperature below 29 ° C strongly inhibit digestive process!

And do not forget to UVA and UVB light (natural and / or artificial).

Behavior Of Iguana - What Kind Of Animal Is it?

Behaviour of Green iguana, which is the day-living animal, and a strict herbivore, which is feed with the leaves, flowers, fruit and shoots (occasionally it can also ingest insects and other small animals, especially when young, but consider that this happens only when iguana is under stress or no other food is available).

Green iguana lives in the branches of the trees near water, in which they dive, when they are afraid. He is a skilfull climber  and may fall to 12 m in depth without getting any damage (the last leg is used as hooks, which catch the leaves and branches, and thus doing less damage when falling). Despite the awkward appearance iguanas can also run very fast. Because the trading of this animals (Green iguana is increasingly common pet), this type of reptile is now at a CITES list in Appendix II and is considered endangered species.

In case of danger iguana escape, if possible in the water and quickly swims away. If this option is not possible, iguana frezees , inflates itself and stretch it’s skin under the neck and head fluctuates against the attacker. Fluctuation of the head, and display of skin wrinkles is also characteristic of different social behavior of iguanas eg. welcoming other iguana or when mating. Mode, frequency and number of cycles they made with the head has a specific meaning. Social contacts between iguanas are often associated with competition for a better space for sunbathing. Iguanas need sunlight to heat and the absorption of UVA and UVB rays.