Pet Iguana Care

The commonest of pet reptiles purchased today are the Iguanas.  These animals grow about 4-6 feet in length.  They reach a weight of about 10-15 pounds maximum and live for about 12-15 years.  With proper care and attention, iguanas can live up to 20 years.
Housing for Iguanas:

A young iguana can be housed in a 30 gallon to 50 gallon aquarium.  But within a few months, this housing would have to be changed.  Enclosures of different shapes and sizes of different materials like glass, wood or Plexiglas can be used.  Make sure that sand, bark or oil are not used as iguanas tend to eat them and are sure to experience stomach problems.  Branches and pieces of drift wood, rocks and bark can be used for climbing and this keeps them active.

Water:

Iguanas require water to survive.  They like to be in and around water areas.  They enjoy drinking water from the dishes provided.   The dishes have to be cleaned regularly and disinfected so that they do not suffer from bacterial infections.

Your iguana needs to be bathed twice daily.  Some iguanas love to bathe, while some are scared and panic when bathing.  Understanding their psychology helps.

Outdoor Sunlight

Iguanas are very active during day time. Iguanas love to bask in outdoor sunlight for about 5 to 10 hours weekly.  Make sure while selecting the cage that, other wild animals are not able to enter the cage and also your iguana is not able to escape from the cage.  Glass cages should be avoided as far as possible.  Make sure that you provide proper diet consisting of wholesome and nutritious diet and water.

Handling with care

Regular handling of iguanas helps in taming them.  Iguanas also are able to express their emotions if they are handled properly with care and affection.   Iguanas can be aggressive sometimes, so take care while handling them.

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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.