Green Iguana Facts Sheet

You cannot find something more wonderful than an iguana as a pet but you need to be aware that they require tremendous attention and knowing more about them should help you give them that care and attention.  Some of the facts that you should be aware are as under:

1. They are vegetarians.

You do not have to visit a pet shop and feed your iguana with worms, crickets or any such creatures since iguanas are vegetarians and they are content feeding on greens and vegetables that you can pick from your garden or grocery

2. Iguanas are easy to build a rapport with.

Contrary to some other variety of snakes or lizards, iguanas are friendlier and take to their owners quite easily, to the extent that they are comfortable sleeping next to the owners.  They are so friendly that anybody can hold them and they even allow their masters to dress them as per their choice.

3. Iguanas have a long life.

As human beings, we tend to become attached to our pets and would like them to be with us for a long time.  That is because we invest our time, effort and money in providing them the best of care.  The good news is that iguanas can live up to 20 years and thus outlive other pets like rats, hamsters.

4. Iguanas do not cause allergy

Unlike some other pets with fur or hair, the iguana has none of these and hence is absolutely safe for even an asthmatic to handle and maintain one as a pet.

5. Iguanas can be very useful for your children.

Besides the companionship provided by the iguana as a pet, the iguana also allows for a good learning experience to children when they learn to take care of the reptile and get to know more about its physiology.

The above facts are useful in taking an informed decision to go for an iguana as a pet and how to take care of them.

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).

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!