I getting an iguana and I need to know the basics?

Question

Handling
Feeding
Heating
How much do they grown up to. Can you stop it from growing

do they bite

Answer 1

They grow to be up to 6 feet. The myth is that if you place them in a smaller habitat they will not grow large but it is not so. All you will get is a very stressed and unhappy iguana. Iguanas require a lot of time and attention. Get "Green Iguana" by James W. Hatfield. It is the best book on iguanas ever!

P.S. Do not feed them crickets or any protein for that matter. Iguanas lack an enzyme to digest protein and will eventually develop severe kidney problems if being given protein.

P.P.S. They would bite if provoked but otherwise they are very timid and shy.

Answer 2

I just want to let you know that iguanas are not for beginners. But if you really want one, I'll give you some tips. The first step in knowing the basics is to get a book on iguana care. I recommend "Iguanas For Dummies". You can purchase it on-line at amazon.com. This book will tell you everything you need to know about them. I will let you know from experience that they are expensive to maintain. Will you be able to provide it with a habitat that is at least 6' x 6' x 3'? This is the minimum size habitat for a full grown iguana. You can't stop the growth of an iguana. That is just a myth. If it is well taken care of, it will grow an average of 1.5 to 2 feet per year and stop growing around 3 or 4 years old. The average length of a full grown iguana is 5 to 6 feet long and they can live for 15 to 20 years. It would take me days to explain everything there is to know about them. Your best bet is to purchase "iguanas for dummies". It's about 40 dollars for the book and well worth it. Iguanas are very intelligent so therefore, they can be trained, making them the best reptile you'll ever own. if you don't train them, they can be the worst pet you ever had. I have a male green iguana that is four years old. He's 6 feet long and weighs about 17 pounds. Even though he's big, he is the most gentle reptile i've ever owned and the best pet I've ever owned. I'm glad you decided to do some research before purchasing one. But if there's any indication that you won't be able to handle these responsibilities for 15 to 20 years, then I recommend going with a different pet.

Owner of a 4 year old, 6 foot long, male green iguana.

Answer 3

Green Iguana's take a great deal of care. They are not what I would call a starter reptile.

They can grow up to 6 foot long and need housing to accomodate that. You cannot stunt their growth, all you will end up with is a sick pet that dies young. A healthy iguana lives up to 15 years so you have to think whether you can commit to having a pet that long. Where will you be in 15 years time? What will you be doing?

Housing
A full grown iguana will need a large cage that's 6ft X 5ft X 4ft. Your iguana will need branches to climb on.

Heating
Depending on where you live your iguana's home will need heating (and this adds to your electricity bill). In the day the temperature needs to be around 85-95F in their hot/basking spot, with a cooler area that's around 75-85F.

Lighting
Your iguana needs UVB light so that it can absorb vitamin D into its body. So unless you live in a climate where your iguana can live outisde you will need to provide it with a UVB light.

Substrate
Do not use sand as your iguana could swallow this with its food and get a blockage (impaction). You will need to use either newspapers (make sure the ink isn't toxic), lino or carpet. Some people say that 'repti-bark' type wood chips are safe, others say that they can also cause an impaction if your iguana swallows them.

Feeding
Your iguana is strictly vegetarian. It does not eats insects or meat. You need to feed it a varied diet of green vegetables and fruit (not citrus fruit). Iceberg lettuce has very little nutritional contanet you need dark green leaves like collards and mustard greens. You will also most likely need to supplement your iguana's diet with calcium and vitamin supplements to prevent it from developing metabolic bone disease.

Care and handling
For the next 10-15 years your iguana is going to need its water changed daily and its home will need cleaning out thouroughly on a regualar basis.

You *may* be able to keep your iguana tame by regular handling, but when they reach maturity some iguanas become territorial and aggressive no matter how tame they were before hand, so bear in mind there is no guarantee that you will have a calm and tame pet.

Watch out for your iguana's tail which it may use as a weapon, swiping at you if it is angry or feels threatened. Its not advisable to let an iguana sit on your shoulder - many people do this, but a stray tail swipe or bite could result in serious facial injuries.

Okay....soooo, as you can see there's a lot to keeping a happy healthy iguana, so have a serious think as to whether you can keep one, not just so that it lives, but that it lives well. If you think you can, then enjoy your pet :) You may want to get one from a local reptile shelter as they are usually full of unwanted iguanas that people have bought and then decided they didn't want any more. It would be great if you could give one of those a good and loving home.

I've provided some links below with more information on caring for green iguanas. Happy reading and good luck :)

Answer 4

I guess the one thing you should remember is that they can get 6 feet long and a cage has to be almost like a bedroom of its own. NO you can't stop it from growing.

Iguanas are vegetarian. What ever you do do not use ice berg lettuce because it is mostly water and no nutrition. They need water all the time and to be misted at least three times a day. They take in water through their bodies.

If you get a young one than handle them everyday as often as you can. the more you do it the tamer they'll be.

Males can become aggressive around mating season. They may not like you much for a bit.

The best thing I can tell you about heat is DO NOT USE A HEAT ROCK! I have seen them burn their bellies on them. They need a heat light during the day along with an under the tank heat mat that should stay on all the time.

Look up iguana car sheets on the net. they can tell you a lot more than I can.

If you don't want a big lizard but you want one you can handle a Bearded Dragon is the beast. The largest tank you will need is 55 gal.

Answer 5

Iguanas do not eat crickets or meat of any kind. It's not so much the lack of an enzyme o digest it as it is the function of the kidney period. They are designed to process PLANT proteins...not animal. Plant proteins are easy to break down while an iguana's kidneys will go into overdrive trying to process animal protein. This is what leads to kidney failure at an early age...usually between 5-8 yrs. old. Way too young for an animal that can live to 20 yrs.

Iguanas do not absorb water through the skin. This is what amphibians do. Misting an iguana helps with outer humidity and helps moisten the lings as they breath. Internal hydration is only achieved by oral fluids. Extra misting on the salad of fresh greens and veggies can accomplish this.

No...they are not a beginners pet! They are an animal needing very specific care requirements. The initial cost of just setting up for one can easily lead into hundreds of dollars. Once my set-up was all said and done (UVB bulbs, fixtures, heat lamps, heat lamp fixtures, cage materials, digital thermometers, etc.) I spent close to $500.00. This was on a $13 lizard.

Yes...they can bite. They have teeth comparable to a tiger shark (I hope I got the right shark). They loose teeth, they grow them back...they're serrated to cut through vegetation. A yearling can break the skin...a half-grown iguana can strip the flesh from your fingers...a full-grown iguana can remove them completely. A well socialized iguana will keep you, and everyone around you, safe...:-)

Below are three of the best websites on the Internet to do some research on. Concentrate on UVB, temperatures, diet and cage size...:-)

Answer 6

An iguana is an exotic animal and is not the right pet for a beginner. You don't even know the basics. You need to do a lot of research before you even consider getting an Iguana. Do you have the money and time for an exotic pet? Do you know of a vet who treats exotics? Why would you even think you could stop an animal from growing?
I suggest you get a plush toy.

Answer 7

handling- be careful as they have very sharp nails and make sure that when u handle it that u support all four legs cause if they dont feel suported they will try and move around in ur hands which will hurt and may cause u to drop it.
feeding- they really like lettuce, strawberries, carrots things like that and yes u need to feed him everyday hes not like a snake.
heating- a good heat lamp usually does the trick with iguanas but u can also try a heating pad depending on what u keep it in i also would say to try a heating rock too but alot of people stay away from those because they could burn the reptile

Answer 8

An iguana is a huge responsibility and they are cute when young but when they get older they can get aggressive. I have owned a green Iguana for almost twelve years. They can eat all kinds of fruits and vegetables. They are a great pet and as long as you handle them regularly they will become more friendly. One way of becoming more friendly with your pet is to hand feed them. Iguanas can get wrather big around 5 feet with tail. they will eventually require a big enclosure around twice the length and height of the reptiles total length. They also prefer an enclosure with on open mesh and air cycling through the enclosure.

Answer 9

okwell first of all i hope you did some homework on them. next is about the handling, you need to handle them everyday no matter what. if you don't handle them on a regular basis then it will get aggressive. now with feeding, you need to feed them fruits and veggies. you can feed everything except anything with citrus in it. the heating you need a heat light, a uvb light, and then you need an under tank heater, which is to help them digest their food. they need to be kept warm because if they are not kept warm then they can get sick and they can become very sluggish. they grow to be about 6ft long and i hope you can handle that length. no you can't stop them from growing. you need to be sure that this is what you want to get for a pet. they do require alot of care and if you just want one for the looks then don't get one, but if you do your homework on them and you still want to get one then go ahead.

you need to be able to care for them and give them care that they need. you need to make sure that you give vitamins when you feed them because if you don't they will get bone diseases and they can die if they are not given the right vits when feeding. ok the best thing that i can tell you is to go on a web site to get all the information that you need for the iguanas because you really need to know that they require alot of care and i would hate to hear that you couldn't keep him because of the size. also they can bite, and no you can't stop them from biting. they are usually not a good pet to start with. i would say try a bearded dragon, they are the best for being a first pet reptile. they do require the same type of care but they get about 2 ft long and they can bite but they won't. see you can hold them every other day and not have to worry about them biting when you do hold them. the other thing with beardies is that they do eat fruits and veggies and as well as crickets, mealworms, waxworms. i would say these ones are alittle better then getting an iguana. good luck on your search and i hope that i gave you enough information.

Answer 10

Reptiles are very hard to keep. They get bone disorders if not heated and lit properly. They require vitamins and a larger variety of foods than the average pet store will advise. By attempting to stunt its growth you will seriously put its health at risk. They can grow to several feet and need large cages and lights. I know there is a huge debate as to weather they are vegetarian or should eat meat. In the wild they will scavenge eating both. Bugs,vegetables and meat should be offered.