do any of you know anything about an iguana?

Question

I just got an iguana last night and i don't know what to feed it other than fresh fruits and vegatables. i also don't know what kind of light to put on it for warmth. and i don't know what to keep it in ((cage wise)). Anything would help! thank you!

Answer 1

first of all , to all that tell you to feed the iguana meat......NOT. Iguanas are vegetarians!.

http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/MNAALAS/Iguana.html#Diet

make sure you handle your iggy every day otherwise it'll become nasty, they have attitudes.

Answer 2

I wish you would have done research before going out on a whim and just buying one. Well iguanas are vegetarians. Lots of greens should be in the diet(romaine lettuce, kale greens, mustard greens, collard greens, etc) Do not feed it lettuce, there is no nutritional value and therefore does nothing for the iguana. Also shredded carrots and squash are healthy veggies to give him with the greens. he needs to be fed every day up until he becomes a juvenile at around a year old. Then you can feed him every other day or so. You need to build it a cage. Iguanas get up to 6 feet long and can weigh up to 25 pounds in only a matter of a couple of years. the minimum size of the enclosure should be no smaller than 6'x6'x3'. If you have a separate room, that's perfect. He need a uvb lamp which you can buy at the pet store. This should be set on a timer and turn on around 7am and turn off around 7pm. This usually works best. The temperature under the light should be no hotter than 95 degrees. You can cool it off by raising the light up away from him. he needs to be sprayed down with a water bottle once or twice a day for the proper humidiy and 2 to 3 times a day while he's shedding to help with the process. Do not be afraid of the iguana. if he runs from you, pick him up anyways. If he bites you (which most babies will do), then just let him, it doesn't hurt and he will eventually figure out that it won't work and he will stop. Let him know you are the boss, not him. The first year is about getting him out of these nasty habits, so stay on him hard during this time period. I recommend this book called "Iguanas For Dummies". Look it up on the internet and order it. It's about 40 dollars or so, but will be the best 40 dollars you ever invest into your iguana. They can live for 15 to 20 years if taken care of properly. They are not for beginners. So, if you don't feel like you can handle this for the next 15 to 20 years, then I recommend giving him back to the place you bought him from. For the iguana's sake. Good luck.

Note: I saw some people say to use a heat rock. Do not use a heat rock, these are very bad for them. I reapeat, do not use a heat rock. Iguanas get their heat from above, not below. They also do not make aquariums big enough to house a full grown iguana. So do not do this, all it will result in is a very stressed out iguana and shorten the life of him tremendously.

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

Answer 3

you really dont know whatyou just got into! iguanas are the most misunderstood and undercared for reptile there is. you must realise that this iguana WILL get at least 5 foot and up to 6 foot and actually rather fast if cared for right. they absolutely must have uvb lighting without this they will die within 8 months from metabolic bone disease. as far as heating iguanas are tropical lizards and like high heat. i keep mine in hot spot 100 degrees and cool spot 80 degrees. you can start a 20 gallon long tank but they will outgrow this pretty fast so the larger you can start with the better and cheaper on you in the long run. as they grow they will have to have a custom built cage. if you google iguanarium they sell huge bird cages made for adult iguanas usually around 800 dollars and have lights built into the system quite nice but pricy. as far as diet DO NOT FEED SPINACH, spinace has a chemical compound that inhibets calcium absorbtion and can lead to metabolic bone disease, iceburgh lettuce is not bad for them but its not good its just a source for moisture no nutritianal value at all. i feed mine a mixture of collard greens musta greens kale romaine arrots and the thin part of purple cabbage leaves, every day and 3 times a week i add strawberries bannans and apples. zoo med makes a commercial food that is very good for them if they will eat it but still requres fresh fruits and vegies a couple of times a week. you are going to have to play with your iguana every day to keep him calm and not shy around humans otherwise you will have a 6 foot monster that will use his tail as a weopen and that hurts alot. not to mention there powerfull jaws and teeth. let him swiour bathtub for 30 mins a day and stay with him, thats how i tamed mine down they love water and its good excercise.oh yeah one other thing dont feed crickets or meat they are vegitarians they do require some animal protien but the vitamens that you sprinkle on there veggies will give what they need i use t-rex 2.1 with phosphorus.


hope this helps feel free to email if you have other ?s

Answer 4

poor thing, you didn't know what you were getting into! iguanas are hard to take care of. they grow to be very large. here are some main points about iguanas:

they need proper light to survive. go to a pet store and look for a UV light - they need this to process vitamin d.

they are cold blooded and they need heat - look for a heat light but not a heat rock, they can easily burn themselves on the heat rock with out realizing it.

they need nutritious fresh fruits and veggies. like dandelion leaves, escarole, green beans, strawberries, etc. ice burg lettuce has no nutritional value and will slowly kill the iguana.

they carry salmonella so make sure you wash your hands.

you will need a very large enclosure.

you will really need to do some research to take care of the iguana properly. good luck.

Answer 5

Your best bet is to go to a pet store and get a book. Also ask the employees. You could also look this info up online or at the library. Make sure you find out quickly so your new pet doesn't get the wrong treatment. Iguanas can be fun and live quite a while with the proper care. Good luck!

Answer 6

hi their we have 4 iguana's ... all they need is their greens, (no spinach very toxic to them)veggies and fruits and maybe some iguana dry food u can buy at any pet/food store... they need some source of heat "not a heat rock"(reptile cant feel heat under their belly's and will burn their selves) and they need a UV light ... they also need a large en-closer about double or triple the length of their adult size as they do get up to 6 feet but not always just depends on the type and a tree to climb or take the chance and let them run around the house (with time and training you can train an ig to go in a littler box some of ours do) ... it not a good idea to feed any meat source (not even insects) because they can't digest protein... if they r young or under weight you could use some tofu cut up(small pieces..that will beaf them up) and put in with their veggies and a dish of fresh water ... and some like to take a lukewarm bath enough for them to swim but not enough to drown in (eg.an adult about inch or 2 and not to leave them alone) ours love their baths we rescue all types of reptiles and some of we get are very sick or under weight or damage ...they are not hard to look after but they do eat alot of fruits and veggies and like any reptiles have their needs to live and keep heathly

Answer 7

Welcome to the wonderful world of owning an ig. I have 3 myself, they are wonderful pets, however they are high maitenance. They are not a childs pet, and are quite expensive to care for properly. If you think you are up for the challenge, then please try to get all the info you can. I rescue igs and i would hate to have another one that is in bad shape. The best advice or tool i can give you is www.greenigsociety.org . they have anything and everything you would ever need to know about igs and how to care for them properly. Feed him a mix of greens. Turnip greens, collard greens, bell peppers, parsley, cilantro, summer squash, zuccini, cucumber, etc. Fruit as a treat.

You can do this! Don't listen to everyone else, it is a challenge, but if you are dedicated, they are a great reptile to have. If you have any other questions feel free to send me a message. Or go to the site i gave you, they also have a message board on there; and everyone is really helpful, and won't insult you as some of these people have.

Answer 8

ok the first thing is that they do eat fresh fruits and veggies, you can also feed cheese, tofu, hard boiled eggs, cn dog food, boneless chicken shredded. you need to make sure that when you feed him that you put vitamins on his food like rep-cal multi vit and a calcium vit ( pink and blue container) these are the best vits for him. next thing about his tank you want to use a heat bulb and as well as a uvb light. you need to have an under tank heater like a heat pad for helping him digest his food. the best bottom cover is called carefresh bedding. make sure that you have a water bowl in the tank for him and keep fresh food for him at least 2 times a day. water at all times. you can put things in the tank for him to climb on as long as you don't crowd his tank. also you want to make sure you soak him once a week for cleaning, it will keep him healthy and free from poop if any on his body. you want to also handle him every day no matter what because if not he will become very agressive if not handled everyday. unlike other reptiles if the iguana is not held on a regular basis then they tend to get mean the longer you go without holding him. hold every chance you get. be careful with his tail because if he feels threatened in any way he will use his tail as a whip and let me tell you it hurts like crazy. you want to keep the day temp at 88-90 and the night temp can be at 84-86. they are warm blooded animals and they need the warmth for everything. if they are not kept warm then they will not be the same. they can get sick from being to cold. good luck and i hope i gave you enough info on the iguana. i have 3 of them and boy they are fun to have if you care for them the right way. i also do rescues for them and i have had almost 10 iguanas in my house at one time but i adopted them out to new homes, i will admit it is alot of work but you need to be sure that this is what you want to do and make sure that you can afford it to. again good luck.

Answer 9

take it back to the store and buy a leopard gecko. iguanas' live for 20 plus years and grow over 3 feet long. NOT a good beginner pet. If you insist on keeping it, go to kingsnake.com and u can print out a care sheet , that should get u started!!!good luck

Answer 10

I have owned many iguanas. I find it best to keep them in an aquarium, with a heat rock and something for them to climb on. but with the heat rock, make sure you put something like a sock (if the rock is small enough) over it so it doesn't burn it's self. There is a mixture you can buy at a pet store made especially for iguanas to eat. As lighting goes, you need a UV light. They sell those at pet stores as well.

Answer 11

Hello.My name is Tim.I've been dealing with reptiles for 15 yrs.Iguanas eat lots of things including meat,fruits, and veg.Though limit the amount of kale.In fact,lettuce has little value other than water.Also,use the outer leaves of leafy green veg.,they have the most value.Igies love fresh broccoli.As for heat you can use a clamp light w/ 60+ w bulb.There are also UV lamps you can use.DO NOT use a heat rock.Igies absorb heat from their back.This is where they regulate their temp.Using a heat rock can kill them because they can't tell the temp and may ferment the food inside them, and that wouldn't be good.As for housing,Igies allowed to free roam are more apt to be friendly,but you will have to "child proof" the room.You don't want them to chew an electrical cord.Good luck.Igies can be challenging an aggressive.