why is my green iguana turning brown?

Question

i have a uv light as well as a heat light, plenty of food and water, keep his tank clean, i have a constant water drip from the little dripper thing, as well as i spray water in his tank several times a day. he's eating drinking and pooping. I'm not sure what it is he needs, any help you can provide would be great. I've had him for almost 2 weeks now.

Answer 1

An iguana turning brown could be a couple of things. Stress will do this. Since you've only had him for two weeks he could still just be getting used to his surroundings...though he should be on the accepting end of adjusting by now. Are you sure his temperatures are right? Brown is also the color of an iguana who is trying to warm up. If the color only lasts for a short time than goes to green, then it's ok. This is normal. You MUST use a digital thermometer to get the right readings. The small dial ones are horribly inadequate as are the aquarium strips. Your temps need to be specific.

Basking: 92-96
Ambient: 80-85
Cool end/night time: 75 for babies under a year, 70 for adults.

It could be the choice of your UVB bulb. Not all are created equal. There are some that are certainly better than others. Some decay very quickly. You need no less than two 4' fluorescent UVB tubes. Short version - UVB helps the ig to process the calcium in their diet. Without the UVB...the calcium does not get absorbed and the result is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and renal failure. The brands to go with:

Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0
Iguana Light 5.0
Exoterra 8.0
Arcadia 5.0 (UK)
...or:
Mega Ray EB (external ballast)
http://www.reptileuv.com

Many of these can be purchased at http://www.reptiledirect.com for a more reasonable price than the pet stores. Once you provide these lights for your ig...set them in the 6" - 8" range (12" - 18" for the Mega Ray). Any farther and the UVB drops of so much that they don't do any good.

Answer 2

Brown Iguana

Answer 3

UV light mimics sunlight; do NOT put it near a window. You don't want natural sunlight filtering through the tank glass. You want your environment to be as controlled as possible. Iguanas do change color as they age, and each individual has its own coloring. What are you feeding your iggie and what size is it? It would also be good to know what temp at which the tank is being kept. You definitely want high humidity in the tank, but make sure it is not too wet, as overly moist conditions can breed fungal infections.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
why is my green iguana turning brown?
i have a uv light as well as a heat light, plenty of food and water, keep his tank clean, i have a constant water drip from the little dripper thing, as well as i spray water in his tank several times a day. he's eating drinking and pooping. I'm not sure what it is he needs, any help you...

Answer 5

One reason could be..........

Metabolic Bone Disease In Iguanas
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is the most common disease of pet iguanas. In metabolic bone disease, bones lack a proper amount of calcium. Many factors influence the amount of calcium laid down in bones so this problem is often more complicated than a simple lack of calcium in the reptile’s diet.

Calcium is essential for more than bone structure. It is involved in blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve impulses. For calcium to be properly absorbed from the diet, your iguana must have a normal kidney and liver. It is also essential that the iguana produce sufficient amounts of vitamin D. Certain nutrients, including phosphorus, fats, oxalates and acetic acid also govern the amount of Calcium absorbed into the iguana’s body.

Phosphorus also governs the rate at which calcium is absorbed into the body. For bones to develop normally, the amount of calcium present in your iguana’s diet should be approximately twice the amount of phosphorus. Too much phosphorus in the diet reacts with calcium in the pet’s intestine to form insoluble calcium salts, which can not be absorbed.

Vitamin D or cholecalciferol also regulates the uptake of calcium from the intestine. This hormone-like vitamin is manufactured in your iguana’s skin when the lizard is exposed to natural sunlight or grow-lamp light. It can also be given as a dietary ingredient. Normal liver and kidneys are essential in metabolizing vitamin D.

When calcium available to the body is lower than it should be, the body acts to maintain dissolved blood calcium levels by releasing calcium from the bones. Bones that have been depleted of calcium in this way are weak and snap and bow readily. These inflamed bones develop knobby fibrous overgrowths and scarring around the joints called fibrous osteodystrophy giving the iguana a “popeye” look.

Answer 6

Could he be trying to shed? You didn't mention, but do you have a large water dish? He should be able to immerse himself in water, reptiles need humidity to help with shedding as well. Make sure his humidity and temperatures are correct.

Answer 7

how old is he? are you sure he doesn't have some rock iguana in him? It could be because he's molting.

Answer 8

They turn colors in the winter months, U need to put it near the sunshine instead of all that fake light.

Answer 9

blend in with his invironment i guess unless he's brown all the time then i don't know what to tell you.

Answer 10

Taste him, he may be going stale