green iguana?

Question

we have aquired a young iguana(maybe 12" including tail) the first day he ate after that he has not eaten,its been 5 days. we are giving him collared greens,dandilion greens,kale,apple,cantalope,oranges,his substrate is rabbit pellets.heating & lighting,10.0 uvb,infrared 150 watts,undertank heat pad , he has a hot & cool side.we even mist him and tank daily. anything else we can do?help!

Answer 1

Have you taken your Iguana to the vet? Most baby iguanas are full of parasites. Another thing that may help is called Bene-bac. You can use either the lizard or bird version. This is like eating yogurt is for us, it reseeds the bacteria in the gut.

The best substrate to use is paper toweling. Iguanas have dry mouths and any attempts at eatting pellets, moss, wood chips, etc, can lead to impaction of the digestive tract.

Answer 2

First, I would get rid of the pellets. Any kind of particulate matter is not good for a substrate. Let's hope your young iguana didn't injest one of the pellets and became impacted. Plain newspaper, or linoleum tile, or varnished wood are other choices. Place an appropriate sized plastic tub with water in it in the enclosure, and it will probably start to defecate in it.
Keep feeding it fresh food, but go easy on kale. Keep fruit to 10% of total daily diet. Mustard and Turnip green are other good choices. Commercial food is corn based which is high in phosphorus and hard on the kidneys. Fresh is best. Go to
www.greenigsociety.org for the food chart. Very good info. The best UVB light is ZooMed's Iguana Light 5.0 or Repti-Sun 5.0. It has the correct UVB wavelength for tropical reptiles such as the iguana.
Iguanas are at the bottom of the food chain and are hunted as food by a variety of animals, including humans. It's going to take a long time for your ig to trust you. Be patient and gentle. Let it get used to your presence first by sitting next to the enclosure and observing it. This way, you will also become familiar with what is "normal" for your ig.
If you are keeping it in an aquarium, start planning on building a new enclosure now. First of all, it will quickly outgrow an aquarium. And since an adult will reach the size of about 5-6 feet, there isn't an aquarium big enough to house it.
Another reason is the only way to reach in to an aquarium is from the top. By doing this, you are mimicing the movement of a predator and this will surely frighten your young iguana!
Misting your ig and the enclosure is a good idea. And providing a thermogradient (warm to cool) is good too.
Two good books are Green Iguana, The Ultimate Owner's Manual by James Hatfield III and Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan.

Answer 3

Do you have thermometers in the hot end and cool end? Check your temperatures, it might be too hot at the hot end - depending on the size of your enclosure, a 150 watt light might be a bit much. Also, get rid of the rabbit pellets. Plain old newspaper is fine, and a lot cheaper! The rabbit pellets can mold very easily. Do you have a water pan in there?

Do you have hiding spots? A baby feels very vulnerable. Artificial silk or plastic plants can be attached to the top of a screen or to the sides of a wire cage with zip ties, or at that size you can even get those half logs sold for tortoises. Are you cutting the food into very small pieces at this point? The diet sounds pretty good. Don't forget a calcium suppliment.

Try not to handle him for a couple of days. If he still won't eat after you check the temperatures and add hide spots, try to find a qualified reptile veterinarian. You can look for one and get lots of good advice at http://www.anapsid.org

Also consider joining the MAGGIK group at www.groups.yahoo.com - lots of experienced keepers there (Mid-Atlantic Giant Green Iguana Keepers).

Answer 4

Common Name: Green Iguana.
Scientific Name: Iguana iguana.
Description:
Size 5' - 6' Total Length.
Life span (Captive) The normal life expectancy of a Healthy Iguana is around 15 years.
Caging: Use full spectrum 5% "UVB" lighting around 12 hours per day, this mimics natural sunlight. Provide a Spot light for a basking area with access to a cooler area. . Supply branches and logs for climbing and exploring. In captivity, adult Iguanas requires at least 6' x 5' x 4'. (This would need to be even larger if you have a full grown Iguana) more space is better if possible.
Substrate: Sand, bark, wood chippings etc can all be ingested with resulting impaction! (the only safe loose substrate that is totally digestable is alfalfa pellets.....Lino, carpet, paper and astroturf are all safe to use.
Temperature: Daytime temperature should be: Basking area around 85-95 degrees F. Cool area 75-85 degrees F.
Night temperatures can fall to around 70 degrees, even perhaps as low as 60 F, as long as they have somewhere to warm up in the morning.
Extra care should be taken during times of power cuts / failure, try to give this some thought so you are prepared if need be. Basking area temp may be a little higher, as long as the Iguana is able to move to a cooler spot to thermoregulate.
Hot rocks should NOT be used to help with temperature regulation, these have been known to over heat and the resulting hot spots may cause burns on reptiles, leading to disfigurement or even death. Humidity: Iguanas being from the tropics require high humidity. The ideal 80% is difficult to obtain and even 50% can be difficult. The humidity can be raised by having a wide pan of water in the habitat and regular spraying of the Iguana with a bottle sprayer, some people with large habitats even have waterfalls and humidifiers installed....having a high humidity helps with the shedding of the Iguana's skin, on the downside it can also aid growth of moulds! so it is a matter of finding a happy medium.
Lighting: Iguanas need UVB light to convert Vitamin D into its active form; in its active form it then assists in the absorption of calcium into the body. Sunlight -or in the absence of it, at least 12 hours of full spectrum light (UVB) -is required daily to ensure your pet remains healthy ...(most popular are the 5%UVB tubes)
Food: Iguanas are HERBIVORES. Feed up to 50% of: leafy greens, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, nasturtiums (leaves & flowers), dandelions (leaves & flowers), escarole, parsley, leeks, hibiscus leaves and flowers and carrot tops. Up to 35% of: green beans, zuchini, squash, bean sprouts, okra, grated carrot, red yellow or green bell peppers (sweet peppers), peas, cucurbits, parsnips and celery.
Around 10% of: fruits such as papayas, blackberries, kiwi, peach, banana, grapes, plums, oranges, clementines, satsumas, mango's, apples, figs, strawberries, pear, cherry, melons, fuchsia fruits and rose hips. Up to 5% from the occasional foods below:
The following contain "oxalates" and should not be fed : chard, spinach, rhubarb stems (leaves are toxic), dock, sorrel, beets and beet greens The following contain "goitrogens", feed in small quantities only: cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and bok choy.
Note, bread, pasta, and rice are grain foods and may be offered once or twice a week as treats. Iguanas like to bathe, so a large pool/bath should be provided several times a week. Clean drinking water should always be available...
hope this helps .. it's off our website

Answer 5

You should check the temperature first. Is it too hot? Is it too cold? You should also have a UTH or UnderTank Heater. It isd so they can digest their food much easier. He might also be getting used to his home. If he keeps this up, call a vet and see what they say. You can also bring him to a vet.

Answer 6

My 3 ft Iguana used to do the same thing when she was young. It is getting used to its new home. I fed it spring mix with occasional squash bites (Green and Yellow). Just let it adjust to its new home.

Answer 7

Go to PetsMart or similar store and get iguana food. I give my iguana that food and some spinach. It may also be that it is bored. let it out and play with it. or just let it roam in an enclosed room for awhile. It may just be scared let it get used to its new enviroment it will be just fine.