I saw my iguana drinking his urine and today he ate a piece of napkin. Is he an iguana with bad manners?

Answer 1

Young iguanas eat the wastes of old iguanas it gives them vitamins and bacteria that they need, iguanas who do not get it from waste or other means often get sick, he was probably trying to obtain these vitamins, get some reptile vitamin tablets from the pet store

Answer 2

Han Solo has the right idea - several lizard species do this and also eat their "poo" and shed skin to get intestinal bacteria to digest fibrous plants and for vitamins & minerals.

The napkin might have smelled like food, or it may have looked like shed skin - who knows what goes through their minds!

It does sound like he's trying to get something that's missing from his diet, though. Do you add calcium and multivitamin supplements to his food? Give him a good variety of dark, leafy veggies, sweet potato, squash, etc? You shouldn't feed them any type of animal protein or insects - iggies are vegetarians and have trouble with with high-protein foods - this can cause kidney failure in them! Also, you you use a good UVB light? The UVB is necessary for them to produce Vitamin D3 so they can metabolize the calcium in their diet - otherwise, they might be headed for metabolic bone disease (similar effects to osteoporosis in humans - the bones soften and deform, severe cases end in premature death).

Below is a link to a good website by an iguana expert - her info will give you lots of insight into their care and behavior.

http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html

Answer 3

He was prob thirsty or he needs vitamins. Grab some liquid vits to put in his water. A dish of water if fine but they lick water from leaves in the wild. Try spraying the side of the cage with water so he can lick to drink. You need a new clean spray bottle. You can get them at any dollar store. Mix the water n vits and spray the back of the cage.

If the napkin smelled like food he would try it! Crickets are best. Mealworms are good but you have to pull their heads off cause they have been known to chew their way out of the critters side. Rare but it happens! And if your iguana gets realy big pinkys{new born feeder mice/1 a mo} can be a healthy supliment.

:)...........Helives!

Answer 4

this is exactly why I stick with snakes. lol