I live in Puerto Rico and iguanas are normal to be loose around the3 yard. Just found what I think is a young one since it is about 5 inches of body. I'm only feeding it letters but it dose not eat while we are there. Can someone let me know what else I can feed it and what other care is necessary. I have it in a 5 gallon fish tank.
Any help will be apreciated.
2007-07-31 14:56:52 · 9 answers · asked by William C 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
You do not want to feed it lettuce and the 5 gallon fish bowl is way too small.. What you really should do..is let it loose. Let it live in it's natural habitat.
2007-07-31 15:07:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
HOLY! 100 F is way too hot for all the time. A good temp for a happy iguana is averaged 85. Lettuce doesn't have the proper amount of vitamins. Mustard, Turnip, and Collard greens is best. Crickets supply plenty of protien to save on purchasing vitamins. A 5 gallon fish tank could be considered a food dish for the iguana, not a habitat.
2007-07-31 15:43:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I feed mine three types of leaf lettuce, green leaf, romaine, and red leaf, as well as zucchini and carrots on a daily basis. That is a good start for a healthy daily diet. It also helps keep their colors brighter. As they grow you can add things like parsley and squash. You can feed them fruits as a treat once a week. They also can be fed monkey chow as a treat. Iguanas are generally herbavores. You can also add a calcium powder to their food which helps their growth. Be cautious of any foods that are acidic. Iguanas need a warm place to lay in order to digest their food. Avoid direct sunlight as they burn easy. If you use a heat rock cover it because they are prone to laying on it all the time and they will burn their stomachs. I use under tank heaters for juveniles and heat rocks for older ones. You should probably use a vita light for your lighting as well. Their habitat needs to stay between 90 and 100 degrees during the day and not below 75 degrees at night. I would say your iguana is probably around two months old. The 5 gallon tank will work for a very short time but your iguana will grow quickly with the right diet. You have to think about when your iguana is fully grown and plan accordingly. Males can rach lengths of 6 feet and females can reach 5 feet. If you want your lizard tame make sure that you handle him on a daily basis because the bigger they are the meaner they get without interaction. You can bathe him every day but it is suggested that it is done before 4 pm. They do love to swim. If you don't bathe them every day then mist them every day. It helps with shedding. You can litter train your iguana just like a cat but it takes some time. If he bites you relax and let him let go but don't let him shake his head because that's how he digs his teeth in and it hurts. The flare under their chin is useful in keeping them from biting until they tame down. Just hold it and they freeze. Watch out for carpet fibers because iguanas can get them wrapped around their toes and they fall off. Mine like to climb so I put branches in their habitats so they have places to go. Hopefully this helps give you some useful information.
2007-07-31 18:21:40 · answer #3 · answered by whitetiger69s 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
ive had 3 iguanas. Theyre really cool. Well, you speak spanish i suppose, jaulas, i think are better because theyre more ventilated. Iguanas like lettuce and any other fruit or vegetable. Pet them alot, and they'll become mansitas lol. Getting daily sun is good. It can be the sun that goes thrue the window, it doesnt matter, but like that, they get really green. When the winter comes, especially on little iguanas, they get really cold, and you have to always put a blanket over the jaula. But if its an acquarium, its better. if its too cold, they die =[. also if you close your room everywhere and you are sure it cannot get anywhere, you should set it free for a while, i did that wth my iguana alot, its good that they get out of the cage and can run around, they like that. well, good luck with your iguana!
2007-07-31 15:14:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Don't feed him lettuce, there is no nutritional value in lettuce, try using Romain lettuce, zucchini, different fruits, apples, pears, try different types of fresh veggies also, he will pick out what he likes, then you will know for sure what he likes. Also get a bigger tank, at least 30 gallon, I'm sure you have seen how big they get, so be prepared to get even bigger tank's in the future, also keep a large bowl of water in the tank in case the lizard wants to crawl in and sit in it. Mine does.
2007-07-31 15:23:31 · answer #5 · answered by Shawnee 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You need a much bigger enclosure for him. Heating with a basking spot of 100F all day, A UVB bulb, a water source large enough to lay in, a variety of vegies and fruits and other foods, vitamins, etc.
Here are two very good websites to give you help:
http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/lizards/green-iguana.php
http://anapsid.org/
2007-07-31 15:20:05 · answer #6 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You've received lots of good advice here thus far so I'll just add that they love red hibiscus flowers as a treat. Since you live in PR I'm sure there are plenty around for him.
2007-07-31 18:48:57 · answer #7 · answered by gardener girl 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well i would get a 20 gal long tank. Not a small 5 gal.
2007-07-31 15:01:57 · answer #8 · answered by justin 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
dont feed him lettuce!!! get some fresh collard greens, yellow squash, zuccini or leafy greens but not lettuce
2007-07-31 15:03:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋