OMG i HAVE AN iGUANA HELP ME!!?

Question

I just bought a baby iguana...

well not exactly..my boyfriend did.
(he has wanted one forever and there was one in the paper for 20 bucks)

---by the way i know it was wrong of him to just go out and buy him,you dont have to tell me, im the one that is taking care of it now (but thats okay because i LOVE all animals)

besides its not like we wont shop for him... we just went out and got him a 20 gallon tank (for the time being) a wired tank cover with clamps for no escapes, food and water dishes (stocked with food) 75 watt heat lamp (that was what we were told to buy him since hes small) and lizzard terrain liner. oh did i mention a leash for when hes older = D


i need some information and advice on taking care of "Suko"

things they like? dislike?
things i should/shouldnt feed him?
cage accessories?

anything you have!!

thanks so much for helping

Answer 1

I would recommend you get a book about green iguana care or visiting your local herpetologist's office for a care guide. Dolphin was absolutely on the money about iguana care. I have been told the same things by a certified herpetologist. One thing she did fail to mention is that they like a lot of humidity and pretty much require it for hydration. Spraying with water (from a clean, unused spray bottle) a couple times a day is ideal or keeping a container with water in it would be good too so they can take a dip whenever they want. Just be sure to change the water frequently (i.e. every day to every other day) to keep bacteria down.

As your little iggy gets bigger, do not let him have range of the house as your iggy is very notorious for carrying salmonella and can easily spread it this way. This also helps protect your iggy in the process from hurting him/herself while you are not at home. Also, make sure not to kiss iggy either as you can pick it up this way.

The earlier you start on leash training, the better. They are more apt to adapt to a leash while they are young. If you want plants in his environment, then use fake plants because these can be easily bought, easily removed and cleaned, and you are not out much if you have to throw them away. If you want a custom-built cage, then www.cagesbydesign.com is where you need to look. They have a variety of cages and have a great selection.

Take Dolphin's advice on the food. Again, she was dead on the money. My two iggies will eat from my hand and if you can do this with yours, then this is great. It builds a bond.

Lastly, remember that iggies are still wild creatures and are not cuddly like a cat or dog would be. As they get older, you will realize that they are not dumb creatures and do have a personality of their own. Do not take offense if your presence is not always welcome. Males are especially aggressive at around three years of age, when they reach sexual maturity but it is very hard to sex an iggy unless you have the vet sex them or have them x-rayed. Usually males have brighter colors and are smaller than females, but being that you have a very young iggy, you will not be able to tell until later. Females usually have more dull colors of green.

Good luck and congrats on your new iggy baby!

Answer 2

just a couple of things this is probably a type o but it is pretty relevant. supplements with D3 should rarely if ever be used by a novice you can actually poison them by feeding to much D3. D3 is naturally produced by normal calcium intake ie dusting their food with calcium and uvb rays. the calcium itself is useless to an ig without the uvb rays to turn it into D3 the igs body will produce only enough D3 as the body needs and dispose of or store what it does not need. so normal dusting of calcium and a reptisun 10.0 is all you need to produce D3. avoid suppliments with D3 unless recommended by a herp vet. also remember he will most likely live to be 20 years old and grow to be 7 foot long. they can have nasty mean tempers coupled with a nasty bite an unbelievable tail whip. it is important to handle him every day a min of 20 minutes. keep him close to the floor in case he gets free he wont fall and break something. wear leather gloves and use an emory board to file the hook off at the end of each toe nail. no nail clippers if they can be avoided. they are prone to getting impacted to diet is very important no animal protein. greens only cary their diet a lot some great examples above. check out the websites given above green ig society is outstanding. good luck you have a long lived soon to be big friend if taken care of properly he most likely will be tameable but each has their own personallity and remember it takes time to tame one.

Answer 3

Also, they must have a UVB bulb on for about 12 hours a day. A good brand is Reptisun 10.0 or Reptiglo 8.0. All bulbs should be changed every 6 months as they lose potency. Here are two excellent care sites:

http://www.greenigsociety.org/credits.htm

http://anapsid.org/

Igs are not easy, but if provided with EVERYTHING they need to stay healthy, they will thrive.

Answer 4

Umm...I don't think it needs much help from you. They've been procreating since the beginning of time quite well without any help from us! Just pick some really cool "baby" iguana names like Lodor and Punjab! Or maybe Octavius

Answer 5

A good size tank to start out with for a baby iguana is a standard 30 to 50 gallon tank. As your iguana grows, it will probably be necessary to build or have built a custom cage. The standard for deciding on cage size is one and one half times the length of the lizard in length, two thirds the length of the lizard in width, and the length of the lizard in height. We have found higher is better. Iguanas love to climb and love to be up high.

There are several things that can be used for cage bottom cover. Orchid bark, artificial turf, indoor/outdoor carpeting, newspaper, and alfalfa pellets are all useful for this. Bark or wood chips can tend to attract mites and other insects, so keep this in mind. Cedar chips can be toxic, so avoid using these.

Branches set up for climbing are a necessity. Iguanas are arboreal (tree-dwelling) lizards. The branches should be chosen according to the size of your lizard, and easy for your them to climb and lay on. We do not recommend hot rocks. They are not a natural way for the iguana to absorb heat and they can cause serious burns. Hot rocks should never be used as a replacement for adequate lighting.

It is important that iguanas are kept warm enough to digest their food properly, and to fight off disease. Some type of thermometer should be used in the enclosure to keep track of the temperature. A basking spot should be provided that reaches between 95-100 degrees fahrenheit at the closest point to the heat source. The heat source is usually a spotlight set up so that the iguana cannot burn itself by laying against the bulb. Heat tape, undertank heaters, etc. can be used to heat the air inside the tank to around 85 degrees fahrenheit. At night, the temperature can be allowed to safely drop to around the low 70's. Most people's houses are warm enough to provide this temperature range. If not, then ceramic lights work well for this purpose. They provide the necessary heat without the light. Sick or recuperating iguanas will need to have the temperature warmer at night also. Remember to follow directions on all heating equipment and light fixtures to avoid a fire hazard.

What you feed your iguana will be directly related to their overall health and well-being. Green Iguanas are herbivores, that is, they are plant eaters. Animal proteins, such as dog food, cat food, and various "people food" treats should be avoided completely if possible. Iguanas do tend to like junk food, like pizza, but it is not good for them, and feeding them alot of food like this can lead to kidney failure at a young age. If you do feed your iguana "treats", we'd recommend keeping it at a once per month MAXIMUM to be on the safe side. Kale, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and other cabbage-related vegetables should be fed only in small amounts. These vegetables can cause thyroid problems if they are fed to your lizard frequently. Spinach should not be fed at all to an iguana, because it binds calcium.

Iguanas require a diet that is high in calcium, low in phosporous, and contains Vitamin D3. Greens should be the staple of the diet. By greens we mean, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Dandelion greens(you can pick these right out of your yard as long as they are not treated with pesticides and washed before feeding), Turnip greens, etc. Mixed vegetables, squash, zucchini, yams, raspberries & blackberries(high in calcium), bananas, and other fruits and vegetables or commercial iguana food can also be added, but the large majority of the diet should be greens. If your iguana is getting a proper diet than no extra vitamins really need to be added to the food.
We have also recently found out that while it is a good idea to provide a bowl of water in your iguanas tank for humidity and soaking purposes, that if your iguana is drinking out of the bowl on a regular basis, chances are that the humidity in the tank is too low. Iguanas get most of their moisture from the air, so regular misting, or even better, a humidifier in the tank will help keep the humidity to a proper level. While in their enclosures, try to keep the humidity level between 95 and 100 percent. There are temperature gauges out there that also record humidity. It would be a good idea to invest in this type of gauge.

I would also suggest buying a book on iguana care... they really help.