I need more information on iguanas!! Please!!?

Question

I just got an iguana from my best friend. He joined the airforce 6months ago and had to leave his iguana home with his dad and brother. He expected them to take good care of him while he was gone. unfortunately they didn't. He just got to come home for Christmas and he was very surprised to see that Frank (iguana) hadn't been feed much and his cage was a mess. He then asked me if I could take him and we of course love him so he came all the way to Georgia from Tennessee to bring him. My friend is being sent to Japan soon for 2yrs. Anyways so I've never had an iguana and we don't know what is good for him and what is not. We would like to know what kinds of food and plants are bad (we have house plants and would like to know what to keep him away from)

Thanks you everybody. I have a big cage and all the stuff he had before my friend gave to me. I have a heat rock and lamps. He has a big Ferret cage that has different levels he can climb up. Just wanted to know what not to feed him mainly.

oh and how often they eat.

Thanks...He loves his heat rock and it never gets hot enough to burn him. He is around 4 o5yrs old I think. He is very small for his age I'm sure. But the people that had him before didn't know how to feed him correctly. He has some bad spots on his sides also. The vets here say they don't take iguanas. When we went to the pet store they gave us Reptile relief its a spray that we put on his spots(scab like) once a week. He seems to be eating very well.

Answer 1

Give the iguana to a animal shelter, you've done nothing wrong but trust me when I tell you that iguanas require alot of attention and care. During breeding season iguanas can become very defensive and could cause serious injury.
Most people buy iguanas not knowing how much a 5-6 foot animal really needs. Keeping a iguana for 2yrs isnt cheap at all either.

Answer 2

First off, go to the local wal mart or hardware store and buy a reflector clamp on dome light. (usually is metal dome shaped) it should have a high wattage rating. Then go to a pet shop and get a 100-150 watt basking light bulb. A pet shop should have the reflector light as well. Besides food, this will be pretty much all you need. The bulb and dome should be no more than $25.00and should be placed about 8 " above the iguana. if you have a metal cage, you can set the light directly on the cage and place some artificial limbs in there so it can climb as close to the heat as it wants. As for food, I have fed mine over the years broccoli, squash, zuccini, lettuce (romaine), cucumbers, and occasinally i mix in some red apples in its food. I just chop all the stuff up well enough so it can swallow easily and mix it all up and stick in microwave for about 10 seconds. Takes about 5 minutes a day. I have had my iguana for about 6 years since it was a baby about 5 inches long and now it is about 3 1/2 foot long and healthy as can be. Once they get about 2 feet long if they are kept out of their cages, they will accustom to a certain window in the house. Mine roams free all day and never bothers anything, just stays in its area.

Answer 3

Basic needs for an Ig is a large cage, daily misting for humidity, a bowl or rubbermaid container large enough to soak in (Igs usually poop in their water, so keep very clean), a heat lamp that they can bask under--the basking temp should be around 100F. Igs need to be able to move closer or farther from the heat source as they "thermoregulate" their body temperatures. They must have a strong UVB bulb. These are tube lights made for reptiles. Good brands are Reptisun 10.0 and Reptiglo 8.0. These bulbs should be above the basking area as well and within 12 inches of the Ig. They must also be changed about every 6 months, as they lose UVB potency long before the visible light wears out.

Diet is important. At no time should they have any insect or animal protein--NO dog or cat food, no crickets, etc. ONLY plant material. Here is a link to the best vet recommended Iguana Salad. Vary it as needed and don't forget vitamins and Calcium supplements.

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

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

http://www.reptilecare.com/igfacts.htm

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

http://www.todaysplanet.com/pg/beta/lizardlover/page3.htm

Answer 4

Feed him every morning. And get rid of the heat rock. As far as edible plants the first website at the end has a list of toxic and edible plants along with tons of other great info. Good luck with your new iggy.

They need:

45% leafy greens such as escarole, dandelions, endive, mustard, and collards, NO lettuces or spinach! They aren't good for him.
45% hard mixed veggies such as an orange flesh squash the harder the better(acorn,pumpkin,butternut... fresh green beans, fresh peas, parsnip, and green bell peppers, NO broccoli or cauliflower, or avocado!
10% fruit such as figs, papaya, mango, pear, and berries(strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, etc.). NO bananas, only very rarely as a treat.
NO ANIMAL PROTEIN such as bugs, meat, eggs, or cheese!
NO commercial Iguana food.

Cage size:

Minimum length (side to side): 2-3 x
Minimum depth (front to back): 1.5-2 x
Minimum height: 1.5-2 x


Temperature:

They need a basking area of 95-100 and normal temps of 75-85. NO heat rocks!

Lights:

They need a 5.0 UV light.

Hydration:

They should also get baths everyday or so. And should have a water bowl in their cage.

Vet:

You should take Your Iguana for regular vet checkups to make sure it is in good health. Reptiles can have internal parasites that can harm them so you should make sure the vet checks that.

Here are some good sites, the first one was recomended by my vet.

http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
http://www.greenigsociety.org
http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com
http://www.baskingspot.com
http://www.reptilecare.com/IgCare.htm

Answer 5

Firstly get rid of that heat rock please you will burn the poor bugger. You need a full spectrum u.v and a basking light. Humidity needs to be 80%+ also the enclose always needs to be 2x the size of the iggi.

Food wise you can feed it any fruit and veg aslong as you avoid kale, spinach, and iceburge lettace and avoid all citrus fruits.

But hes some of th food you can get.

Melon, butternut squash, potatos, broccoli, peas, sweetcorn, courgetts, kiwi, raspberrys, strawberrys, passion fruit, carotts, leafy greens, chicory, watercress, onion, mangos and leeks.
hope this helps you out.

Answer 6

There are many healthy fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables like broccoli and kale contain calcium and are packed with fiber.

Answer 7

keep the cage/tank warm at all times in the high 90's in the day and mid 80's at nigh feed him greens also search google for more info

Answer 8

All I know is they need to be kept warm, so put him near sunlight.

Answer 9

Since you never say how old his iguana is or how big the enclosure is for the iguana ... those are 2 big factors.
Iguanas should not live in a 55 gallon tank past 8-12 months of age, after that time an enclosure needs to be made for them. Enclosure needs to be 1.5-2 times its total length. An adult iguana will need an enclosure at least 6-7ft tall x 8-10ft long x 4ft wide. Can an iguana that is 1 yr old live in an enclosure the size made for an adult, yes.
Enclosure needs to be able to hold heat and humidity, solid walls, solid top, solid bottom. It's best to make the front out of plexi-glass so you can see the inside and the ig can see the outside. You also need to make sure that you do have air flow.
You need to have a humdifier or vaporizer running along w/ spraying/misting the enclosure. Having the humdifier/vaporizor on the outside is mainly a safety issue, so you will need a way come up w/ a way for that. Make sure that the lights (CHE's and basking) are on top of the enclosure, again safety issue, and a cover over the lights. Igs can burn themselves badly if they sit or touch the dome lights.
Chicken wire is very dangerous for iguanas, they can cut toes off, cut face and body. There are some woods that are toxic to iguanas, such as cedar and redwood. If you build an enclosure you w/ wood you will need to stain w/ a good high quality seeler, stain a few times, allowing to dry w/ each coat, then you need to allow time to air out the enclosure. There are many ways of building a safe and useful enclosure for an iguana, and it honestly doesn't need to look all pretty, as long as it holds the humdity and heat in. Adjustable closet shelfing works wonderful for basking areas, and climbing.
Heat rock, PLEASE REMOVE ... Heat rocks are very dangerous and can burn the under belly of an iguana. You can use the heat rock ONLY IF you remove the wiring. You can use a rock that you find outside and use that (make sure you wash the rock first). ( http://www.iguanaden.org/care/hotrock.htm )
Ferret cage is not big enough, guessing the age of the iguana being at least 1-2 yrs old. Ferret cage also does not hold heat or humidity, because of ferret cages usually being wire.
Iguanas take a lot of care, and a lot of people just think that they can throw some lettuce into a bowl and it will eat it. Lettuce that most of humans eat has no nutrience for iguanas. Iguanas need daily baths, iguanas will also learn that the bath tub is there restroom.
Keeping a schedule for everything that you do for the iguana is a big factor.
Iguanas require a lot, and you only have a 50/50 chance that the iguana will allow you to be his/her slave. Some iguanas will tolerate us humans, some never will like humans. Again w/out knowing the true age of your iguana nor the sex do not know if he/she is already in breeding season, which can be around 1 1/2-2 years of age. Iguanas usually stop eating, or eat less during the breeding season. Males will usually turn orange in color, some females do but not as much as males. Females will need to have at least 2 x-rays per year during breeding season, for gravid/egg laying. If you have a female you will need to provide a nesting box for her to lay the eggs in, you should freeze or boil the eggs once you remove them, do not try and incubate them, it will only fuel the iguana problem. Some females will never produce eggs, some do and have many problems, where you will have to have a vet to remove and spay the female.
Iguanas can be aggressive during breeding season, or they can be very loving during breeding season, or vise versa. You will get tail whipped, but that can stop, you will get claw marks all over your hands, you can trim there nails. Be prepared for possibly going into the ER for stitches from iguana bite. To remove an iguana from your finger, face or any other part of your body, have q-tip and vinegar around, whisky also works. Do not pull them away it can cause more damage, if you put the q-tip in vinegar they dislike the taste and will remove there grip on there own.
Iguanas are not like a dog or cat, they can get to know your voice and words/name and they can come and cuddle up w/ you, but they are wild and should be treated w/ respect but know that some iguanas are dominate or submissive by nature. Do not let your iguana do whatever he/she likes to do, because you've lost, you need to be dominate. Being dominate does not mean yelling at the iguanas, it means taking control do not back down to your iguana because it tail whips you, do not get mad because the iguana bite you.
You should take your iguana to a herp/reptile vet who knows about iguanas. There are a lot of vets who think they know how to be a vet to an iguana but they don't. You should take this adopted/baby sitting ig to a vet for a check over, it could have mites, could have parasites or other nasty unhealthy things that you can not see that the vet should. You should also take a vet every year for a yearly check over, if he/she doesn't need a vet during any other time of the year.
You need to provide UVB for an iguana, getting a shop light that is 48 inches is the best kind, you can usually get them at a home improvement store, you should provide 2 UVB tubes, so you will need to get a shop light that has 2 light fixtures. UVB is very important and very vital for your iguanas health and growth. The kind that iguana owners should use are:
ReptiSun 10.0 ( http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=944 )
Repti Glo 8.0 ( http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=348 )
ReptiSun 5.0 ( http://www.reptiledirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=39 )
... I encluded a link only for reference puproses, you do not have to buy them from this company ...
There is a distance that you need to keep the UVB tube lights at from your iguanas body, you will need to adjust as he/she grows ... the 5.0 and 8.0 should be 6-8 inches from your igs body ... 10.0 should be 8-10 inches from your igs body .. again need to adjust the distance as he/she grows.
The coil compact lights that say they are UVB actually they do not produce the UVB that your iguana needs, and can be very dangerous when used. The "U" shaped UVB lights can cause eye damage to reptiles. ( http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm )
If this iguana has not had the proper UVB he/she may have signs of MBD (metabolic bone disease). It can be reversed to some degree w/ the proper UVB. Natural UVB is the best, but during the winter months is sometimes can be more dangerous to let an ig outside for UVB. If the temps outside are lower then 70-75F you should NOT let your iguana outside. You will need to build an enclosure outside that is safe and secure. DO NOT stick an iguana outside in a glass enclosure, this can cause a green house effect and kill your iguana. Links for building indoor and outdoor: http://www.iguanaden.org/housing/index.htm - http://www.greenigsociety.org/habitat.htm
Iguanas should have at least 12 hrs of UVB/Basking light ... 12 hrs of darkness ... During the night to help keep your iguana warm, CHE (ceramic heat emitters) work the best, they produce heat but no light. Some iguanas can be scared or get stressed from those night colored lights, plus they burn out too fast. You can use a human heating pad (on a low temp) w/ a towel around it for extra added heat. My iguana lays on it at night sometimes, not every night.
Temps ... using a thermometer (at least 2) that has a probe on the end will help keep the temps where they should be, but I trust my temp gun more then I trust the thermometer. Temp gun will give a more true reading of your iguanas body temp ( http://www.tempgun.com/main.html )
Never let drop below 70F ... basking 92-96F if temp is too low digestion is slowed too high food digests too fast and nutrition is lost ... medium/middle 88-92F
cool 75-84F ... at night 73-84F.
Iguanas in the wild live in forests, so they usually have pretty high humidity. It's impossible to get the humidity that they get in the wild, mainly because if you tried your house would have mildew. Aim for about 50-60%, living in Georgia you guys usually have pretty good humidity to begin, not sure about inside, do provide a humidifier or vaporizer for him/her tho cool or warm which ever one you prefer to use, but remember cool will lower thermometer warm will raise.
Depending on age depends on how much they eat. Young igs may eat 1/4-1/2 cup every meal, older can eat 2-4 cups every meal. You should provide food in the morning and at night. Young igs sometimes like to eat at night when no one can see them eating. My iguana loves to eat some greens after bath time, this took up to 5-6 months for her to trust me to hand feed her. She also eats after she is put into her cage after bath and loving time. Providing plants that are non-toxic inside the enclosure can have it's drawbacks, some igs will eat the plant instead of eating the staple good greens that he/she should be eating. There are toxic plants also. Here is a link for non-toxic and toxic plants: http://www.iguanaden.org/diet/index.htm
The joy of feeding iguanas ... do not give anything that is bad and unhealthy for them, they are herbivores, which means they are the veggans of the animal world. Do not give crickets (or any other bug), dairy (cheese, yogart), soy, meat products that us humans eat. Giving them meat/dairy/bugs will cause health issues. A lot of iguana dried food is bad for iguanas because some do have protein in them, you can add some to iguanas greens, but you need to soak them for 30 mins, and the only brand that I trust is Rep-Cal Iguana Foods igs dont like the adult for some reason, so get the juvenile one. Do not over do the pellets, just a few.
People say give this % of greens, this % of veggies, this % of fruit ... as long as it's mainly greens it's all good. This is how I like to explain the diet:
1. collards are always the biggest part of the diet
2. with mustard greens, turnip greens and dandelion greens the next highest amount
3. then add other good greens, such as arugula, endive, escarole
4. then you can add an asian green and something like some swiss chard, watercress, or kale (remember kale should not be given daily and small amounts - see below)
5. then you can add winter squash, green beans, parsnips
so that means going with the list after the numbers above
1. 1 cup
2. 1/2 cup
3. 1/4 cup
4. 1/8 cup
5. tablespoon
there are many other greens and veggies you can feed ... variety is the key but you always try to feed #1 and #2
Daily food should have 5-7 good staple greens (2-3 cups a day if not more younger igs may not eat a full cup for a few months) ... (staple) collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, (other good greens to add w/ staple daily) dandelion greens (if you can find), endive, radicchio, arugula, mache (if you can find), watercress ... some greens to give occasionally/small amount kale, bok choy, escarole (kale, bok choy this is mainly the cruciferous ("cabbage family") these vegetables have GOITROGENS that keep iodine in the food from being absorbed ... this can lead to your iguana having goiters, which can at some type cause thyroid problems) ... you can add some basil into the mix only w/ good staple greens, sometimes this helps the little ones eat ... romaine has no nutrience just water you can add occassionally in small amounts w/ staple greens ... some things to add (small amounts) snap peas, bell peppers (every now and then), parsnip, sweet potato/yam, acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash ... fruits should only be given every now and then once or twice a week type of thing fruits are like junk food to iguanas ... some fruits to try papay, kiwi, mango, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, honeydew (great water source), canalope (great water source), 12 grain wheat bread (soaked) ... if anything has seeds make sure you remove seed before you give it to your iguana, for things like strawberries ones w/ small seeds, don't give for at least 3 days to pass threw system ... watermelon (seedless) can be frozen and then shaved onto your iguanas food helps w/ hydration everyday ... there are some foods that aren't good for your iguana: spinach has oxalate acids bind to the calcium, so even though spinach is high in calcium, almost none is actually available for the iguana to use, also the oxalate acids can form oxalate crystals which can and do build up in the kidneys causing kidney damage/failure ... some ig owners do give there ig spinach but in very small amounts and only once a month ... corn igs can not digest ... food should be cut/chopped/diced no bigger then the iguanas head, if they are small having a chopper chop them up, or slice them into very small pieces ... spray/mist food to help w/ water/hydration ... corn iguanas can not digest .. apples too much acid - appetite suppressant .. banannas have very low calcium best to give another type of fruit ... broccoli you can give but occasionally and very small amounts high in Oxalates and Goitrogens ... carrots very little small amounts occasionally block calcium absorption ... cauliflower occasionally and very small amounts high in Goitrogens ... cucumber no nutriance water only ... rhubarb NEVER FEED toxic ... soy NEVER can cause thyroid problems high in fat ... tofu NEVER soy product
... that is just a list of food that you can feed and not feed ... Sites to look over http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm (I think is the greatest exaple for foods) ... http://www.iguanaden.org/diet/index.htm ... http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html#diet
MAJORITY OF THE LEAFY GREENS FOR IGUANAS SHOULD BE:
Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Dandelion Greens and flowers,Turnip Greens
You can include small amounts: nasturtium greens and flowers, hibiscus leaves and flowers, escarole,
These greens have the best calcium and nutrients for an iguana's needs.
************
You can include but note *
swiss chard*, chinese cabbage*, bok choy*, kale*
* Contain OXALATES and/or PHYTATES which bind themselves to calcium molecules and prevent the calcium from being used by the body. For this reason you should restrict the use of these in your iguana's diet.
************
OTHER VEGETABLE FOODS
green beans, yellow wax beans, peas, occasionally okra, sweet bell peppers
winter squashes: butternut, butternut, acorn. occasionally spaghetti squash, zucchini or yellow squash
occasionally cooked (without salt) black beans, garbanzos, pinto beans
************
CRUCIFEROUS FOODS
Other vegetables that can cause problems for iguanas are cruciferous vegetables which are members of the cabbage family. Cruciferous vegetables have what appears to look like a cross shape on the stem end. These vegetables have GOITROGENS that keep iodine in the food from being absorbed ... this can lead to your iguana having goiters.

AVOID OVERUSE OF: kale, cabbage, bok choy, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower
************
CA:P RATIO
Iguanas need a Calcium:Phosphorous Ratio of at least 2:1 (two to one). It is better to chose foods for your iguana with a Calcium ratio of 2 or higher.

Foods with Low Ca:P Ratio: When these foods are used, the Calcium Ratio in the greens definitely needs boosted high.
corn (1:33)
yams (1:3)
potato (1:8)
asparagus (1:3)
brussel sprouts (1:2)
cauliflower (1:2)
************
FRUITS: USE SPARINGLY
A lot of fruits are high in phosphorous. See above: iguanas need a Calcium:Phosphorous Ratio of 2:1. While people may be careful in making an iguana's greens and salads, they can easily slip up and over-feed their igs fruit and throw the balance off. That is why fruit should be used sparingly.

When you give your iguanas fruit, be sure to remove any pits, seeds or tough skins.

papaya, mango, cantaloupe, honeydew
blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
better to forget the banana

"LEAFY GREENS" (BEST CALCIUM AND NUTRIENTS)
- COLLARD GREENS, MUSTARD GREENS, DANDELION GREENS (& FLOWER), TURNIP GREENS
- small amounts: NASTURTIUM GREENS (& FLOWER), HIBISCUS LEAVES (& FLOWER), ESCAROLE

"VEGETABLE"
- beans (beans should be treated as a "treat" once/twice a month): GREEN BEANS, YELLOW WAX BEANS, PEAS, BLACK BEANS, GARBANZO BEANS, PINTO BEANS
- BEANS NOTE: do not buy the canned beans, they contain too much salt - you need to boil your own w/ no salt
- squash (if you cook use no salt): BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ACORN SQUASH, SPAGHETTI SQUASH, YELLOW SQUASH
- other veggies: OKRA, SWEET BELL PEPPER, ZUCCHINI

"FRUITS"
- fruits should be treats - most fruits have a high content of phosphorous which can then throw off the iguana's diet (remove any pits, seeds, tough skins)
- fruits you can freeze them since its not a staple part of their diets (only freeze for 1-2 treats) - it's like flavored ice shavings, flavored ice cubes
- PAPAYA, MANGO, CANTALOUPE, HONEYDEW, BLUEBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, BANANA

"AVOID OVERUSE"
- this is mainly the cruciferous ("cabbage family")
- overuse of these products in every day feed may cause problems for your iguana now or down the road of your iguana's life
- cruciferous can keep iodine in the food from being absorbed - with the iodine absorption by the thyroid gland (iguana's can suffer thyroid problems just like humans can)
- KALE, BRUSSEL SPOUTS, CABBAGE (NAPA), BROCCOLI, BOK CHOY/AISAN GREENS, CAULIFLOWER

Hopefully I covered mostly everything for you ... I'm sure I missed a few things here or there, but read the links, get to know and care for the ig, know warning, and do give them everything that they need, specially space, humdity, heat, UVB, food, and love.
A great book for you to read and have on hand is: Iguana for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan
Sites on the internet can give incorrect information that they thought was okay 10plus year ago, the sites below are site that are trusted w/ information, read read read:
http://www.greenigsociety.org/
http://www.iguanaden.org/
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html
There are some great Yahoo groups that can help you raise your iguana and make sure that you have proper care, if you'd like to join any, these 2 groups helped me a lot:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/BabyIguana/
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/IguanaDen/

Good luck w/ the iguana... they are wonderful to have in your life, if you can properly care and understand them for us humans are just there slaves =).