Every Basic Detail about keeping Iguanas

INTRODUCTION TO IGUANAS

The vast majority of iguana species are herbivorous, though a few, like the aforementioned rhinoceros iguana and spiny-tailed iguana, are omnivorous. This means you’ll need to provide your iguana with fresh greens, vegetables, and fruits on a daily basis. If you choose an omnivorous iguana, you’ll also need to provide them with live insects!

DIET

If the idea of feeding live bugs to your iguana makes you a bit queasy, don’t worry–most species are herbivorous! Opt for something like a green iguana or desert iguana, as they are strict vegetarians since their digestive tracts aren’t designed to break down animal protein.

• Dark, nutritious leafy greens. In most cases, this will make up the bulk of your iguana’s diet in captivity. Collard, turnip, and dandelion greens, for example, are all highly nutritious. These make an ideal base for most iguanas’ daily salads.
• Other safe, fresh vegetables. Another large chunk of an iguana’s diet should be made up of nutritious, delicious veggies. You have a lot to choose from here, and variety is key. Bell peppers, various types of squash, carrots, asparagus, and green beans are all great choices, as they are both healthy and tasty to most iguana species.
• A small amount of fresh fruit. Only around 15% of an iguana’s diet at most should be made up of fruit. This is because fruit is very sweet and high in oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can interfere with an iguana’s absorption of calcium and other minerals, so you’ll need to be careful with how much fruit you offer them. Most iguana species love eating fruit, as it is sweet and flavorful, sort of like candy for them, but moderation is essential for a healthy lizard.
• (Optional) Fresh feeder insects. This only applies if you’ve adopted one of the few omnivorous species like spiny-tailed or rhinoceros iguanas. Insects like superworms, Dubia roaches, hornworms, and crickets are all good options. Be sure to buy them from a reputable seller that carefully breeds feeder insects in captivity rather than simply catching wild insects, as wild bugs often carry harmful diseases, parasites, and pesticides that are toxic to iguanas.

REQUIRED SPACE

AGE AND SIZE

Iguanas can live up to 20 years but stop growing at 7 year. They can get to a length of up to 24 inches excluding their tails.

INTERACTION

Iguanas easily bond with whoever provides nutrition for them and they are unlikely to charge at strange faces. if an iguana is attacked or threatened it indicates by slashing its tail in the air. If this happens simply step back and approach less aggressive. Iguanas can also bite but trained iguanas are very unlikely to do so.

GENDER

Male Appearance

Mature adult male iguanas tend to be noticeably larger than mature females. Males may have bumps on the top of their heads as well as longer spikes going down the length of their back. Males are also more likely to have a large dewlap underneath their chin and large muscles next to their jaws. The muscles give the male iguanas the appearance of having swollen jowls. Male iguanas also have noticeable femoral pores on the insides of their legs.

Female Appearance

Female iguanas tend to have longer, slimmer bodies than their male counterparts. They also have smaller heads and do not have bumps on top of their heads. Female iguanas are the only ones who lay eggs. If you notice your iguana has laid eggs, then you can know with absolutely certainty that you own a female iguana. Female iguanas will develop eggs regardless of whether or not they have physically mated with a male. During breeding season, your female may appear thin in the legs and tail with a bulging belly.

BREEDING

Call us for information about breeding.