Iguana

Iguana 

(Iguana) 

Origin iguana is native to Central America, the tropical parts of South America and some eastern Caribbean islands.

Life span 12-15 years

Ease of care Iguanas are not a good pet for beginners because they require a lot of knowledge, skill, and patience. Owners must know how to regulate temperatures, provide enough exercise, and feed their iguana a nutritious diet.

Max size 6.6ft

Behaviour Iguanas are smart lizards, and will display lots of different behaviors. Once you get your iguana, it will be a long road getting used to your iguana and understanding it. But with time, you will understand each behavior of your iguana and will know what it means and what to expect. 

Understanding your iguana will create a strong bond and will help avoid any stress, bites or scratches. But please remember, each iguana has its own personality. With time, you will see that your iguana has its own interesting personality traits.

Iguanas are intelligent lizards and communicate in different ways - with their posture, movements and even the way that they react and look at you. Let's learn all about their behaviors!

Morphs Iguanas come in a variety of morphs, the most common are green, blue and red. Other morphs include Hypomelanistic, Snow, Orange & Albino.

Diet A well-balanced iguana diet consists of:

70% dark leafy greens such as collard greens and spinach

20% bulk vegetables such as cabbage, carrots and broccoli

10% fruit such as mangoes, bananas and strawberries.

Day temperature 26-32C

Night temperature 21-25C

Lighting UVB Lighting is essential for Iguanas to process calcium in captivity. Without UVB lighting Iguanas will develop serious health problems such as Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). UVB Lighting should be left on for 10-12 hours per day and turned off at night. UVB should be of desert strength.

Humidity You should try to aim for around 70% humidity.

Housing A 6x6x2ft depth is the absolute minimum requirements for the species, Although a 4x2x2ft may house a juvenile this wont last long.

Handling The best way to hold a baby iguana is to place it on your forearm with its head towards your palm. Then, support it with your other hand, by placing it on top of its body. You should also aim to sit down when holding a baby iguana. Pressing your arm closer to your body can give extra confidence to a baby iguana.

Russell McRae