My 14 year old son took on the task of taking care of an iguana named Iggy. He has since lost interest in him. I have decided that since I like Iggy that I would take care of him. He is still young, but I am concerned with his color. he is a dark green, almost brown. I was told that there were 2 types of light that he needed, but I am concerned with the heat in the tank. Any information on feeding, and care are needed, and greatly appreciated. Thanks, Driver
Answers:
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-take-ca.
Here's a link for an online guide.
You absolutely have to get a heat rock for him. We had two iguanas, and the first one died and I took him to the vet and he said it was cuz I didn't have a heat rock in his tank. The pet store also confirmed this when I went to buy my 2nd one. They said iguanas cannot digest their food properly without a heat source, like a heat rock and eventually they will die. It's been so long ago that we had our iguanas I can't remember anything else, but remember the heat rock!
Best of Luck}
OK i have owned raised and rescued iguanas heat rocks aren't the best thing cause the iguana can get badly burned use a heat light you need a UV light a heat lamp and a basking light they eat Iggy food also collard greens mustard greens etc they love it turnip greens too apples bananas they also like green beans fresh whatever you do NEVER NEVER FEED A IGUANA LETTUCE OF ANY KIND LETTUCE IS NOT GOOD FOR THEM WILL BIND UP THERE STOMACH AND WILL KILL THEM SO DON'T DO IT
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME shylilly_665@yahoo.com
go to www.anapsid.org and you'll find out everything you need to know.
DO NOT feed the iguana lettuce of any kind, even romaine has only 1 percent calcium and isnt worth it.
DO NOT feed the iguana any animal proteins, it causes renal failure. Iguanas are STRICT vegetarians. Those manufactered diets you find should only be a supplement only, they are not nutritionally complete. Their diet should consist of collard greens, mustard greens, dandilion greens, hibiscus flowers and leaves, watercress, parsley, turnip greens, butternut squash, apples, carrots, plums, and mangos. Kale and spinach are high in oxcalates wich binds calcium so they should only be a n occasional treat. Bananas are high in potassium and phosphates and they too should only be an occasional treat. They will also need a good calcium powder sprinkled onto their salad ONCE a week. Anymore then that and you risk hypocalcemia wich can be deadly. I use Tetrafauna ReptoCal and Flukers brand too.
Baby iguanas need no less then a 55 gallon tank and that will need to be upgraded in 6 months. They grow fast when they are babies. Eventually the iguana will need a room sized cage since they grow to be 6-8 ft long. They need a basking light with the correct wattage bulb that makes it 90 degrees on the hot end of the cage. They also need a flourescent uvb bulb that emits 5% or higher uvb rays. The bulb needs to be replaced every 6 months. Decent brands of bulbs are Zoo Med's Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0, Exo- Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 or 8.0. They need to get within 6-8 inches of the bulb too. Iguanas are arboreal and feel more comfortable high up so they need sticks and stuff to climb on and their cage should be higher up so kids and dogs and cats cant scare the crap out of them. Iguanas are prone to renal failure not only from pisspoor diets but also from not having the correct humidity. They need 70-80 percent humidity wich can be achieved by having a substrate that is digestible and safe and holds humidity well, i prefer coconut fiber in the expandable brick form. I use Eco- Earth brand but bed-a-beast is also good. Do not use walnut shells, big pieces of bark, sand, and liner. All have caused impactions. Also the iggies should have a large water dish wich they will primarily use as a potty so it needs to be changed daily. A shallow cat litter pan does the trick (a new one that hasnt been used as a cat litter box) and misting atleast a couple times a day.
I highly suggest reading http://iguanaden.org because iguanas are alot of responsibility and work and when they are adults they can sever fingers or lacerate you with the whip of their tails.
Spoiled_Doxi_Owner heat rocks are terrible as they over heat and burn reptiles, and the best thing to do is go to the vets and ask for instructions. They will be able to give you a care sheet AND be able to check him out on you.
A good source is the iguana group right here at yahoo. Iam part of it and it has helped me alot in the raising of my two iguanas. Also try Iguanas for Dummies( yes they have a book for that too.)
Check out www.anapsid.org
Melissa Kaplan knows her stuff. She also produced a book called Iguanas For Dummies, which is excellent - very informative and accessible for first time owners and experienced keepers.
An iguana requires UV lighting, a spot bulb (guarded) to create a hotspot and some kind of heater to provide background heat. Try to avoid heatmats and hot rocks because many lizards get burnt on these. My vivs are very big so I use greenhouse heaters safely installed behind them so the igs can't get to them.
They are completely vegetarian. I make bulk salads for mine as it's easier. I use a base of leafy greens with a variety of other fruit and veg. EG - spring greens, peppers, cress, peas, courgettes, strawberries. I vary it from week depending what I can get.
I could go on for hours so. you will find all the info you need in much more detail on the website!
Good Luck!
There is lots of good information on the web. Ignore any site that advises feeding worms, crickets etc. Iguanas require a salad with a variety of vegetables and fruit. Attention must be paid to the calcium/ phophorus ratio in it's diet. NEVER use a heat rock, as the iguana can burn himself badly. They need UV light and natural sunshine is best. Mine has an outdoor cage for when it's warm. Use a mat in the bottom of the cage that you can easily clean. Don't use bark chips or sand as the iguana will ingest this and it will plug him up. He needs water too, not so much to drink, but to soak in. I have a lot of climbing things in his cage and clips to hold leaves (dandelion, kale, suey choy, chard) up high so he can snack naturally, like he was in a tree. They grow up to 6 feet long, so they need a very large cage when they are adults. He needs a basking light in one spot in the cage so he can warm up, at least 90 degrees, but the whole cage should not be hot. There should be a temp gradient so he can move to the other end and cool down (about 80 degrees) Melissa Kaplan has a good website and iguanaden is another good one. Good Luck.
uvb lighting along with heatlamps depending on the season for watts on lightbulbs. Heatlamp bulbs in winter anywhere from 75-100 watt put on timer.make sure there is a shady spot in tank. give it calcium powder three times a week with its greens and have water bowl available. You can always look on internet for any iguana care. goodluck.
