Iguana Answers

Concise Care Sheet. (Double A4 size hand out).
INTRODUCTION:
Common Name: Common Green Iguana. (Green Iguana). Scientific Name: Iguana iguana.

An arboreal lizard, mainly from the South & Central American rain forests, often seen in the reptile houses of zoo's and wildlife parks, the Iguana is a large colourful lizard, mostly mottled shades of green in colour with varying black banding on the body and tail. Most Iguanas can learn to become tame with regular handling and petting. Males can be territorial, and usually do better kept separate from other males. Iguanas have been known to show some aggression and for this reason they are not recommended as an ideal purchase for beginners or children.
The normal life expectancy of a healthy Iguana is around 15 years, some have indeed lived longer than this (oldest recorded being 29 years Hatfield), and many have died younger, many Iguanas fed on a previously bad diet of dog or cat food for example, seem to die around 6 years of age due to kidney / liver problems.

CAPTIVE ENVIRONMENT: Use full spectrum 5% "UVB" lighting around 12 hours per day, this mimics natural sunlight, this is a special reptile tube light, (Reptisun, Zoomed, T-Rex etc) and not the cheaper Horticultural Gro-Lux type which are of no use for UVB output.
Provide a spot-lit basking area with access to a cooler area, (Gradient).
Supply branches and logs for climbing and exploring.
Ideal housing for an adult Iguana would be approx 6' x 4' x 3', Obviously smaller would be ok for a young Iguana, but bear in mind they do grow quickly & ideally larger would be better for a full grown Iguana.
For a simple indication always aim for a habitat that it can stretch out in without having to bend its tail, also making sure there is nothing the Iguana could trap or snag its claws on.
Heating pads can help maintain the required temperature from below.

TEMPERATURE: Daytime temperatures should be:.... Basking area around 85-95 degrees F..... Cool area 75-85 degrees F.
Night temperatures can fall to around 70 degrees, even perhaps lower, as long as they are able to warm up in the morning.
Extra care should be taken during times of power cuts / failure, try to give this some thought so you are prepared if need be.
Basking area temp may be a little higher, as long as the Iguana is able to move to a cooler spot to thermoregulate.


HUMIDITY / WATER REQUIREMENTS: Iguana's require moderate to high levels of humidity.
You can help achieve this by misting the vivarium every other day, spray misting the Iguana himself and frequent bathing.
A large dish of water in his habitat will also help with this process.
Humidity also helps considerably with the shedding process of Iguanas.
Supply a large fairly deep water dish for drinking, with fresh water provided daily.
Note: If the Iguana also uses this for bathing, then be aware that they have a strong tendency to defecate in water, it seems to have a laxative effect on them, and so it will need replacing on a more regular basis. .

BEHAVIOUR: Most Iguanas can become tame to some degree, with regular handling and petting.
Males can be territorial, and usually do better kept separate from other males.
Behaviour is sometimes erratic during breeding season when extra care should be taken in handling, due to some having the tendency to become more aggressive at this time.
Iguanas are normally lethargic creatures, and can become even more so by a number of events, such as, a change of habitat or owner, being handled by a different person, breeding season, a change in diet, or indeed anything out of the norm.
They are creatures of habit and tend to sulk if this is disturbed in anyway, but usually the appetite and normality returns after a short break.

SEXING: Exact sexing especially in juveniles is very difficult and can only be done in certainty by someone with veterinarian experience in a procedure called probing the cloacal vent. However the characteristics that develop as they get older, can give a good idea of gender, and these are In males...usually larger heads, dewlaps and subtympanic scales, the femoral pores which are a row of glands along the underside of the thighs are much larger and more pronounced in males, and also exude a waxy substance that is used to distribute scent, also erratic behaviour during breeding season which may consist of biting , nipping and sometimes aggression but note this behaviour is not shown in all males.
Headbobbing, a series of movements of the head both up and down and somewhat less often side to side, are considered mostly a male trait but have been observed in females.

For females, generally the opposite of the above ...smaller dewlaps, heads and subtympanic scales, the rows of femoral pores are just small dots, and in breeding season they sometimes start digging or scratching as if looking for somewhere to lay eggs.
They may become gravid and actually lay eggs but these would obviously be sterile if no male has been in attendance.

NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:Iguanas are herbivores and so require a good varied vegetarian diet, some outdated information crops up now and again mainly in old books, that says they can eat crickets, mice or cat & dog food, thankfully this information now tends to be disappearing fast, all experts are now in agreement on the herbivore status.
The diet should consist mainly of dark leafy greens, (Dandelion & Nasturtiums leaves & flowers, spring greens, watercress etc) with the addition of some vegetables and fruit, I find in winter time when fresh food can be scarce, a good substitute is the prepacked mixed bags of salad greens available in all supermarkets, try to avoid the ones containing lettuce which is practically water and nil nutrition.
Note: Comprehensive diet details can be found at the Iguana Answers & ARK web sites & also in the books as mentioned below.

FURTHER INFORMATION: For more detailed online information on diet and care please visit "www.IguanaAnswers.co.uk" or "www.ArkReptileGroup.com" .
Two excellent books on the market today for reference are "Green Iguana The ultimate owners manual" by James W Hatfield 111, Dunthorpe press ISBN ref 1-883463-48-3, and also,
"Iguanas for Dummies" by Melissa Kaplan, IDG books ISBN ref 0-7645-5260-0.

SUMMARY:The Green Iguana is not a beginners or childs pet & does take some time, space and expense in correct care, but for someone willing to give the attention needed, then they can be kept most successfully in captivity.