Animal Care: Iguanas

When you hear the name iguana, you probably think of these large, green lizards crawling around the Miami, Florida area. As true as that is, there is much more to these beautiful creatures, with them making fantastic pets. Sure, they aren't cuddly like dogs and cats, nor are they very social, but they are very interesting, and make for great conversation starters. When people tend to ask "What kind of pets do you have?" and you answer that you have an iguana, that alone may raise a few eyebrows and cause a few questions asked. So, what goes into caring for these long lizards?

Enclosure

Let's start off with the easiest, a cage or enclosure for your scaly friend to live. Iguanas tend to grow to around 6ft. long, possibly 7ft. They require a decent size area to comfortably move. Sure, when they are small, they are cute and you usually keep them in a 25-gallon tank. However, they will out grow that tank very quickly. If you are not prepared to keep buying bigger enclosures, or even make a custom one, then you are not ready for owning an iguana. If you are ready, then proceed to get the correct heating lamps, foliage, places for your lizard to bask, as well as food and water dishes. Now, like all living things, iguanas produce waste, so be sure to keep the enclosure clean and fresh. Dirty tanks make for unhappy lizards. I mean, wouldn't you be upset if you had to live in your own waste? As for heating, be sure to get the proper wattage for your heat lamp, and be sure to get a thermometer to make sure the enclosure is at the right temperature.

Diet and Water

Now, in this section, we cover a very important topic; Diet. Iguanas are herbivores, enjoying collard greens, mustard greens, fruits, and even enjoy the occasional treat of Hibiscus flowers. Be careful when putting live plants into the enclosure, since iguanas will eat them. Do your research about what plants are toxic and which are fine to eat. When I got my iguana, the pet store employee informed me to feed her monkey chow and crickets. DO NOT DO THIS. Monkey chow has no health benefits for iguanas, and crickets are for Bearded Dragons. Always feed your iguana daily, and be sure to add some fruits every few days as a nice treat, and even shred some squash to top it all off. A healthy iguana is a happy iguana. For water, iguanas usually get their water from the foods they eat, but keeping a dish of water is never a bad idea. Also, be sure to mist your lizard every now and then, even let them soak in a tub or sink, especially during shedding. Also, be warned, iguanas will want to taste your food if they are out and about. Mine was notorious for stealing sandwiches, so keep an eye on them if you decide to let them roam freely around your home.

Species and Health

If you search iguana species, you will find there is quite a few. The species most commonly seen as a pet is the Green Iguana, a species native to Central and South America, and the Caribbean Islands. The biggest decision here is do you want a female or male iguana? There is a difference between the two, with males being more territorial and have more impressive spikes. You can tell the difference mainly by the head, or even if your iguana decides to lay eggs. Females are known to lay unfertilized eggs, or at times will get fat, get moody, then reabsorb the eggs into their body. As for the health, iguanas can develop a calcium deficiency, which causes the tail to bend and bones to become weak and usually happens as iguanas get older. Fortunately, many pet stores sell special calcium supplements, in the form of a powder, to add to your lizard's food. It won't completely heal the deficiency, but can ease the pain from it.

Can You Potty Train Them?

Believe it or not, yes you can! As long as you start training them from a young age. It really isn't very difficult. Every day, fill a plastic cat litter box, or even a tub like I did, with water and let your iguana soak. When your scaly friend eventually does his business, remove him, empty the container and clean it. The more you do it, the more your iguana will catch on and realize water is where to go to the bathroom. I used to keep a decent size litter box with water in my iguana's enclosure, and she would climb down and use it. Be sure to get a container that is long enough for your iguana to fit its body and part of the tail in comfortably.

So that's it; if you manage to make it this far and have decided you want to dive into iguana ownership, always do your research and get your iguana from a reputable place. There are plenty of places out there that try to sell sick, unhealthy lizards that usually don't make it to their first shed. If you aren't quite sure that a sales person is being honest with you, always do your research. Find books, use Google, do not let them force you into purchasing an iguana. Also, be a responsible owner, if you can't take care of your lizard, please find a rescue to take it to. Never release them, as they are not native to places in North America. Florida has an issue with invasive iguanas due to people releasing them.