Green Iguana Pet Care
92My Iguana Set-up
Green Iguana Pet Care
Iguanas are one of the most popular reptiles among the pet trade. Because of availability and the low cost to purchase, iguanas are the most deceptive reptiles. Iguanas can grow to be six feet long and can have horrible temperaments. However, iguanas can make excellent pets.
Iguanas originate from Central and South America. They are large, herbivore lizards that are amazing creatures to be husbanded. They range from greens and browns to specialty morphs such as blue, albino, snow, and red. They have long claws, a powerful tail, and a wicked bite. They are excellent tricksters at playing dead.
The following information is from what I have personally found to be effective when keeping Green Iguanas. I have kept reptiles and exotics for over 12 years. I have husbanded everything from scorpions and spiders to blue-tongue skinks and giant leaf tailed geckos. The following information is for anyone wanting to know about iguanas and the proper care they need.
Before I start, I want to clarify that the following information is what I raise my iguanas by. There are too many websites with false information and too many reptile enthusiasts who claim iguanas are hard to care for due to their supposed extensive care requirements. I am going to be completely truthful and bold with my information.
Iguana Habitat: Iguanas will grow to be very large animals. Most iguanas will reach four to six feet in length. If you do not have the room to create a habitat that is at minimum six feet long by six feet tall by three feet wide, stop reading now. If you keep an iguana in an inadequate cage they can develop dwarfism. The iguana will stunt his growth and can cause other health problems or longevity problems. Iguanas come from tropical environments, so try to mimic that environment in their habitats. As you can see from my picture of my own iguana's cage, I have vines, plants, and shrubbery that allow the iguana to feel it is still a part of nature. Once the iguana has the space it needs and the details of nature, it will feel secure and at home.
Iguana Lighting: Iguanas come from tropical environments. However, trying to keep a cage as large as that required for an iguana is ridiculous. I keep my iguana's room and my entire home at 70 degrees. Most websites will say that the cage temperatures should not dip below 75 or even 80 degrees. This is not true. Iguanas are extremely hardy lizards and can live in some of the most stressful conditions. I am not saying to keep your iguanas in the refrigerator, but I am validating that typical home temperatures of 68-70 degrees at night are fine for iguanas. Iguanas require heat lamps and UVB lights. As you can see in my photo, my iguana has a 24 inch UVB bulb, 10.0, and has a 100 watt halogen heat lamp. The UVB helps the iguana regulate his cycle and absorb his nutrients. The heat lamp provides adequate warmth and allows the iguana to actually digest his food. The heat lamp location, the area under the lamp, should give your iguana a basking temperature of about 90-95 degrees. I am horrified to see websites that claim they need temperatures of 100+ to properly digest their food. Most iguanas and reptiles for that matter will overheat at temperatures of excess of 100+ degrees. Mid 90's are excellent temperatures to aim for. If you like to allow your home to dip below 65 degrees at night, I do recommend a night light bulb for your iguana to maintain some warmth at night. Again, shoot for a 70 degree basking spot at night when using a night bulb.
Iguana Humidity and Water Needs: Keep fresh water in the cage at all times. I keep a large Tupperware, three feet by a foot and a half, filled with an inch of water for the iguana to poop in. It makes cleaning the cage a lot easier. I also have another Tupperware, about one foot squared, which I keep filled with water also. This water source is available in case one source has poop in it. Many websites will state that iguanas need elaborate humidity and ventilation systems to keep an iguana healthy. This, again, not so. Make sure the iguana has enough FRESH water to hydrate himself. Spray him with a water mist two or three times a day to force him to lap water from his body and cage. Lastly, a bath once a week will help maintain hydration. My rule of thumb is this: take your iguanas back leg. Find the fattest part of the leg. Give the leg a gentle pinch and watch to see how the skin reacts. If the skin snaps right back into place, your iguana is perfectly hydrated. If the skin moves awkwardly slow back into place, your iguana is dehydrated. Some place in the middle could mean more misting or baths in that iguana's future.
Iguana Diet: Iguanas are strict herbivores. Any animal proteins are not good for them. Most iguanas will eat anything that is offered to them: cheetos, lunch meat, pizza, rats, string, and even wires. None of these are good for an iguana, but most will at least attempt these once, twice or always. Eggs are animals proteins. Cheese is also not good for them. The following is a list of food that can ALWAYS be offered to iguanas: collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, green beans, snap peas, okra, and parsnip. These foods can be fed all the time. These are the proper essentials to an iguana's diet. You can add prickly pear, apple, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries or even blueberries as treats. Fruit only needs to make up 10% of an iguanas diet, but fruits are not essential to their well being. Leafy greens and vegetables are most important. I want to make a quick mention of about watermelon, iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce. Watermelon is mostly water. If you had a dehydrated iguana, it is a quick and tasty way to improve their hydration. However, watermelon contains very little nutrition. If you are looking for a more nutritious treat, look at the list of other fruits. Iceberg and Romaine lettuce contain NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE for your iguana. DO NOT feed iguanas this food. Iguanas get hooked to these tasty lettuces and can refuse to eat anything but. Play it safe and do not feed them this garbage.
Iguana Temperament: Iguanas do not trust humans from birth. It is innate to them. However, with proper handling and trust building techniques, iguanas can grow to trust humans. Males will go through a breeding season that can happen once, every year. They get extremely territorial, aggressive, and dangerous. During this time, your once docile male will try to eat your face. He will lose interest in food and will be focused on killing anything that comes near him. Keep offering him food in smaller amounts of course to maintain his health. Female iguanas, as long as they are not gravid (pregnant), remains docile for the year.
Iguana Handling: Iguanas dislike humans from birth as I have said before. Here is a quick guide to build trust with your iguana. Starting from when the iguana is young, under a foot and a half, start showing that your hands are not predators. First start by just putting your hands in the iguana's cage. Change the water bowl, take out old food; show the iguana that your hands are nothing but providers. Next start by touching your iguana. Touch the sides of the iguana's body. Approach from the side if possible. If your hand comes from above, most iguanas decipher this as a predatory approach. Once the iguana seems calm with touching, as in it does not run away when being touched, try to hold the iguana. Gently place one hand under the belly of the iguana, supporting the entire body, and lift the iguana into your hand. Keep the iguana in your hand inside the cage. Do this until the iguana does not fight or run from this exercise. Once the iguana is comfortable being held in the cage, slowly remove the iguana from his cage while continually supporting his body. It is common for most iguanas to climb to the top of human heads. This is normal. Iguanas feel safest at the highest vantage point. An easy way to break an iguana from this habit is to do the following. Have your iguana's body fully supported. Use two hands. One hand to support the front legs and the other hand to support the back end. As the iguana is twitching and squirming to escape, hold the iguana's back to your chest. Keep the iguana's face pointing in the same direction as yours. The stability of your hands and the safety of your chest pressure calms most iguanas down immediately. I have used this technique on male iguanas in breeding season and they become like melted butter in my hands. A quick tip: do not let a squirmy iguana discourage you from holding it. If you put an iguana back into his cage when he squirmy, or biting, or scratching, or tail-whipping, it only encourages the iguana to repeat this behavior to get what it wants. The best thing to do is wait for the iguana to stop squirming for a few moments. Once the iguana has returned to a calm state, place him back into his cage. This method will only encourage the iguana to realize that a calm behavior will get him to be left alone.
Iguana Warnings: I want to add this section to completely inform my readers. I did not want to leave this at the end in the attempt to trick you into feeling like you can handle an iguana. I put this warning here to show you that these warnings are atypical, but serious threats. Iguana bites hurt like the worst burn you have ever felt. Most bites will tear skin, draw blood, and can require surgery in extreme cases. The iguana's claws will scratch you. Most of the time you will end up with markings and even a few blood drops. Wearing long gloves or wrapping your arms in a towel will help. You can clip and file your iguana's nails, but you do usually end up with scratches unless you are wearing gloves or taking other precautionary measures. The iguana also has a powerful tail. The tail is used as a whip and it hurts. I have been whipped in the face, back, and arm by an aggressive iguana. It hurts and it leaves marks. The whips can draw blood too.
So, after reading the warnings section, why would anyone want to raise an iguana? Iguanas can become great pets and even companions with proper care and treatment. It is satisfying to raise an iguana into adulthood and become connected with the animal on a level of extreme trust. I have raised reptiles for over twelve years. I use many of the trust techniques on my animals that I have described in the above information. All my animals do not fear me and some even seem to show joy when being handled.
Iguanas can make great pets if properly raised. The information I have provided is what I follow to raise my iguanas. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I have over twelve years of experience and can answer all your iguana questions. Thank you for reading.
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I am glad to hear my article helped. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to hit me up here.
I just got 2 iguana's from a person, the younger one is perfect, he is adjusting well to my house. eats well, we can hold him ect. the older 1 im going to assume is maybe 2 years old is mean, He try;s biting me, he is very stressed out, we cant hold him, he looks healthy, he's nice a green. Is it to late to tame him? If not can you please tell me how to do it, he scares me.
Mindy, I sent you a response via e-mail.
Hello I am looking to get an iguana within the next couple of months and I was wondering if a 55 gallon tank works well for babies and in the time he is in the tank should I build a cage for him or buy a bigger tank that he is comfortable in?
Hey Aaron, here is my opinion. The 55 gallon is going to work well for maybe 6 months to a year, tops. My feeling is get the iguana a tank he can live his entire life in. Do not get caught building multiple cages for him over and over again to accommodate him. Build once and done. I highly recommend getting/building a tank that is at least 6 feet long, 6 feet tall, and 3 feet wide. He will be able to live his entire life in this cage. If you buy a baby, let's say around a foot to a foot and a half in length, make sure you use escape proof materials. He will squirm his way through any tiny hole. Also, make sure to have multiple feeding areas as some young iguanas will forget where the food is sometimes. Other than that, follow the above information and you and your iguana should be happy. If you have further comments/questions, feel free to email me at JPrender4@yahoo.com. I can send you my cage building plans, email pictures of my cage, or answer any other comments. Best of luck.
Great advice you have given there! And also a very good and insightful article. Its always nice to meet people who show great love and dedication to these beautiful animals!
@Aaron you might want to consider looking for more cage designs before you commit to a tank, cause in my opinion using a cage enables your iggy more freedom to climb around as compared to being in a glass tank.
Hey all your information is awesome thanks for everything you putt down I resently bought my first iguana I was woundering how do u keep it hydraded at a comstent level all the time my humidity always goes to 60 and I have to spray it again
Ok, I have recently acquired two baby iguanas. On seems to be a little older than the other and is thus a little bigger. I know that once Iguanas have hit breeding age they more than likely cannot be housed together, especially if they are both male. My question is whether or not they can be housed together while they are young, and if so, for how long can they be housed together.
@bobby, here is what I find to be the easiest of ways to accomplish great humidity/hydration. Spray your iguana's cage two to three days daily. Make sure you leave enough time in between mistings for the tank to dry out so the tank does not grow mold. If you want to spend just a bit of cash, about $30, you can buy a small COOL MIST humidifier. My iguana's set up is in an extra bedroom where I have a cool mist humidifier on a timer that goes on for about 30 minutes every three hours. You do not, as per my experience, need fancy or elaborate humidity schemes for iguanas. Just spray them daily. I have the humidifier going and I spray him once a day.
You can also offer your iguana its food in a bowl with a bit of water in it. Every time he takes a bite of food, he gets water with it as well. You can also soak his leafy greens for 30 minutes prior to feeding as well. These techniques will keep him hydrated.
Lastly, do not worry about the humidity dipping. The most important time for humidity is when your iguana begins to shed. Once you see it getting that dull, grayish color, spray a bit more or give him a few baths until the shed is complete. I hope this helps, bobby. Write back if you need more assistance.
@Mwdiver9, this is a bit bold of me, but this is from my experience. I never, even if they are the same size, temperament, age, or whatever, I never keep reptiles together. There can be territorial issues, food issues, or breeding/mating issues. Here is what I recommend: Build yourself two giant, adult size iguana enclosures for these two. Give each one its own cage and let them live in solitude. Most iguanas will not hang around with each other, only during times of breeding will you see a gathering.
However, for the time being, until you can buy supplies and build the cages, you may keep the babies together until they are about one foot in length from the tip of their nose to their vent or beginning of the tail or until they are about 18 months old.
I highly recommend splitting them as soon as you can for their sake. Good luck. If you have any further questions, please comment or email me. Thank you.
Thanks alot for your quick reply. My plan was to house them together for the time being like you said. I do plan on separating them when i can but for now they seem ok. I am of course watching them closely to ensure that they are both eating and that one isnt pushing the other away from the adequate basking areas and such. Actually, they bask and eat side by side which is pretty cool/cute to watch.
How much food do you recommend for them at this young age? Ive been getting varying answers so im a little confused. Lol
Thanks alot.
@Mwdiver9, sounds like a good idea to me. Here is what I have noticed and experienced to work best. Since these iguanas are babies, they are going to need to eat a lot. Best thing to do is set up two feeding bowls, one for each little guy. Keep the food in these bowls fresh and full. Granted I have a 4 foot Iguana, my guy will eat everyday, all day. They rarely eat a large meal and call it a day. They are grazers, eating what they come across throughout the day. Just make sure you are feeding them the proper diet, with cleaned veggies/leafy greens, and nothing that looks like it might be spoiling. Once you do this for a week or two, you will begin to be able to start judging what they will be able to finish in a day. Please comment with any other questions. Thank you.
hi i bought an iguana about two months ago, its a male about two years of age. anyway, eversince i got him he's been very aggressive: i cant hold him, he bit me once, he tails whips me etc. but he's very healthy, and he eats and drinks daily, but i jus wanted to know if there was any way that i could get him to be less aggressive towards me.
@ Jarquis Tremble, I hate hearing these stories about aggresive iguanas. Couple of quick questions though. What color is he? If he is orange, he is in breeding season and will be aggresive no matter how hard you try to spoil him. When he bites/whips you, do you walk away? If you are walking away when he bites or hits you, he is winning. You are encouraging him to continue to hit and bite you. Best thing to do, is get a large, thick, and heavy towel. Wear thick gloves, and using the towel as a shield, block his tail whips. Then, wrap the towel around the iguana, minding where his face is to avoid another bite. Once you have him wrapped up, slowly take him out of his enclosure. Then, just sit with him near his cage. You can touch him and pet him. All this is trying to do is create a link in his mind that humans are ok. If possible, try using a treat such as banana, strawberry, or a small piece of bread to gain his trust while you are holding him. If he does not take it from you while you are holding him, leave it in his food bowl. He can still make the link that being taken out of the cage means treats. I hope this helps. Email me or comment here if you have any further questions.
P.S. Taming of iguanas can take a long time. Some iguanas will never fully tame down. Do not get down on yourself. Just keep at it. Take care.
I just got a 3 foot iguana he free roams the house... he tends to call my bed homebase. I heard mouthwash diluted is a great way to clean iguanas. is this true? I want to find a good cheap way to clean him so I don't get salmonella. and is there a reason why he's ALWAYS on my bed when he isn't wandering around?
@Ashley, First off, I do not recommend using mouth wash to clean your iguana. Mouth wash is full of alcohol and other irritants. Would you wash yourself with mouth wash? :) If you are worried about Salmonella, do not be. Most animals, even humans, carry some form of it with no signs of illness. Our bodies have the antibodies to defeat the strains. Since your iguana is free roam, he could have spread Salmonella all over your house already. Try not to freak out at this point. Best things to keep in mind, make sure children and other pets do not come in contact with the iguana's feces or spit. These are where the highest levels of Salmonella are contained. If you want to wash your iguana, best thing to use is diluted Betadine. Fill your bath tub up with warm water, a little warmer than room temperature. Then, mix in Betadine until the water looks like a weak tea color. Then, you can let your iguana soak in this. Betadine is an antiseptic that will clean your iguana safely. If he drinks a bit of it, not to worry. Keep your hands away from your eyes and mouth after touching your iguana. Wash your hands after touching your iguana.
As far as your iguana choosing your bed as home base, there can be several reasons. He may like the softness of it, he may like it as his look out place, he may like it cause he enjoys your scent, he may just be comfortable here, he may find safety with you, or he may be claiming that as his new territory. The reasons all depend on his behavior. If he is aggressive towards you when you approach the bed, he is claiming it as his and you can get into some fights with him. However, if he leaves or enjoys your company, then he truly tolerates you. If possible and you do not want the iguana on your bed, keep your bedroom door closed. He will find a new area he will learn to love. I use a plastic garage shelving unit, something you can pick up at hardware stores for about $20, and this allows the iguana to climb on something that will keep him up high and off your stuff. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to comment back or email me. Cheers.
I just bought 2 iguanas from petco last week and they knew nothing about them.What do you do if your iguanas spit gets in your face or on your hands? How do you tell the males from the female,how can you tell the ages of an iguana
@chris, if your iguana spits in your face, just wipe it off, trying not to get it in your mouth or eyes. it may contain bacteria that could make you sick. spitting is just a defense/nervous thing young igs do. you wont be able to tell the ages yourself for a few years. you can take it to a vet to probe it, but that may even turn out inconclusive at the young age they seem to be. if it broke its tail off, it might have been terrified and thought you were a predator. never grab an iguana by the tail, it will break off and this usually leads to an infection and the tail may either grow back ugly or it wont grow back. hope this helps. email me if you have any other questions.
Ok, My Iguana is still at the point of hating the mere sight of me. Should I still force her to be handled in order to bathe her.? I have done this so far and she gets extremely stressed. She runs like crazy and after I get a hold of her she turns a deep brown color which I know is a sign of severe stress. She postures and opens her mouth like she is going to bite but even when I dry around her mouth she doesnt bite. Is it better to just mist and save her the severe stress until she can be handled without it or is it more in her benefit to bathe her?
Thanks!
@Mwdiver9, if I remember correctly you have young iguanas. Here is my take. If your iguana still eats regularly, turns back to its natural green color after you put it back, I would say it is not stressing. Iguanas are very good at training their owners. Like most reptiles, they tolerate handling, they never actually like it. Keep bathing her and holding her. You need to keep doing this to show her that you are there to help, not harm. All iguanas take a long time to come around. Some many never tame down. To aid the process, you may offer a treat, like fruit or a small piece of bread after or during your holding time. Your iguana needs to start associating handling with treats/rewards. Remember, if she whips you, thrashes, or bites, do not put it back in its cage, it just reinforces the behavior. As long as she returns to normal when you are done, she is psyching you out, making you think she is tough, dead, or not worth eating. Please respond with her behavior after you put her back so I can get a better understanding of her and we can go from there. Best of luck mwdiver9. Contact me here or email me for more questions. Cheers.
What you described sounds right. After I put her back she turns back her normal green within 30-40 mins. She wont take food of any sort if I am holding it. She will eat with me in the room by the tank, just not if I am holding it. I will put treats in her food dish and hope that will help her. She doesnt thrash or bite while being held she just sits there and sometimes opens her mouth feigning like she is going to bite.
Do you suggest that in order to tame her I should just pick her up and hold her then give her treats to get her to tame down at least a little? She has not responded to the slow steady approach of just getting used to me by sitting by the cage and then putting my hand in etc etc.
When I put my hand anywhere near her she just bolts and takes like 3-4 mins for me to get a hold of her in a way where I feel like I wont hurt her. Chasing her around seems like a bad way to get her to trust me but I also have no experience lol. Is this ok/normal?
@mwdiver9, yes I suggest that you should pick her up then give her a treat when you put her back. She will start associating handling and treats. But, if she bites you or is a pain to hold, do not give her a treat.
Also, she is going to run until she becomes more familiar with handling. You can also use this method too. When you put her food in her cage, do not place it in the cage if she runs. Just work on getting her used to your hand. She will learn that if she does not run, that she can eat. Food is a great training tool. Hope that helps. Have a good one. Keep asking questions. It helps you and all the others who frequent this site to better care for iguanas. Cheers!
@Tammy: I am sorry to hear about your iguana. He should not have too much trouble adjusting. As long as he has food and water, and a nice high space to feel safe, I do not think he will have any trouble. Keep the heat up as it will aide in him getting rid of his cold faster. Best of luck. Cheers.
I just got an iguana, hes still pretty small (around 1ft) and hes living in a 12 gal. tank. I know this is way to small for him and I was wondering how long he can be in there until I need to get a new cage for him. I wanna build one but I need to wait for the funds.
Also, I'm gonna try your techniques for taming him to let me hold him.
@Corrie, He can probably be in this cage for about 3 to 4 months before it is going to start stressing him. The taming technique is easy to do, and I am so glad you are trying it. If you need an inexpensive way to build him a cage that he can live in til adulthood, please email me for plans at reptileapartments@yahoo.com. Cheers Corrie.
Thanks for the quick reply. I sent you an email with alot of questions. Haha. Sorry, I've been freaking out about whether or not I'm doing this all wrong.
i have a green iguana it's like 2 years old it's always had a black tip on it's tail i don't want to take it to a vet until i have some kind of a clue what it maybe or cost ..can you help? he seems healthy and happy all but the tail do you think it could be dry gang green or just broken it doesn't seem to get any better or any worse
e-mail me back if you can help mackinnon@live.ca
Hi there. Do you have much experience with rescues? We just rescued an iguana (not our first). He came with a large metal cage on wheels. We immediately went out and bought the heat lamp and ordered the uvb bulb online. It'll be here soon. We renamed him Petey and surprisingly he seems to be very tame and calm. We shopped Saturday night for guana food (collard and mustard greens, yellow squash, a bit of carrot, some grapes and a cantalope. It looked to me like he's a bit dehydrated so I've been adding a small bit of shredded cucumber to his "guana salad" for the added water content.
We brought him home on Sunday (2 days ago). He pooped the 2nd day he was here and ate a tiny bit Sunday night, like one collard leaf. He got his first warm bath today. Our only problem so far is that he hasn't really eaten much. I keep offering him a variety of foods. Today after his bath, I had him wrapped in a warm towel and had him sitting with me. I kept offering him grapes and leaves. Nothing. He just closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep. Our understanding is that all he has eaten his whole life is romaine lettuce. Occasional pieces of fruit, but his staple has been romaine. Sigh. We're hoping to save him but am concerned that he's not eating. Can you think of anything that I can do to encourage him?? Thanks for your help!! Tracy
@Tracy, here are a few of my suggestions that should help. First, give him lots of time to adjust to his new cage, at least two weeks before more blanket holdings.
As for his diet, best thing to do is chop up all food items as small as possible. Include lots of Romaine and sprinkle vitamin and calcium powder for iguanas on the food. As his appetite increases, decrease the amount of Romaine included in the salads. You have to ween him of the Romaine, and this will take a long time. Romaine is like candy to iguanas. Also, try placing a half a piece of whole grain bread, broken into small pieces, to try to entice eating. Do not force feed. If possible, just place a plate of his food in the morning of his cage and let him roam and forage. Let me know how he is by the weekend if you can. There are some more invasive things to do. If you have any more concerns or questions, feel free to email or write back here. Cheers.
Hello Zombie Joe I just read your artical. I or well my brother got an Iguana (Jacken) for Christmas. I love the lil guy... So funny with the looks and attitude it gives off. I read in one of your responces about sending Arron the plans for your habitat as well as some pix. I was wondering if you could do the same for me. She stays in her tank at night but for the most part of the day she is hanging out in the livingroom window or on the couch or just where ever she really wants. I have even started to take her with me to family events... The 1st one was Super Bowl at our Grandmothers house... She seems to love to ride in the car and enjoys looking out the window as we drive during the day... At night she just chills on my shoulder or on the visor where the heat gets to her better...
any ways I would appricate the plans for a habitat so I dont worry so much about her when I am not home (I did say she was my brothers gift but she is my baby)
Thank you in advance
Alicia
Hello zombie Joe my sister got and iguana a while back and told me to come and see it I enjoyed the little guy and I am getting one tomorrow my sister docent have a heat lamp only a cage with trees and vines is it better if I do they same or do I need the lamp and my sisters iguana seems to enjoys it when you touch his tail ate all iguanas once you tame them like that ? Thank you
@Tareq, your sister should get a heat lamp and UVB bulb immediately. Without heat and the UVB rays, it is going to be very difficult for the iguana to properly digest and absorb nutrients from his food. Without the UVB rays, the iguana can develop kidney disease/failure. I do not recommend getting an iguana and setting it up like your sister. Follow my above directions to create a happier and healthier iguana. Your sisters iguana and your iguana will not be the same. Some iguanas enjoy being petted some despise it. If you are going to get an iguana, it is important to have patience developing taming skills with your iguana. Then, your iguana may come around to like being touched, but there are no guarantees. Remember, iguanas only tolerate handling/touching, at any moment they can attack. You just have to read your iguana's behaviors. My iguanas are pretty good about being touched, but there are days where they will show me that they do not want to be touched. If you have any other questions, feel free to post again here or email me. Cheers.
Hello ZombieJoe!
I was wondering if you would assist me with a problem I have with my little iguana. He's about a year old, and the first couple of months we had him I noticed his toes were broken, i researched it and found out that was a normal with babies. Around the same time I noticed his tail had fallen off, i had cleaned it and it started to grow back normal. A couple of months into his tail healing process my cat had gotten out of her room and gave him a scare which made him drop his tail AGAIN! So his status is now: A couple of his toes on his back left leg, * mainly the longest toe* is pretty dark grey almost black. And his tail hasnt grown back, but instead there is a black ackward bubble that looks like it wants to be popped or something. When I lightly touch the end of his tail he kinda moves his it but doesnt seem to be in pain. Out of the research I have done it sounds like gangrene; but i looked up pictures online of gangrene and it doesnt match up with what his tail looks like. I was wondering if you had any helpful advice you would want to pass down along my way to help out my Floyd. Thank you for your time :-)
@Syndal, from what you have described to me, it sounds like a scab has formed on the tail and the toes are losing blood supply because of the breakage and may be in the early stages of gangrene. If possible, please email me pictures so I may see the severity of the toes and tails. Biggest concern right now is infection from the tail scab or the toes splitting open. If you are becoming more worried, please take Floyd to a reptile specialist vet for treatment. Cheers.
Hey zombie joe,
I'm new into pets and i was hoping i could raise my iguana perfectly, i bought this one from a local here in the philippines, is it okay if for the next couple of months I'l be putting my iguana into a small cage , then I'll transfer him into a bigger one , let's just say after 3-4 months, I'm still in the process of looking for an area to build his habitat. and by the way , how do you preserve vines and plants inside the cage? are they real ones or artificial? thanks.
@ Erickson, yes it is ok to keep your iguana in a small enclosure and then move him into a bigger one. Just keep in mind to build as big as you can once so you do not have to keep building bigger and bigger cages. Just build once and done. I use all artificial plants and vines decor because it is easier to clean, not harmful to your pets, and are easy to setup and take down. I hope that helps. Cheers.
Hey zombie joe,
Thank you for your tips, at least i don't have to worry about my iguana.
Very nice tips, I'll follow what you wrote.
Thank you very much!
Hey zombie joe,
One quick question,
Do i really need to put in a UVB? some says that it will blind your iguana. so what i did is that i put in a normal bulb, 10 watts.
i just got an 8 week old iguana and it lets me hold it always amd seems very tame is this normal?
@ Erickson, I am sorry for the delay, I have been extremely busy building cages and working on other projects. Yes, you really need UVB. The light waves help your iguana absorb what he is eating. Without the UVB rays, he will suffer massive vitamin and calcium deficiencies. Whoever said it will blind your iguana is mistaken. UVB and UVA rays are given off by the sun. Iguanas use the sun not only for heat, but for the rays as well. Your iguana will not stare into the bulb, just like we as humans do not stare at the sun. Your Iguana will not go blind. I recommend getting a UVB/UVA fluorescent bulb at your best pet store for your iguana. Cheers.
@ Natalie, all iguanas are different. Your iguana seems normal. Some seem to enjoy being held, some tolerate it very well, and some will bite you every time they see you. As long as your iguana keeps eating well and stays active and alert while holding, I would not worry at all. It seems that 'taming' your iguana will be fairly easy for you. Best of luck. If you have any more questions, feel free to add more here. Cheers!
hello, i just aquired a 2nd iguana, about a mo. ago. he is 5 ft long and very aggressive. he will lunge at my husband. i can pet him a bit but im leary of him, im unsure of his age or his background. will time ease him. also i think he is blind as he would not eat at all, (i started to hand feed him and thats working well at this point.) he walkes into the walls and furniture.(he is a free roam same as my other iguana)
@suzzi, the aggressiveness might never go away. He may be like this because he is still adjusting to his new territory or he may be upset that their is another iguana in the house. He may be this way because he may have blindness or poor vision. He may lunge at objects coming at him as opposed to objects sliding or moving by him. Keep up with the hand feeding as long as he does not get aggressive. Also, if he lunges, wait 5-10 minutes, then try to feed him again. You can train him to not lunge in order to get food, treats, etc. Also, if you do have another free range iguana, keep close eyes on them if they range together. This new aggressive iguana sounds like he may attack your other iguana, regardless of gender. Please use caution. I hope this helps. If you need any further help, just write back on here or email me. Cheers.
Hi Zombie Joe. I'm 10 years old and I'm about to get a iguana.I want to know if you have two is it safe to have two free wrome at the same time. And can they eat fish
@Will, Iguanas are best left alone. Having more than one cause cause territorial conflicts and fights over food. Since you are young, try raising just one right now. Remember, before you are 16, your iguana will be around 4-6ft in length and eat about $10-15 a week in food. I emphasize to try and just raise one now. Also, never give your iguana any ANIMAL PROTEINS. No beef, chicken, pork, or fish. Just feed them veggies and fruits. Go to http://www.greenigsociety.org/foodchart.htm for the best food information chart. If the food is listed as staple, you can and should give this to your iguana as much as possible. I hope this helps and if you have any other questions please send them my way. I also build cages for iguanas too. If you live in the Northern Illinois area, I can build a cage for you. Have a good one. Cheers.
Hi zombie well i just finish reading everything u wrote n all the ? They ask well i read everything n just wanted to say thanks thanks for all the good info i have a 3 month old iguana shes real cute n wont bite but she scare of my husband n i. Later own we will build her a cage so i will email u jaja is cuz ur cage is real nice all i wanted to say is thanks she is in a 29 gallon tank we live in los angeles but next year we are moving to iowa thats were we will make his big cage!!! Cant wait thanks. O we got a baby corn snake she is silly hates us too well she is scare i guess they will have to get use to us! Thanks
@Paula, you are very welcome. Make sure to email me or write a comment here if you need any help. Thanks for the wonderful comment!
Welcome n thank u for caring for these cute pets!
We just moved our Iquana who we've had almost 2 years into a new cage. He had recently broken his leg and was on no climbing rest until this move. the new cage is about 6 ft high 4 ft deep by 3 ft wide. We also brought a new baby ball python into the family that we keep in a cage on the other side of the room and have not had them interact at all. Since the move to his new house he has been acting crazy, to say the least. Very fearful and jumping away from us. Is this because of the new habitat, the snake or for the first time seeing our dogs at his eye level? We're pretty frustrated and don't know what to do about his extreme change in behavior.
@Terre, Iguanas need time to adjust to new surroundings. First off, the dogs will definitely cause your iguana stress. Iguanas are prey items in the wild. Dogs and other animals eat them regularly. I recommend keeping the dogs out of the room or away from the cage as much as possible. The snake is also a bad idea. Snakes or anything resembling a snake will give your iguana something to stress over. Iguanas see a snake and freak. My iguana still thinks the hose from an off vacuum is a snake. He is also on super high alert because of his injury which would make him more vulnerable to being eaten (as his brain is thinking). Give him time, make sure his lighting and temperatures are ok, give him lots of food and treats, and keep a close eye on him. If you have any other questions, feel free to write back. Cheers.
i just found this page and i love the info!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
@ ellen king. You are welcome. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Happy Herping.
Hi! I just got a green iguana a couple of days ago but he doesn't eat or do much. He just sort of sits there. The only time he is active is at night when his red heat lamp (which i heard he can't see) is the only thing on. He also squirms and scratches when i try holding him, What are some trust exercises i can do to get him comfortable? I'd really appreciate your help.
Thanks
I have a baby green iguana and I put sticks and like thick bark, or wood into his cage. I keep reading that that's not good for him and you need to soak it in bleach and water, then rinse with clean water. Do you know if this is true? Will what I put into his cage kill him??? /:
@ Felipe. Your iguana is still adjusting it sounds like. If your iguana becomes active at night, it may be because he feels safest during the night or because the night heat is more than the day heat. However, since you just got your iguana, you need to give him some space. Let him adjust to his new home and new sounds and smells. Do not hold him or try to touch him. Give him at least a month or until he starts eating regularly before you begin trust exercises. Also, how old is your iguana? This will help me to guide you to getting your iguana to trust you. If he is not eating, make sure the heat temperature is correct, he has the correct food, and humidity is correct. Cheers.
@ desmyj. Yes, soaking wild caught wood in bleach and water will kill any bugs or parasites that may be living on the wood. Also, do not use pine as its oils are dangerous to reptiles. After you soak it in bleach, rinse with water until you can no longer smell the bleach on the wood. I actually shave the bark off my wild caught wood, then soak in water/bleach solution, then rinse with hot water, then put into the cage. You just never know what bugs or animals came in contact with the wood. I recommend taking the wood out as soon as you can, clean it well, and then put it back into his cage. If you have any other questions, feel free to reply.
@ZombieJoe
I really have no idea how old my iguana is, in fact i'm not really even sure on its gender. From the tip of his nose to his hind leg he is around 8 inches (i think that might help determine his age :/) I usually hold him everyday just because i give him baths since his cage doesn't get very humid because it is wire. Everyday i fill his bowl with RepCal iguana food and fresh greens along with carrots. Here are some pictures of him.
http://screensnapr.com/v/5K3iwP.jpg
@ Felipe. Wow! That iguana's colors are amazing. Those white stripes are beautiful. I recommend misting him a few times a day so you do not have to keep handling him everyday which may be causing too much stress. The misting is adequate for his humidity and moisture intake. Provide a shallow water bowl for him to soak himself in. Also, the cage will need to be upgraded soon. He may feel too cramped in that cage now. The cage I have my own male iguana in is 6 feet long, by 6 feet high by 3 feet wide. My male is also 5 feet long. You can make a large cage now to save yourself the trouble of upgrading every year or not. From the pictures, the cage looks too small. I hope this helps. Thank you for the pictures. If you need any more help, please, continue to contact me.
Thanks, sorry for all the questions but do you think you could give me an estimate on his/her age? Also, can you tell me how i can tell the difference between a male and a female because i really want to name it already and know it's sex.
I've rated you up and given positive feedback! :D
Thanks for all the help!
Felipe
I have a 44 inch Iquana an the Vet said it is a girl. But she poop until i put her in the bath is that normal. The temporary cage she is in basking area temperature is 92 an resting area is 80 to 85 another question is a 6 ft tall 3 ft wide by 3 ft is that big enough. An her head is staying gray but she is also shedding is that normal
@ Felipe. Do not worry about the questions. As for age, based on his length, he looks to be about a year, give or take a month or two. As for its sex, it is too early to tell based on just looking at it. You can have a vet probe it to find out or wait a couple years until the characteristics start to show. Hope all this information has helped.
@ Maranda. It is normal for iguanas to only poop in the bath or water bowl. Being in the water stimulates the urge to go. If she only goes in the bath that is great because she can free roam and you do not have to worry about any accidents. The temperatures in the cage are great. The cage size is good actually. You can always go bigger or let her free roam around the house to get some exercise. A grey head can be a few things. One, she is shedding like you said. Two, she is naturally grey on top (like my male iguana is). All of these are nothing to worry about. If her head begins to turn white, it means that she is too hot and is not able to cool down, but if you allow free roaming, she can enter and exit her cage as she pleases to regulate her own temperature. Or, you can mist her more often to cool her body and cage down. I hope these answers suit your needs. Feel free to write back if you have any other questions.
Is there a kinda rule of thumb as to how long the Iguana is to it's approx age?
It is hard because iguanas all grow at their own rates depending on quality of food, heat, lighting, etc. Generally, for every year, they can grow about a foot. They will grow faster when they are young. Some iguanas growth can be stunted too. The green iguana society has a growth rate chart you can look at. Hope that helps. Cheers.
simpson_bernadette@yahoo.ca
I have been reading your information. I am new to getting an iguana. I got him when he was 3, now going on 4.
Recently he tried to get out, and of course i had my hands full with something and his tail got caught in the cage. he appeared to be ok, was eating, but last week, eats a little of food. Same thing this week. cage is cleaned, new food, and water, misting. UBV and basking light are working fine.
Could he be in breeding season? I think i read that they eat very little. There is so much information to read, but get confused when reading the info. Also i wonder if the attempting to get out of the cage had stressed him out. Today when cleaning the cage , he flinched back, stood up, as if on defense mode.
How long is breeding season for iguanas?
His poops were fine, until about a week ago. There is also while semi fluid i have noticed in the tub he goes in. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
@Bernadette: It sounds to me that he is in breeding. Everything you described happened to one of my males. If he has no visible damage from his tail getting caught, i.e. bruising, scars, a kink in the tail, blood, he is most likely in breeding. Touch his tail in the spot he got caught and see his reaction. Touch lightly, then a bit firmer. If he does not overreact, his tail is ok. Breeding season can be different depending on where you live, house temperature, and so forth. My iguana did this for about a two months. Just keep everything the same and let him go through the motions. Or, if he becomes to aggressive, you can lower the temperature by just a few degrees to signal his body that breeding season is over. I prefer to let them just go through the season. He will start to eat once he is done. Keep giving him food as normal and misting and all the other great things you have been doing. He will still eat, just a lot less. Also, if he is orange/red in color, this is a good sign that he is in breeding. Hope that helps. Cheers.
Hi! Just bought a baby iguana and had a few questions. How long will it take to adjust to a new place? He's not moving or eating very much that I've noticed. Also I have a basking light, how long should I keep it on? And how big will this thing get in a year?
@Heather. It will take him some time to adjust. It may take a week to four weeks before you will see him eating and moving around. In general, they do not move all that much. Make sure the temperatures are correct, he has a UVB bulb, and you keep both of these lights on for 10-12 hours each day, everyday. Put them on a timer so you do not have to remember and it will keep him on a good light cycle. He can grow to 1 to 2 feet in his first year. Also, if he is in a tank that is too small, he may also have a harder time adjusting. Please write back here or email me if you have any other questions.
I have also heard I need a light that emits heat with no light at night, is this right? I just don't want him getting cold! Thanks for your help!
This depends on your home temperature. My reptile room is kept at about 75 at night. However, you can get a
nocturnal bulb if you wish to keep him around 75 at night.
Our 14 year old came home from a visit with his Aunt with a young ( not baby- about 15 inches long) green iguana. It came in a brown bag with a baggie of dried food....We have snakes, so we had a basking light, tank with a secure lid, tree branch etc.He has turned deathly grey several times, but now is almost always green, but he will spend hours in his water bowl ( the first time I found him submerged and grey, I thought he'd died...)Now he is "happy green" but in there for hours.I couldn't find any advice on line about this...????
There are a few reasons why he is this deathly grey. He could be too cold, sick, not at the proper humidity, in too small of a cage, or another stress is bothering him. Adjusting to a new home is stressful for many iguanas. If he is turning grey when you approach him, he may be faking this color to pretend he is dead or in the wild, not good to eat. Is he eating regularly? How big is the cage he is in?
If he is eating, it sounds like he is stressed about being in that cage. Iguanas seek refuge in water naturally. It can also take up to several months for an iguana to become adjusted. If you have a dog or cat that is constantly by his cage or if he is in view of the snakes, I highly suggest moving his cage into a different room that has low traffic.
If you have any other questions, can provide more information about his eating/behavior habits, pictures or any other info, please feel free to write back here or email me. Cheers.
Thanks!!!! My son did move the snakes ( into the hallway...) His first tank was a 25 gal with the wrong lid, so we recently moved him into a 75 gal with a screen lid.That is about the time we saw "happy green", but he is still swimming ALL day. The water is warm from being in his cage . He has a basking light above a branch, and a place to get out of the light, a food bowl ( eating well so far) and the water tub. He is actively watching anyone who comes in the room and will eat if you are near. He did not bite or tail whip when my son got him ( swap meet, uuuggggg!) But now that he is nice and warm REALLY tail whips. It has been almost 4 weeks and he has made progress. Should we use a tiny water dish and keep him out of it except for baths???Should we just let him swim all he wants? ( Not sure it is a "Him" , And I did name it Shirley ,since it won't care anyway.)Thanks for the help!!!
how can i get my iguana spike to eat. all he does is bask in one spot and drink water. i have had him for about 7 months but he had always eaten. he is with a two year old female that always eats when fed
Keep the large bowl in there for him. He probably feels safe and warm in there. I am guessing he also poops in there regularly as well? The tail whipping will calm down with gentle handling too. If you want to see him out of the water bowl more often, try misting him more as he may be a little dry and the reason why he is in the water bowl. Hope this helped. Cheers.
If your iguana is a mature male, he may be in breeding season and why his eating has stopped. When near a female, they will eat much less so they can protect their territory and mate as often as possible. If he is not a mature male and the female is larger than he is, she may be bullying him out of the food. I always keep my reptiles separate unless it is mating time to avoid this stress. If you have other questions or info, don't hesitate to ask. Cheers.
thanks for the info it really explains alot, but i can't separate them, i have no other cage and i have limited space. what can i do to help him eat to live a long healthy life.
I have a 1.5-2 year old iguana, he has a whole room. He has a cage, which he rarely uses. His heat lamps are in his cage, along with vines, aftificial tree limbs, etc. I notice him him the window ALOT, and at times he goes into the laundry room and chills behind the dryer. Should I force him in his cage to soak up the heat lamp; or is he okay sunbathing in the window?
Get rid of the female. I am sorry about your limited space, but you should only take in what you can take care of properly. Iguanas need lots of space and until that can happen, I think you need to find someone to adopt the female. He may end up starving himself until this is resolved. Best of luck.
Cassie, I love the whole room idea. As soon as my iguanas got large enough, free roam. It so much better for them. Here is the deal with the window. When the sunlight hits the window, the UV rays are distorted, causing your iguana to only get some of the needed UV rays. What I do recommend is placing his heat lamps and UV bulb in his favorite window spot. This way, he will get real UV rays, heat, and will not suffer from inadequate lighting. He is behind the dryer because it is warm. What I would use is a small table or plastic shelving unit, place it by the window and rig the lights up in any way possible. They are not smart enough to go into a cage for lighting, but they are smart enough to go where they see sun. Check youtube for some homemade sunbathing spots as I have described. Cheers!
What happens if my iguana breaks its nail?
Just keep it clean. The nail should grow back. Is the toe broken?
No the nail broke on a reptile hammock and another thing i have 2 iguanas but i cant tell if they r female or male?
This is a great article. I've lived most of my life with iguanas and before I was even born my parents kept a 6 foot iguana that was such a puppy dog. I agree, iguanas are very easy to care for and are great pets once they get past their little temperamental age. Our older iguana used to bite and whip at us for over a year but now he's the sweetest biggest dinosaur of the house. Thank you for supplying your own experiences with how to successfully raise iguanas. This is probably one of the best informational segments I've seen on iguanas.
I do have a question though. The third eye of the iguana, have you ever had where it'll raise? My iguana of about 5-6 years, her third eye raised up about a year ago and my sister who's a herpetologist says she's never seen it before and nobody else we've talked to has either. It's not seeming to hurt her, but I was hoping you might have experience on what it is. Thanks!
If I could see a picture I could help more, but it could be two things. One, some of her head fat might be underneath the third eye or it is infected. Dicoloration of the eye with the inflamation would indicate infection. Some iguanas eye may also just be raised so it can receive light better. If you can email me a picture, I would be glad to answer. Thank you for your comments! Cheers.
I apologize for missing this comment. Depending on age, it is going to be hard to tell who is male and who is female. Google search the sex characteristics of male and female iguanas and you will be able to identify. The Green Iguana Society website has a great article about it.
Hi. Short and sweet. I have a double-level cage(top mesh like yours and bottom a glass-door and wood cage), now my iguana never goes to the bottom level. I want to teach it to go to the bottom because winter is starting and at the bottom is my heat lamp and heat pad(because at the bottom the heat wont escape as easily as at the top woth mesh)...any ideas? ive tried putting its food at the bottom but then it never eats! so i moved the food back up
Francois: Iguanas spend most of their time off the ground. They will seek the highest vantage point possible. With that, it is going to be difficult to train your iguana to go to a lower level to get heat and food. I recommend putting the lights at the top for your iguana as well as feed him at his highest point. Basking and eating at the highest vantage point gives him the safety he needs. The heat will not escape too much to the point where he will not be warm enough. My entire cage is netting and has three distinct temperature areas. The top of his cage is around 90-95 degrees. The middle shelf is 85 and the bottom is room temperature of 75. He has the option to then choose which is going to suit him best. He feeds only at the top as well. I hope this helps. Cheers.
Ok thank you for helping me out hey! Because its hard to find someone that would actually spend time replying a message...I'll find out the temp of the top area and then ask you if thats fine, otherwise do you have any other tips for me for the new cage? or in general?...Thank you and I love youre cage!
The temp is about 25 Celsius about 30cm under the basking lamp(where the iguana lies), its a 75W lamp. The under level is about 21 Celsius(with no lights)
Hi, I recently purchased a 2 foot long iguana who seems pretty tame... I can hold him and pet him and he is fine... but if I give him any freedom, he BOLTS... into the wall, up curtains, under the bed, w/e... I feel bad because he could really hurt himself running around like that... But as SOON as I grab him, he's calm again. I get the feeling that he's frozen in fear. He doesn't whip or bite... But he stares straight at me, into my soul! He doesn't lick anything, he ignores any fruit or vegetables I offer to him by hand, and when I hold him he sits completely still... almost playing dead.
What should I do to get him to trust me and stop bolting every chance he gets?
The lights and temperatures are too cool. You need to get a 75W or 100W Halogen to get the basking spot up around 32C. Without the temperature getting near 32C, your iguana will have more trouble digesting his food. If you can send me a picture of your cage, I can give some suggestions on how to improve it.
@Ryan. Your iguana is showing you a defense mechanism of playing dead so you will put him back down. When you place him down, he bolts away from you because he is afraid. Most iguanas will not eat while being held until they feel safe. If he is still bolting from you, he is not yet comfortable enough with you. I hope you gave him a long adjustment period before handling him. Handling causes a lot of stress on reptiles in general.
The tips I can offer are:
1. Give him proper alone time
2. Feed him treats before and after you pick him up, and only when he is a good boy
3. Try picking him up and putting him down in his tank to get used to the up and down motion and feed him treats when he does well.
4. Above all, have patience. Trust building can take a long time with iguanas.
Ok to where should I send the picture?
Reptileapartments at yahoo.com
got a question. i have an iguana and he is about 16 inches long. well tonight he started jumping around and then i seen him just drop his tail. why would this happen? what do i need to do?
If you were close to the cage, he was probably running around because he was scared of you. Many of their predators hunt them at night. He dropped his tail in an attempt to get you to eat his tail instead of him. Right now, keep his cage clean so the tail does not get infected. You can also soak him in a Betadine and water bath. You fill up a water container up to about his shoulder height and place enough Betadine in the water so the solution looks like weak tea. The Betadine is an antiseptic that is safe to use on reptiles. DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to clean it. Alcohol is extremely irritating and hydrogen peroxide can actually damage the good tissue that is left. You can soak him every other day or every two days until the tail seals itself. If the bleeding is extreme and not stopping, take him to a vet immediately. The tail may grow back a bit because he is still young, but chances are it will heal into a black tip. It will look different than the rest of the tail. Google search broken iguana tails and it will give you an idea of what to expect. Write back if you have any other questions. Cheers.
i was sitting in my recliner watching him. he had no reason to be alerted or in defense mode. he just started running around and jumping and off went the tail. i got him calmed down and dipped his tail in flour to clot the bleeding. washed it off and put neosporine on it. i just didnt know why he all of the sudden just acted like that.
Ok I sent you my cage's pic...and goodluck Dennis! Don't ever stop loving your pet hey
hi i just got an iguana from a friend and he wippes hes tail and we cant touch him, the person who had him smokes dope would that make him the way he is please help we wont to be able to hold him thank you
@Dennis, he may have just been anxious and do what he is programmed to do. Good luck with your iguana.
@ jenelle, your iguana whips because he does not trust you. He sees you as a threat. You need to read my article and see how you can build trust with your iguana. The smoke for the "dope" would not make him act this way. He is programmed to not trust humans, so it is going to take you awhile to build a relationship with him as it seems that his previous owner was negligent. Hope this helps.
Hey joe, I just got a baby iguana and I'm feeling rather irresponsible because I have him temporarily in a foot by foot cage with no heat lamp. Now, its about 70 degrees in the house but it seems like he's sleeping a lot now? I heard something about iguana hybernation? Is he ok ? Or do you think he is suffering without an optional heating lamp for.him. how long will he survive without one?
@aaron, he probably is going into a hibernation, but he is way too young for this. Adults may go into a slow down period, but they have enough fat stored up to make it through the cool down period. Because it is a baby, you need to get heat lamps and UV lights on him now. He needs the heat to digest his food and the UV to absorb the nutrients correctly. Please read my article completely, follow it, and you will not lose the life of your iguana. Without the basics, he will not survive.
Thank you joe I'm glad you could help me understand the gravity of this. Although, do you think I could go buy a cheap heat lamp for now, until I get more money? And as for the uv rays, he is in my window right now, with the window open, and is hanging on the screen in the sun. He looks relaxed and more energetic.. could I use the window as an improvisonfor a couple more days until I get the money? And as for your article, I thought it said that the iguana could survive in 70 degree temps? Does he need the extra heat because he's a baby? Sorry for all the questions but I'm in the dark on this one
@ Aaron, I would not recommend buying cheap. Cheap is what it is and, you will end up wanting to buy a quality product. I like to use Zoo Med halogen bulbs for my iguanas. The lamp plus the bulb will cost about $40-$50. The UV lamp and bulb will cost about $50 as well. UV rays will get filtered through the glass on the window. I do not know where you live, but if it is hitting the 70s, it probably gets cold and the window will not be able to be open all the time. Iguanas can survive NIGHT TIME TEMPERATURES OF 70 degrees. The day time temperatures should range from 90-95 degrees at the basking spot to the coldest part of the cage at a room temperature of at least 70 degrees. He needs heat to digest his food. He is cold blooded. The heat warms up his body and then he is able to digest his food.
Aaron, I want to emphasize the importance of this iguana's life. From your posts, it sounds like you may have acquired this iguana on a whim. He is going to grow fast and grow large. He needs lots of room to develop properly. He needs the lighting and heating requirements. From reading my post, and researching on other websites, you can find all the information you need to keep this guy alive. Google search THE GREEN IGUANA SOCIETY for a menu to print out the chart of the foods that are best for your iguana.
Lastly, make sure you can budget for this iguana. If you do not have the money or the time, find someone who does. I may come of rather brash here, but too many people see a baby iguana, think its cool, buy it, and end up killing it from being misinformed. Research, research, research. Cheers.
Joe! My mom just bought me a 10 gallon tank, small heat light and 50$ uv light. Thank God, because yea, your discerment hasent mislead you, I saw the baby, loved it, and got it out of impulse. I just want to thank you because this little guy is my responsibility now and the last thing I want to do is be the death of him. Your help has made me most grnateful, it led me to know the severity of this. And I managed to get the. "Musts". I owe ya one.. Aaron.
hi joe, i jst want to consult our young green iguana. Im just worried because he didnt eat for a day. I am just a new owner. And i put him in a 28' wide 20'height cage. What should i do?
@ faye, If you recently acquired your iguana, he may not eat for a couple of days because he is getting used to his new enclosure. Make sure the heat and lighting are accurate. How is he doing today?
My son an I have received a male Iguana through a friend of mine.. We don't know anything about his past but he was abused..
When he came to us, he was very skiddish, looked under weight, has markings from abuse, missing a lot of his spikes, tail was either broken/pulled off or something, etc..
Since we have had him for a month now, he has come around to accepting us.. He's calm with my son an I..
Since he has been abused and has marking of his abuse, should I put neosporin on the marks? I have talked/showed an exotic vet, haven't yet to receive a reply back.. Also, since there r a lot of his spikes missing, will they grow back or r they permanently gone?
We also don't have any idea as to how old he is either, all we know is that he's 3 1/2 ft long (from head to tip of tail)..
Any an all information is greatly appreciated.. If need be I can send u a few pictures of what the wounds look like, just let me know.. Thanks, greatly appreciate.. :)
@Gail, you can put neosporin or put him in a diluted betadine bath to disinfect him. The spikes will likely not grow back. The scars will be very visible too. Based on his length alone, he may be from 3-5 years old.
Thanks for the info. I Greatly Appreciate it..
Hi Zombie Joe, we just got a female iguana. She is sooo beautiful and we really want to play with her and give her attention. However, she is very aggressive, wants to bite and whip with her tail. Does not want any of us to go near her. She is about 1 year 6 months now, busy shedding. Almost done, I'm just not sure if we will ever be able to tame her, we'd really love to have her as a pet.
I have a 3 week old iguana who has wedged himself inside my couch,I can se him but not reach him, my couch is upside down with a light mounted & food...worried he won't come out or I won't be there when he does.what do I do!
@Tina, your iguana is very young and doing what she is programmed to do. If you just got her, you need to give her a few weeks to get adjusted to her new surroundings. Is she eating well? Temperatures all correct? If so, then give her 3 to 4 weeks before you touch her. Once the month has expired, go ahead and try to touch her in her cage. Once she is calm enough to be picked up, go ahead and do that while she is still in her cage, all for short periods of time. Once she is ok with this, then go ahead and pick her up more frequently. Use your judgement. If she slows in eating, she is stressed and handling should stop until she is eating well again. There are youtube videos you can watch after a few weeks of her getting used to her new cage that show how to hold young iguanas. She will try to whip and bite at first, but most iguanas will calm down once held in the secure position. Once she stops squirming and biting, she will calm down and trust will begin to develop. Right now, trying to play with her is only going to make her more stressed and you more aggravated. If you have other questions, feel free to keep sending them. Cheers.
@Chrissy, I hate to say this, but you have to get in there and get it out. Three weeks old? He is probably so scared. Letting him sit there is only going to force him to stay hidden and he needs to eat. Get him out. If it means disassembling the couch, then that's what you will have to do. If you have a ruler or stick, push him out. Other thing I can think of is to move the couch so he loses his grip and falls out. I know that he is going to get stressed when these tactics are applied, but you have to get him back into his cage. He probably will not come out for the food or to bask because he is probably weak. The other thing is that if he is wedged, he may be constricting his air supply. They are not the smartest in the bunch. Please let me know when you get him out. Good Luck!
My Iguana Lizard king I fear is deathly ill. Over ther past few days he wont eat and has turned a light green brown color. It seems to be having trouble stooling. But the thing that troubles me most is the Bubble like lump on the side of its belly... Only a couple months old. I hope you can give me some useful advice.
Hello I'm a little worried. My iguana is 3 years old and very healthy but today somebody left out some bread with jelly on it and the iguana ate the entire thing. Should I be worried? First time he eats any bread.
@Ohdviin, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. It sounds like he is impacted, meaning he ate something that is not digesting well or at all. If you are certain he has not eaten anything unnatural, make sure he has the correct basking temperature, UVA/UVB lighting, a water bowl, and time to pass his stool. You can also place him in a shallow bowl with warm water as this stimulates the stool to exit. However, if all the above is correct and is not working, take him to a vet immediately. He may be impacted. If he is lethargic as well, you need to take him to a vet now. Please let me know how he turns out. Cheers.
@JuanM, I would not worry. My iguana does receive water soaked whole grain bread as a treat every so often, maybe once every three months. It is not going to kill him. Just make sure he is able to pass his stool and you should be ok. The jelly was probably not the best thing for him either as it contains a large amount of sugar. However, get him back into his normal diet and monitor him. If you feel that he is acting differently, i.e. is not passing his stool, then you may need to take him to a vet to check if he has become impacted. But I assure you, my iguana has had bread without any problems and the Green Iguana Society lists bread on its approved menu item. Cheers.
My son is building a cage ( 7x7x4 ) for our Iguana, What material would u recommend to use due to him looking up information as to build his own and getting mixed messages as to what material to use.. Also, the Iguana would be staying in an unfinished basement where my son stays, the basement isn't that well heated, what would u recommend as to keeping the heat in his cage.?
Any an all information is greatly appreciated.. Thanks a great deal..
@Spdstr25, I recommend he use PVC pipe and plastic garden mesh. Have him look up PVC cage ideas. They are inexpensive. He can easily build that entire cage around $50. I can send you a PVC build plan/picture guide for $5, but he can probably figure it out on his own.
The unfinished basement will probably be really dry, so I do recommend he put a humidifier next to the cage. He can get one at Target for about $30. Make sure it is a cool mist humidifier.
As for heat, here is my personal set-up. My iguana is in a room that is constantly 75 degrees. He has a 150 watt and 100 watt halogen light that give him different temperatures. Under the 100 watt he hits about 83-87 degrees and under the 150 watt he hits about 95. The UVB lamp is only 6 inches from him when he is near the basking lights. All these are important so he can digest his food and regulate his temperature. Make sure the iguana only has to go to the floor to excrete his stool because those concrete floors can be much cooler than the ambient room temperature.
For floor substrate, I have placed an outdoor rug, $20 at Lowes/Home Depot, and covered that with newspaper so I can clean and change it regularly with ease.
I hope that helps, and if you have any other questions, feel free to write back here or email me. Cheers.
In ur opinion, what's best.. A wood cage or a pvc cage? I ask this only cause my son has his heart set on building a wood cage for inside an building a pvc cage for outside.. With the Iguana being in the basement we have covered all tracks to make sure that his heat level would be accurate amongst everything else (cool mist humidifier, lighting, etc.)..
Thanks a bunch, greatly appreciate everything..
steeldragon 2 years ago
hi zombie joe that was great what ive just read ive just got my first iguana and i want all the knowledge i can get to make him at homewith me you have shown me a lot of pointers thank you i have read lots of articles and they nearly put me off thank you