Iguana Care Sheet
Diet:
An iguanas diet should consist of 60% greens 30%
vegetable matter and 10% fruit. The key
here is variety; do not get into the habit of feeding your pet the same thing
over and over again. Choose one of the
diets below.
MK Diet
1/2 cup shredded green beans
1/2 cup shredded squash
1/2 cup alfalfa pellets
1 medium parsnip, shredded
1/4 cup minced fruit
Housing:
The main things you need are
heating, lighting, humidity, ventilation, safety, and furniture. An iguana's cage should be 2.5 times its SVL
length (Snout to Vent Length). A cage
for an adult should be 6lX6hX3.
Heating:
The
most often-used heat sources are heat lamps.
They can be found at most pet stores that carry reptile equipment, or
your local Target, Wal-Mart, or K-Mart.
The daytime temperature should be around 85 degrees with places to bask
at 90-95 degrees (the absolute maximum body temperature should not exceed 95
degrees). The nighttime temperature
should be around85 degrees, if for some reason the nighttime temperature is
below that you can switch your daytime heat lamp light with a blue or red party
light (never use any other lights at night), or put a heating pad in there that
is intended for use in humans. (Never use a "hot rock").
Lighting:
Natural
sunlight, or a good substitute, is essential for the health of your pet! The most important elements of sunlight, as
far as iguanas are concerned, are the UV rays that catalyze the production of
vitamin D3. This vitamin controls the
function of calcium and phosphorus in the body, without your pet will die. Zoo-Med sells a large selection of UVB
lights for your iguana.
Humidity:
Iguanas
are native to humid climates and should have some humidity. To do this place the water bowl under the
heat lamp to provide humidity. If this
is not enough for you, you can put an aquarium heater and an aerator. And you can mist the cage every so often
with water.
Ventilation:
Ventilation
is also very important, as carbon dioxide may build up in the cage. Ventilation is almost always automatic if
you use a heat lamp and have some holes on the roof of the vivarium, as this
creates convection currents.
Safety:
Since heating and lighting
units use electricity you must always be aware that water and electricity do
not mix well. Always follow the
manufactures instruction when using such devices. Do not light your pet touch hot items for the obvious reason they
might get burnt.
Furniture:
The
main things you need are substrate, a hiding spot, and a branch to climb. The best substrate to use although it may be
tacky is Astroturf, always cut off all lose carpeting strands. Because you usually are a big scary person
to your new pet he/she needs a place to feel secure, you can buy a hollowed out
half log at most pet stores. A branch
to climb on is very important, as your pet is arboreal. You can buy one or find your own. If you find one you must bleach it and bake
it so you remove all parasites.
Special thanks goes to "Mr. Eguro" for providing "Sammy & Sapphire's Diet"
And Melissa Kaplan for providing the "MK Diet"