Green Iguana
(Iguana iguana)

Green iguanas are one of the most common and most mis-kept lizards in captivity. They are often found in pet stores as hatchlings and sold to unsuspecting customers who do not understand the requirements that will need to provide for a fully grown four to six foot large iguana. Iguanas have five toes on each foot and posses a fleshy flap of skin under the chin called a dewlap. All iguanas have spines that run the length of the back. Despite their common name, not all iguanas are green. Most juveniles are bright green, but as they age they can range in color from a dull green to brown or even orange with striped tails.

Green iguanas can be found in the wild in Central and South America. Imported iguanas generally arrive from Columbia, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Mexico, and Surinam.

Difficulty

ADVANCED: Because of the specialized lighting and caging as well as the aggresiveness and size of some males, the green iguana is not a suitable animal to keep if you are new to keeping reptiles and amphibians.

Requirements

An enclosure, such as:

• Custom enclosure
• Seperate "Iguana Room"

Substrate, such as:

• Newspaper
• Indoor/Outdoor Carpeting

A heating element, such as:

• UVB emitting bulb
• Incandescent heat bulb
• Ceramic infrared heat emitters

Enclosure

Adult green iguanas require a lot of space. The enclosure should be at least six feet tall, about 1½ to twice the length of the iguana, and about one full length of the iguana wide. For a six foot adult iguana, this would be an enclosure that is 9 to 12 feet long, four to six feet wide, and at least six feet tall. Plenty of branches and shelves to allow your iguana to climb and sit should also be provided. As a point of reference, most small bedrooms are only 9 feet wide which is why many iguana owners dedicate a separate room as their "iguana room." Some iguana owners also allow their iguanas to "free range" or wander throughout the house. If you allow your iguana to live in its own room or free range, be sure the keep the area the iguana will frequent free of small objects that the iguana may accidentally eat to avoid possible health issues.

Substrate

Iguanas like to lick their surroundings with their toungue. Because of this, substrates like wood shavings, mulch, sand, or anything powdery are not appropriate for most iguanas. Newspaper with non-toxic ink, butcher’s paper, paper towels, indoor/outdoor carpeting all make excellent substrates. Indoor/Outdoor carpeting can also be used as an effective substrate for your iguana. Be sure to have at least two identical pieces so that you can simply place the clean piece of carpeting in the enclosure while you rinse and disenfect the soiled piece. You can then allow the newly cleaned piece of carpeting to dry for the next days use. It's important to note that you should completely rinse the carpet after cleaning it to be sure there is no residual chemicals remaining on the carpet that could irritate your green iguana. If using indoor/outdoor carpeting please be sure that there are no dangling strings that could tangle in your iguana’s nails.

Heating and Light

Iguanas come from a tropical climate and need to be kept warm. Daytime temperatures should be 80°F - 85°F with a basking spot of 90°F - 95°F. There should be a range of temperatures offered to the iguana to allow it to thermoregulate itself. Nighttime temperatures should be 75°F - 80°F. All temperatures should be verified with a thermometer regularly. Ultraviolet lighting providing UVA and UVB is required for proper calcium metabolism and skeletal development for your iguana. Without the proper lighting your iguana will become sick and die a very painful death. Proper lighting can be provided utilizing fluorescent tubes specially made for use by reptiles as well as mercury vapor bulbs that also provide some heat as well. Additional heat can be provided utilizing infrared ceramic emitters and incandescent basking bulbs. Hot rocks should never be usedsince they can severely burn your iguana.

Diet

Iguanas are strict herbivores should never be fed animal protein or cat food. While some wild iguanas may ingest the occasional insect while eating leaves, insects do not make up a significant portion on their diet. Iguanas that are fed too much animal protein will develop health problems and will die prematurely. A well balanced iguana diet will consist of about 40% to 45% greens (this includes, but is not limited to collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens (with flowers), escarole, and/or water cress), 40% to 45% other vegetables (this includes but is not limited to green beans, orange-fleshed squashes (butternut, Kabocha), snap or snow peas, parsnip, asparagus, okra, alfalfa (mature, not sprouts), onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, sweet potato, zucchini, yellow squash, and/or carrots), 10% or less of fruits (including, but not limited to figs (raw or dried), blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, mango, melon (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), papaya, banana, and/or apple), and less than 5% of other grains or commercial diets. Iguanas should never be rhubarb as it is toxic. Certain lettuces such as iceberg, romaine, and Boston butter lack sufficient nutrients and should only be fed occasionally. Acidic fruits (citrus, tomatoes, kiwi, pineapples, etc.) should also be only fed only occasionally as well. Tofu can be occasionally offered as well for supplemental protein, though if too much is given it can lead to long term health issues. Wild plants and flowers are not recommended since they may be toxic to your iguana or may contain pesticides that could be toxic as well.