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We have been keeping these rare interesting lizards for nearly 5 years now and over this time we have come to realize just how little is known about them or even the fact that they exist. The Club tail iguana Ctenosaura quinquecarinata is a threatened species endemic to Central America and found in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Their natural habitat is sub -tropical dry forest and they will often take refuge in hollow tree limbs or rock crevices where their spikey tail aids in preventing predators from gaining access or extracting them from their hideaway.
The genus Ctenosaura means comb lizard and refers to the comb like spines on the tails of these iguanas. Ctenosaura quinquecarinata has one of the most heavily armored tails within the group. The scales on their tails are arranged in five rows which gives these iguanas their other common name, the Five -Keeled spiny tailed iguana. C. quinquecarinata is one of the smallest members of their family only growing to a length of about 35cm as an adult. Their diet consists of various plants and flowers but insects are also taken especially when young.
In captivity we feed our adult Club tails on a similar diet to what the more commonly kept Green iguana should be getting. The majority of their diet should consist of leafy greens high in calcium such as Lucerne, mulberry leaves, mustard greens, nasturtiums, salad mix etc. Grated vegies like butternut, gem squash, green beans, carrot and sweet potato. The smallest part of their diet should be fruits such as paw paw, mango, strawberries and blue berries. Like most iguanas they also love hibiscus flowers as a treat.
We keep these iguanas outdoors year round except for the 3 coldest months in winter when we will bring them indoors in the evening and put them back outside in the morning. This is easily achieved by simple removing their whole hide box from their outdoor enclosure and placing their hide in a plastic tub indoors at room temperature. This method has been very effective for us and also ensures the iguanas get plenty UVB exposure from natural sunlight and eliminates the need for expensive reptile lighting or additional heating.
We keep our Club tails in outdoor mesh aviaries in full sunlight and provide wooden shelves and tree branches for shade and basking.
We give our Club tails bird nesting boxes as a hide which are easily removed and taken indoors during cold weather.
These iguanas make interesting captives and are great for the serious lizard keepers who would like the opportunity to work with a species that is less common and not as difficult to house as the much larger Green iguana. They are all iguana but come in the same size package as a Bearded dragon. Unfortunately the two we have both appear to be female and I am unaware of others in SA so I doubt we will be seeing any bright green baby Club tails any time soon.
We are currently looking for a new permanent home for these two rare iguanas. If you are an experienced lizard keeper and have interest in these two little gems please contact me for details via PM. Thanks for looking
