GREEN IGUANA CARESHEET

[rabolongo]

GREEN IGUANA CARESHEET
By: Dewaal venter 2008


This care sheet was created from personal findings and research. Feel free to add to it and let me know what you think about it. There is a lot to say but this is just a quick reference especially for igg owners in South-Africa

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT GREEN IGUANAS CAN LIVE FOR UP TO 15-25 YEARS, GROW TO A LENGTH OF BETWEEN 1.2M -1.6M, THEY NEED VERY LARGE ENCLOSURES WHEN THEIR MATURE AND POOP THE SIZE OF A MEDUIM SIZED DOG….. STILL WANT ONE ?

ENCLOSURES
Everybody have their own idea of what they want their iguana enclosure to look like, and one can build your own enclosures very easily or you can buy yourself a very nice ready build one. Just a few things to remember before choosing your enclosure:
*Iguanas are arboreal animals that mean that they live up in the canopy
of trees and need a lot of vertical climbing space and enough space to turn in.
A enclosure of 900W´600D´1200H is a excellent choice for your juvenile iguana and you can house your pet in there for the first year or so.
A enclosure of 1800W´800D´1800H is a good size enclosure for your adult iguana, yet not every body can accommodate this size enclosure. Just try and house your igg in a appropriate size enclosure that you can accommodate or try another housing option.

LIGHTING
Here is the basics. There is a lot of arguments on which make of lighting to use, ultimately choose the make that will work best for you and that are the best for your iguana
Your iguana needs a 5.0 UVB tube/lamp for tropical reptiles (I prefer the tubes as you get a better coverage in the enclosure, while bigger enclosures may require both tubes and lamps) as well as UVA lighting that create basking spots in the enclosure and keeps the day temp constant. You will also need a infra red / black light to give some form of heat at night. Ask the pet shop salesman or breeder what wattage you need for the size enclosure you have. To low or high wattage will influence the enclosure temp and may affect the health and behaviour of your iguana .


FURNITURE
Provide your iguana with some branches/vines for climbing, hanging plants, a hide box (create a hide spot with plants, large bark chips etc.) some ladders and also create basking spots in the warm and cool end of the enclosure using branches or platforms . Also provide a food and water bowl and give your igg a bowl for soaking. Iguanas can absorb water trough their cloaca while soaking


SUBSTRATE
Paper towel and newspaper is easy to clean, more hygienic and cheap. Avoid using cat litter, wood shavings and sand. Iguanas love tasting and eating stuff and these substrates can cause severe medical problems and may suffocate your pet. One can use big wood chips for larger iguanas but need to be replaced when wet and it is not as hygienic as paper towel or newspaper towel. I have vinyl in my enclosure and it works well and is also very easy to clean.


TEMPERATURE
(I keep my day temp in the region of 32°c in the basking area and 28°c at night)
Day temp of 28°c-35°c
Night temp of 28°c-30°c


HUMIDITY
This is very important as green iguanas are tropical reptiles. A minimum humidity reading of 65% is acceptable with 75% as the optimal humidity. A humidifier is not necessary if you mist spray the enclosure once or twice daily. Place a small heat pad under a water dish and that will help to keep the humidity up. While misting the enclosure give your igg a spray as this helps aid shedding and provides some drinking water as your iguana will lick up some water from its face. Do this at least once or twice a day but not at night when its cool and your iguana can’t get dry fast.


DIET AND FEEEDING
Never feed your iguana animal protein, the are herbivores and get plant proteins from materials such as Lucerne(alfalfa) and other veggies
A good iguana diet consists of 70% green leaves, 20% vegetables and 10% fruit and must have a 2:1 calcium to phosphorous ratio. Also add calcium and vitamin powder by sprinkling over the food to ensure your igg gets all the calcium and vitamins it needs
Here is some examples of foods I feed my iguana that I find at my green grocer

*- Only feed occasionally

Leafy greens:
Watercress
Endive
Collard greens
Lucerne
Mustard greens
Chicory greens
Turnip greens
Parsley *
Coriander*
Salad rocket*
Mulberry leaves*
Never feed your iguana lettuce as it has almost no nutrients

Vegetables
Butternut
Sweet potato*
Green beans
Snap peas
Parsnip
Okra
Carrots*
Beetroot*

Fruits
Mango
Prickly pear
Apples *
Papaya
Banana*
Pears*
Honey melons*
Figs *

Flowers as treats**
Hibiscus
Dahlia
Nasturtiums
Dandelions

Colour enhancers and treats**
Bell peppers
Edible flowers
Whole wheat bread
Cooked pasta


HEALTH ISSUES
There are certainly a lot of health issues when it comes to iguanas, most is caused by poor nutrition and unhygienic environments.
¨Metabolic bone disease
¨Parasites
¨Tail trauma (Take special care not to handle your iguana by its tale and to make sure the tail is away from anything that may hurt it when moved around)
¨Kidney failure
¨Egg bound
¨Cuts and burns (Cover all lights and wires. Do not use anything with sharp edges in your enclosure as this may cause severe injuries)

[froot]

Awesome Rabolongo, thank you.

[MV]

now thats what I call a caresheet...
wish some people would take a leaf out of Dewaal Venter's book

[rabolongo]

Sorry to say that there is no book, just my knowlage.

Still doing researh on other igg topics and will post some more soon

[Kthula]

Nice care sheet ,lotsa info and to the point ,thanks man

[LordBelgoroth]

great man!
we should put some handling tips on too!

[rabolongo]

busy typing up some stuff on iggs. will post some handling and medical sheets soon

[LordBelgoroth]

I got a few pics an thier anatomy and nails for clipping.

[LordBelgoroth]

Eish wait don't think we can use the pics but im sure i can redraw them from the info I bought this book, its really good too, but again not very SA friendly
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Iguana-Ultimate-Owners-Manual/dp/1883463505/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213695976&sr=1-1

[NORMA]

Good afternoon to all iguana owners
I have just join the site and have a few questions:

My son left for aucland and i now am the proud owner of rio, he is about two years old and it took me some time to learn all about iguanas, well thanks to the internet i can say that we are bonding, but Rio is doing a lot of things that the info on the web state a inguana is not suppose to do.

I keep him in a enclosure outside, it is a gasebo like the one's you put in your garden (lapa) with a grass roof. There is ample space for him to move abount and sun to sit and bask. He loves for me to spray thim with water, eats only when I give the food to him, and believe me are very choosey, every meal has to be different. I feed him carrots, snappies, green baby pumpkin as well as yellow pumpkin, parsley occ, flowers, malberry leaves, all bran flakes, bananas, grapes
some day's he will eat but then the next day not. I worry when he does not eat, his bowel movements are daily, he may skip a day and then i even get more worried. I have noticed that there is a slymery white/yellow poo and then inmed. ather a solid bowl movement.
He seems to be very happy, and although he will hiss at me, 2 min. later he eats out of my hand.

I stay in Amanzimtoti and only put his red/black light on at night if the weather is cold, during the day when it is hot he bask in the sun.
When I water the garden around his house he wants me to spray him as well, I do not know if Iguanas are suppose to love water so much, he has got his water bowl, and a splash pond, so it can not be that he is haot, must I keep on with spraying him, he also tends to do his bowel movement then.
My kombuis window is visible from his home and he will follow every movement I make, I speak to him when I am in the kombuis (and that is often and it is if he waits for me in the morning to open the blinds and speak to him.
He broke his tail when he was little but it does not look if he as a problem with it. He shred his skin sometimes every 3 weeks and allow me to take the loose skinof, I can also stroke him and although we have in the beginning have a lot of misunderstandings,e.g. he was hissing at me and a few times I missed his tale swipe just in time
I think that I am doning all that is right, but is there anyone in the Durban area that I can contact to come and have a coffee with me and just check that I am on the right path?

Thank you
Norma

[Bushviper]

Norma you seem to be doing everything right. I would really not worry about it as iguanas are fairly tough animals as adults. I am sure you will meet up with other reptile enthusiasts in Durban.

[Marlize]

Love the care sheet. Answers a lot of questions!

Can someone maybe answer some of mine?

I want to know about taking an iguana for walks, like is it good for them? Is it harmful in any way? Surfaces that could be dangerous? ect. When to and when not to?

Any well known experienced breeders near or in Pretoria?

Hints on house training?

[Bushviper]

Marlize Iguanas have no interest in "walks" because it serves no purpose to a lizard. They are prey items in the wild and even just a cat or a dog running up to them will stress them. Burning up energy which serves no purpose does not do any wild animal any good.

Iguanas cannot be "house trained" because they mark their territory which faeces in some cases and avoid advertising to preadtors that they frequent a specific area in another way so it is very subtle. Trying to use a cat litter box or "outside" is not going to work.

Just be aware that iguanas are on the list of animals which may not be allowed in future and then it is possible that your iguana could be confiscated and euthanased.

[Marlize]

Thanks bushviper, I appreciate your comment

It makes sense, I can live with that (the house training thing)

I’m still luring about reptiles so please excuse me if I ask “stupid” questions

which other animals/reptiles are on the list??

[joef_conner]

Great caresheet! Thanks for putting in the effort.