Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Names John Poe and I am generally on the crocodilian board. I run a rescue for crocs and hots. I have in my possession a green iguana I hope is about a year old. When I got him he was roughly about 10-12 inches and he's got to be about 24 now. How big can I expect him to get and will he remain as docile and cool to have around as he is now
MCR

It's funny to see a croc keeper ask questions about the lowly ole' iguana, hehehe.

An iguana can, and will, reach 5 feet in length. Males can go as long as 6 or even 7 (in rare cases), while females, like crocodilians, stay smaller, averaging 4 to 4.5 feet.

Disposition? Depends on you.
Males will always get psychotic during breeding season, otherwise a green iguana can become a wonderful docile 'pet'.

Proper diet, proper caging (think BIG), and proper handling/socialization within the household, and proper lighting will affect the health, disposition, and behavior of the animal.

Google Melissa Kaplan's Iguana website for loads of information.
Her book is quite good too, as well as Hatfield's Iguana Manual (personally my fave).

Stay away from the $5-10 booklets at pet-stores. They are outdated and incorrect.

You got lots of homework to do.
At 2 feet, it needs a FULL SIZED enclosure... which means at LEAST 6 feet tall, 6 feet long, and 4 feet deep.
Preferably, and ideally, you should add a foot or two to each measurement for a near-perfect enclosure.
If you live in warm climate most of the year, an outdoor enclosure would be THE best thing for an iguana.

Any more Q's, feel free to ask.

-IJ

p.s. in case you forgot: visit to Vet; and double-check if the diet is correct, as well as lighting.

I agree with everything Iguanajoe said but id like to emphasize the necessity of exposing iguanas to real sunlight for proper growth.

Back to Malaysia where i lived before i raised my iguana TREX outdoors 24/7/365. He was growing a lot and at the age of 4 he was already 5.4 Feet. I was very happy and sure he will reach 6 feet or even more. Then i moved to India, New Delhi, and because of the bad climate conditions i caged him indoors.Once in a while when its not too cold or too hot or too dry i allow him to free roam in the garden under my strict surveillance of course.But i dont do that very often.And sometimes even when i want him to go out he doesnt want because he doesnt feel confortable outside.The weather here is REALLY very bad for iguanas. The level of humidity is always too low for them.

Although i put calcium in his food and he has an UVB light on the top of his cage TREX stopped growing.And now, almost 2 years after we arrived in India he still is 5.4.He didnt grow one inch after i caged him indoors!

Flavia

Green iguanas get to about 6 feet long, with females a little shorter/smaller. Males can get to about 15 pounds. Their disposition depends greatly on how they are raised. Iguanas are not well suited to be "display" animals. They are too intelligent, and will get bored/angry if left in a cage. We have a 6 year old female green iguana, that is a whole house free roamer. We have raised her like on of our children. As a result, we have never been bitten, tail-whipped or deliberately scratched. Here is a one-stop web-site for iguana husbandry: http://tesa.proboards24.com/index.cgi?board=basics&action=display&thread=1080226029

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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

Soo sweet! You never had a problem like her eating things that shouldnt be eaten or trying to escape from the window and risking to break her neck because you live in the 38th floor or stuff like that?Each time i allow TREX to wander around the house he does something stupid like licking the bathroom soap or trying to eat the yellow kitchen sponge ( he thinks its a bright fruit) etc...

Hello and thatnk you all for the info.
Here is how it is set up for now. He is in a floor to ceiling enclosure that is 5 ft wide and 3 ft deep. He has artificial vines running from floor to ceiligh with a canvas hammock up top. I have 2 basking lights one up top and one mid way down. I use a pressure mister which sprays from the top and I feel simulates rain with the water dripping down the leaves. He spends a good deal of time out and loves to have his spines rubbed. We feed a variety of greens and fruits (He LOVES watermellon). We love him. He is without a doubt the best reptile we have ever had, when it comes to interaction and overall just plain coolness.

Hey when he gets over 4 ft i'll take away his enclosure and make a vine system around the house for him.

oh and I forgot to mention that his enclosure is in a corner facing a window so he gets a good deal of actual sunlight.

We found, with our crocodilians, that when we started using an outside enclosure in the summer they improved by leaps and bounds. I can't say enough for the benefit of actual sunlight on animals.

Unfortunately, glass and plexiglass filter out the vital UVB radiation. We take our iguana out every day it is not raining. Here she is (last year) in front of her garden.

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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

Oh no plexiglass on my enclosures. I learned the lesson a long time ago with crocs about plexiglass. I use square twist chicken wire for mine. Not only does it allow fresh air and sunlight through it allows my iguanna to climb more easily.