Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I everybody... I have a few general questions about iguanas.

1. What do they mainly Eat
2. How big will they get (don't worry, I know they get huge)
3. What are some things that are needed in the enclosure.
4. How big does the enlcosure have to be?
5. How long do they live?
6. What about Light requirements... Heat lamps, UV etc...
7. Where should I purchase one, I know there are many un-wanted Iguanas out there, but I want to get a young one so I can tame it myself... How hard is it to tame Iggy's?
8. Can you trim there claws? Or take them to a vet to have them trimmed regularly?

Sorry for all the questions, but It would be better for me to get the information for you guys instead of hunting the web for care pages that may give wrong advice. Thanks in advance.
Furious Herps.com

n/t
Furious Herps.com

We all could write a book on the specialized care of these fascinating creatures...Buy a book called Iguanas for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan...read it front to back and let us know if you are still interested...or read through her site at www.anapsid.org...good luck...Lyn

Ok , I just took in a rescue from some people that were not taking care of it , So it's fresh in my mind.

1. For one vet visit , it cost us $327.72 , For blood work and a Foot amputation and stuff. Things happen , you must have the means to give your iguana proper care.

2. They eat Greens and Veggies , Sometimes they eat people food but it's not good for them. I'm trying to break our rescue off people food now and it's realy tough , So keep him off people food. Food runs us about $10.00 a week.
Total = $40 for one month of care.
3. An Enclosure is going to be expencive , a 6x7x4 Acrillic Cage Was $800.00 , Stand $420.00 , They can start off in a small cage but soon will have to have a large one like the one we bought , Or Turn a closet into one.
Total = $1,440.
4. We just got Wood and Plants today , 4 - 5'logs 3 - 2'x3' log shelfs , Food bowls , water bowls And a basking shelf, 4 Plants ,4 pots soil , Some rocks , and a live tree. $370.80
Total = $1,810.80
5.About 20 years or so. There a long term commitment.

6. They get 6 feet long and 15 - 20 pounds.

7. The lights we bought at Lowes , 3 - 250w red lights , 2 - 100w UV Lights , and 2 Super Grow Lights , And a 5' Floressent light fixture and bulb was $104.57.
Total = $1,915.37
8. You need thermomiters and thermostats And a Misting system for Humidity , And timers for the day lights , That ran us $128.34.
Total = So far in the Last 4 days we have spent, $2,043.71
9. From my 4 day limited experiance , there's realy moody. They might be dog tame till they get mad about something , then it's no holds bared. Just about everything on them can cut you , there tail , spines , teeth ,claws ,And anything laying in there way when angry is a good projectile if there aim is good.

10 , Trim there claws regualrly , you can do it at home , but if you cant take the pain or have no gloves , take him to your vet.
I have cut's all over me , some down to the bone , So be carefull. And yes i was wearing leather gloves at the time , And he still bit through them.

>>I everybody... I have a few general questions about iguanas.
>>
>>1. What do they mainly Eat
>>2. How big will they get (don't worry, I know they get huge)
>>3. What are some things that are needed in the enclosure.
>>4. How big does the enlcosure have to be?
>>5. How long do they live?
>>6. What about Light requirements... Heat lamps, UV etc...
>>7. Where should I purchase one, I know there are many un-wanted Iguanas out there, but I want to get a young one so I can tame it myself... How hard is it to tame Iggy's?
>>8. Can you trim there claws? Or take them to a vet to have them trimmed regularly?

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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

n/p

OW! Sounds like you have a real biter there! I recommend you replace the Gro bulb (which is for plants), with a bulb that produces UVB specifically for reptiles. I use a ReptiSun 7.0. They must be kept about 12 inches or less away from the ig to be effective. They should be changed out with new bulbs every 6 months.

About the tameness of your ig. I realize the good it does to take in a rescue iguana, but there are some benefits to starting "fresh" with a juvenile ig. We have had our ig for 2 1/2 years, and have raised her like one of our own children. The result is a free roaming ig, that doesn't scratch, bite, tail whip, require a leash when walking outside with us, and is not bothered by strangers.

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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

Well , Taking a bandage off a raw stub and replacing it 2 times daily get's you cut up purdy bad , He's never bit me , the cut's are just from his claws.
I have UV lighting listed , Atleast i could have swore i posted Uv And Grow Bulbs ,, The Grow Bulbs are For the Live Plants, Not the iguana. I just tryed to list everything i have had to get for him and his habitat , I left out substrate and water fall ,, but i think i got everything else.

>>OW! Sounds like you have a real biter there! I recommend you replace the Gro bulb (which is for plants), with a bulb that produces UVB specifically for reptiles. I use a ReptiSun 7.0. They must be kept about 12 inches or less away from the ig to be effective. They should be changed out with new bulbs every 6 months.
>>
>>Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~
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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

Well , Taking a bandage off a raw stub and replacing it 2 times daily get's you cut up purdy bad , He's never bit me , the cut's are just from his claws.
I have UV lighting listed , Atleast i could have swore i posted Uv And Grow Bulbs ,, The Grow Bulbs are For the Live Plants, Not the iguana. I just tryed to list everything i have had to get for him and his habitat , I left out substrate and water fall ,, but i think i got everything else.

>>OW! Sounds like you have a real biter there! I recommend you replace the Gro bulb (which is for plants), with a bulb that produces UVB specifically for reptiles. I use a ReptiSun 7.0. They must be kept about 12 inches or less away from the ig to be effective. They should be changed out with new bulbs every 6 months.
>>
>>Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

Getting an Iguana is serious. Like the post above said (detailing the expenses) it can be a financial burden. I currently have 5 Green Iguana's ranging in age from 3 months to 5 years, and I can offer this advice.
1)get James Hatfields book "Green Iguana, The Ultimate Owners Manual".
2) Be prepared to loose ALOT of skin (my forearms look like I have been in a war)
3) I know you said you wanted a baby, but I would strongly suggest that you adopt a Juvenile or Adult FEMALE from the Green Iguana Society. If you can adopt one that is tame, you will have a much better time getting used to the animal. A hatchling is a tough project, and trust me it is a project.
4) If you must have a hatchling, be prepared to be scratched, bit & tail whipped. Also, be prepared to spend alot of time with the animal (2-3 hours a day) I know that sounds like alot, but if you want him or her to be tame, that is what it takes.
5) If you are at all able, build an enclosure. This can be done for about $100-$150. They will outgrow commercially available enclosures very fast. Sure you can spend $800-$1000 on a custom one, but why do that when you can build a 6'x6'x4 out of plywood & plexiglass.

Whatever you do, please be prepared to make this commitment. There are so many adult Iguana's that need homes because people didn't know what was involved with keeping them.

Sorry to be such a downer, but I think that the better informed you are, the better it will be for the animals. On the up side, they are a very sweet animal. My favorite is my adult female "Veela" she will climb on my chest on go to sleep.

The reason we opted for a Custom Acrillic cage is the fact that we wanted him to have a Iguana habitat , Not a cage. IMO , i think it's a better quality life having trees , plant and no visable walls , Than to be kept in a plywood box for 20 years.

>>5) If you are at all able, build an enclosure. This can be done for about $100-$150. They will outgrow commercially available enclosures very fast. Sure you can spend $800-$1000 on a custom one, but why do that when you can build a 6'x6'x4 out of plywood & plexiglass.
>>
>>Whatever you do, please be prepared to make this commitment. There are so many adult Iguana's that need homes because people didn't know what was involved with keeping them.
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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

While im sure your ig loves his habitat, not everyone can spend 800 and 400 for a stand. My ig currently lives in my bathroom, when he isnt outside. sure id love a fancy enclosure but i dont have the kind of $ it requires, so he lives in my bathroom/bedroom/supervised outdoors.

ok heres my versions of the answeres i have had my iguana for over a year and hes pretty healthy so here goes

1. What do they mainly Eat:
umm vegies one of the best things for a small ig is alfalfa sprouts they help them grow and be healthy but ne thing from squash to carots not to much celary or brocoli although some is ok and a few fruits romain leteus is ok but NO ice burge see mellisa kemplin i think shes got great advice on iguana diets and pretty much ne thing

2. How big will they get (don't worry, I know they get huge): average is about 6 ft. but its takes them a while to get that big mines over a year and hes only a couple feet i think(havent mesured him)

3. What are some things that are needed in the enclosure.:
uv light definatly and i have a heat rock in mine although some people dont like to use them couse of the water aspect but i have never had a problem line lays on his all day =D i have a couple logs in mine for him to sit on also place the uv light above his fave spot u never want to use sand or dirt it can become impacted in there gut i have lizard litter although many people here would yell at me for that it has NEVER hurt my ig

4. How big does the enlcosure have to be?:
u need a good sized enclosure i dont really know how big but i just make sure that mine has alot of space right now hes in a 72 gal tank

5. How long do they live?:
they pretty much have the same life expectanst of a dog

6. What about Light requirements... Heat lamps, UV etc...:
like i said b4 uv light

7. Where should I purchase one, I know there are many un-wanted Iguanas out there, but I want to get a young one so I can tame it myself... How hard is it to tame Iggy's?:
i got mine at a pet store(dont tell ne one pet stores are evil to these people) they normally carrie young ones but make sure its a good pet store u dont want to support a bad one that abuses the animals and as long as u hold them alot...like every day and spend alot of time with ur ig it shouldent be to hard just make sure u set aside time to play with it

8. Can you trim there claws? Or take them to a vet to have them trimmed regularly?:
i trim mine igs nails my self its not to hard regualr nail clippers or small dog clippers will do butr carefull dont clip to far or else ur igy will bleed..they normally let u know my thrashing ur leg(u wuld to if some one cut ur nail down to far)its fairly easy just clips the skinny part of the nail

well that should do it hope this helps iguanas are very rewarding pets i think i spend lots of time with mine also give ur ig a bath often or just let him swim in the tub cuzz like dogs they need a bath and when they get older be sure to keep them away from small animals like hampsters or mice (mine tries to eat my poor hampster max lol) and watch out for what plants ur ig goes near some are poisenus some common ones as well i dont member wich ones but ask some one im sure they wil tell u well thats about it hope u enjoy ur new ig if u get out

peace out

if im not staken you guys are trying to scare him out of getting an iguana!!!1000 dollar cage
LOL i cant believe you guys dont want someone to rescue an ig.... o well...

They're not trying to scare him, just trying to make sure he understands what he's getting into
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"It's not a matter of IF...but WHEN" ~Bill Haast~

"Joy unspeakable...to be holding death in your hands..."

I'm not trying to scare him. I am giving him real numbers off my recepts. If that's scary, Then i'm sorry , But that's what it cost for the best natural habitat we could come up with for our iguana. We try to acheve the same with our snake colonys. I have no experiance with a small one. But so far with a 6 foot lizard , I'v found out that it's hard work sometimes.
Changing bandages 2 or 3 times a day , Force feeding , steping in messes on the floor that ya didnt see before you steped down.
Curtains now have holes all over them from him climbing up into the window , Cut's all over me and my wife. It's not fiction ,
There just facts , If i came off like i was trying to keep him from geting one , than i'm sorry. That's not that i set out to do.
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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

I agree with the other posts. My igs currently in cages will soon have a room to themselves with a dividing wall between them. Igs are ALOT of work. And EXPENSIVE!!! In the year that I have had my eldest iguana I have spent well over 4,000 JUST on supplies and vet bills. Not to mention the vet bills on my HATCHLING adoptee... An uninformed owner is NO better for the animal than the shelter he is at UNLESS the owner is willing to work to gain knowledge. XXXTAPEXXX or whatever the ID is is WAY off base when he said romaine lettuce is OK for an ig. It is actually no better than ordinary iceberg lettuce for the igs. And hot rocks are a NONO. Igs do not need heat from the bottom. They need it from the top. they will sit on a hot rock until they burn because they cannot feel it. You can adopt hatchling and baby igs NO PROBLEM!!! They are as common as adut igs.

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Heather, Vern, Andy, Router, April And OODLES of fish