Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If Marley gets a chance he seems to totally love to eat dirt. I must admit he seems to be a gourmet and only eats the 'new' stuff. Will it hurt him? Is there something missing in his diet?
Thanks~

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Lin & Marley

I have no clue as to why Marley eats dirt but I think he is a beautiful lizard. I crack up whenever I recall the cowboy outfit posts. Thank you.

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Lizards - Not Just For Kids Anymore.

Apparently igs just like the taste of dirt, ash, sand, etc. There is nothing missing from their diet that causes them to do this (that is known at this time). Unfortunately, eating dirt can cause impaction, so they should not be allowed to do so.

I'm wondering if this is a captive lizard only kinda thing.
Because Kasey does the same thing when he's out in the lawn.
But there cant be thousands of wild lizards dropin dead out there from eating dirt. Not to say that it isnt harmfull. ( i had to look up impaction) hehe , But if captive iguana's do it , i wonder if wild iguanas do also. or if it's just a captive responce to a new taste or substance (Like a strange dirt or grass).

>>Apparently igs just like the taste of dirt, ash, sand, etc. There is nothing missing from their diet that causes them to do this (that is known at this time). Unfortunately, eating dirt can cause impaction, so they should not be allowed to do so.
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Seth Mason.
Do lesbian frogs think they taste like chicken too ?

It`s a very natural thing, that several lizards eat dirt. Especially iguanas eat more or less. It provides them with several microbiological things in order to improve their digesting system. Juvenils that eat feces from (healthy!) adult iguanas or dirt are known to grow quicker and are less prone to several disease.
It may become dangerous for them if they don`t get enough supplementation- because they may eat to much in order to get their minerals etc.
Let your iggy eat the dirt! You can maybe even put a little disch with dirt into his vivarium.
The dirt needs to be pollutent free of cause.

Excuse my bad english (live in germany and my english courses are long ago,...) and best wishes,

Karsten

Porfi tries to eat my patio... when I let him bask outside, he tries to lick up & bite the ground. He also tries to eat the little bark chips that get blown onto the cement also, which you can sort of see in the piture. I don't know why?! Maybe they have a hidden mineral craving sometimes.

Wow! That's one dark ig! Was he cold that day? My ig is never that dark.

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Lamar, Debbie, Nathaniel and Iggi :>~

Porfi actually changes to that dark color when he basks. I learned that they change to a darker color b/c it absorbs the heat/sun more. He changes colors quite a lot, I never knew igs could do that. His colors change depending on where he is in the house (he's a free roamer) and obviously what his mood is. He's in a good, friendly mood most of the time. Sometimes he turns so white or orange when he sleeps... see the picture below, he looks like a big carrot. Your ig has a cool color too, I like the grayish green.

...Then as he warms up, he gets lighter and lighter. He has his own little built in turkey-timer!