This is the basic content of information. Keep in mind we want to cover the basics that a person needs to know. This is a FAQ page not a full-blown website. FAQs should not be hundreds of pages long - just a page or two covering the highlights.
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The Basics
FOOD
The diet of the Iguana is the most widely misunderstood aspect of their care. Although many people, including some vets, still say that Iguanas need animal protein to live, recent research has shown that feeding this will cause kidney failure and an early death. Instead, iguanas should be feed a healthy rounded diet consisting of dark, leafy greens (collard, mustard, endive, escarole and turnip creating 70-80% of the base diet), fruit (no more than 10%) and a variety of other vegetables. You must try to make sure that you have 2 times more calcium than phosphorus in the food that the iguana receives. Mineral supplements free of phosphorus may be use to help increase the calcium levels. In addition, remember variety is the spice of life! If fed a proper diet, you cannot over feed an iguana.
LIGHTING
Most packaging for light bulbs marketed for reptiles claim to simulate natural sunlight, but they really do not. For iguanas, you need to provide both UVB and bright, white light. The Zoo Med Iguana Light 5.0 is recommended. It should also be noted that UV bulbs must be changed every 6-12 months. The light may still function however the UV levels degrade as time goes by. The lights should be no farther than 12 inches from the basking point in the enclosure. UV-B helps Iguanas produce necessary D3 that is essential to survival. A new product on the market is Mercury Vapor Lights. This product, while the basis of much controversy, is reported to be effective in producing proper amount of UV rays with a greater range of effectiveness as well as offering heat. This option can be considered and researched as well.
HEATING
Since iguanas are cold blooded and cannot provide their own heat as humans can, they must have it provided for them. They require a heating source that provides a basking spot temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They also need a cooler area (75-80 degrees F.) so that they can regulate their body temperature and digest their food better. Please remember, no guessing, you have to use thermometers to monitor the temperatures. At least one thermometer can be placed below the basking spot and one at the part of enclosure furthest away from basking spot are suggested. Also remember that you will need a different heat source for the nighttime hours as iguanas require darkness at night. You cannot use the daytime white or bright light producing heat lamps for nighttime heating. This is where things like black light bulbs and Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE) come in handy. Even though many stores sell hot rocks as heat sources, they are to be avoided because reptiles do not have heat sensors on their bellies and they can literally cook themselves on these products.
Growth & Maturity
IGUANA GROWTH PATTERNS
Despite what some sources say, keeping an iguana in a smaller enclosure will not keep the iguana small; it can, however, cause your iguana to react with extreme aggression every time you try to get into its enclosure. It is suggested that a 55-gallon be used as a starting point. With in the first year, Iguanas will often double their original size. Buying a bigger cage to start out with will be fiscally better and make a happier Iguana in the end. By the age of two, iguanas can be 2 feet or larger and by 4-5 years the iguana may be in the area of 5 feet. It is because of this that many owners devote whole rooms to their Iguanas habitat.
IGUANA MATURITY
Around 1 to 2 years of age, iguanas will begin to take on certain characteristics that give the owners insight to the sex of their lizard. Iguanas cannot be accurately sexed until they are approx.12 months of age; healthy ones will be 8-9" SVL at that time. This gives you six months to get them (and yourselves) ready their first breeding season, at 18 months of age.
FEMALES
Even if a female has not been with a male she may still develop and lay infertile eggs. If you suspect she is gravid (a month of much higher food and water intake, restlessness and digging behavior, for one month), a vet visit is in order to make sure she is healthy enough and has high enough serum calcium. The first breeding season can occur as early as 18 months of age. This usually occurs about 2 years in age for a healthy iguana.
MALES
Once males hit their sexual maturity, they may exhibit violent tendencies (biting, hissing, and posturing) towards their owners, especially female owners. Owners must be aware that when Iguanas mate, they grasp the female around the neck or head securely. Males may try this with their female owners. They go through a yearly breeding season, which as they age may become less severe if not more predictable
IGUANA MISCONCEPTIONS
Misconception #1) Iguanas have no personality.
Reptiles in fact do have personalities. Some are dominant while others are submissive. Most iguanas can be socialized with some getting so mellow that they can be taken into large groups and not care about anything, but the shoulder they are laying on. Some iguana's can also be very nasty. One thing to remember is that Iguanas are still very much wild animals with wild instincts and their own individual personalities. Just ask any iguana to find out.
Misconception #2) Iguanas make GREAT pets for children!
When parents give in to their child's request for a pet Iguana, they must realize that there is a good chance that this pet will be THEIR pet. Many times, because of the high level of care needed by the iguana and often poor info available, many iguanas will die at an early age. As with buying a car parents must research the care and needs of any pet the family may get.
Misconception #3) Iguanas are low maintenance pets.
This is definitely untrue, as you may have already read. You need to clean their enclosure daily, feed them at least twice a day, provide them with the correct temperatures that often vary severely from what you have in your home, and provide them with a large enough home to be healthy and happy. Preparation of weekly diets can take up to an hour a week if not more due to the need for fresh vegetables. To keep them socialized, you must interact with them on a very regular basis. Trust us, it is a million times easier to get a dog sitter than an iguana sitter for vacations.
Misconception #4) Iguanas do not have special requirements.
We only wish!!! As you have been reading there are many different specialized things Iguanas need. The diet, heating and lighting are enough to cause problems. Then you get into the housing and socialization and Iguanas are not only time consuming but expensive also!
Misconception #5) Iguanas Eat Meat.
Although most books on iguana care tell you to feed them animal protein, especially when they are young, we now know otherwise. With recent research the long-term effects of animal protein in the diets of iguanas is becoming known. Animal protein causes severe health problems in the end. Iguanas can live to be about 20 years of age. Many iguanas fed a steady diet of meat by-products are living an average of 8 years. Why do they die? We now know that diets high in animal protein cause kidney and liver problems and early death.
Misconception #6) Iguanas do not need UVA or UVB like some other reptiles.
Fluorescent tubes that offer UVA and UVB or good old natural sunlight allow Iguanas to produce the much-needed Vitamin D3. At this time it is not certain if they can utilize D3 that is ingested so that is where these tubes come in. Remember when providing light however that light filtered through glass and plastic has most of the UV rays filtered out. Direct sunlight is the only good sunlight.
Misconception #7) Iguanas will only grow as large as their tank allows.
It is the strangest thing that we have never come across an animal that will stop growing before it hits its peak just because of the size of it home. That is unless it is dead! This idea came from many years of poorly cared for iguanas live for only a year or less. Of course, at that age, you can be sure that they will not grow larger than the cage. Iguanas will keep growing when given proper care. Part of the problem is that many pet store employees are not knowledgeable in the specific care of iguanas and only read out-dated literature. When purchasing an iguana, the customer is usually given old and often incorrect information. The employee may believe they providing correct information (or is deliberately misleading the customer) and all too often convinces an unsuspecting shopper to purchase an animal they are not actually prepared to keep and care for.
Misconception #8) Reptiles do not need to go to the Vet.
If you own a dog, you know the best way to treat heartworm is early diagnosis and regular check ups. Preventive medicine is true with reptiles as well. A yearly physical including a blood panel will help you prevent problems in the end. Blood panels are a good way to judge the on going health of your reptile. You should have the Calcium
hosporus level checked as well as hydration, protein levels, and given a basic over all health exam. Reptiles hide most illnesses until it is almost too late. In the wild, a reptile that appears sick may very well end up as someone else's dinner. Many health problems can affect captive reptiles. Females may have problems with eggs. Tails or toes can easily become broken or infected. Kidney failure, abscesses, metabolic bone disease, and a host of other problems may plague iguanas. To find a vet, check out the links below.
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PHWyvern
biting, hissing, and posturing)"... don’t forget tail whipping!
