Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok so ive had my Iguana for about 10 months now and he's only like a year old. ive pretty mcuh only been feeding him green leaf lettuce and he seems to be fine but then i started reading more about what to feed them and they say to add some fruit but not too much fruit and to give them some of the mineral diet foods but only some and im sorta lost.
So i was wondering what you guys feed your Iguanas to keep them healthy?

There are a few posts down below about feeding igs that you can browse through. All leaf lettuce is generally not used because although it has a high water content, it has little nutritional value. In short, it's like a filler.

Here's what I use:

Staple greens fed daily (I change it up for nutritional variety)
Collards, mustard, turnip greens. These cost me about $2-$3 a head at the store and I wash them, dry them, and put them away in a bowl to make them last.

Veggies added to the greens:
yellow squash, zucchini, sweet potato, green beans, peas

Fruit:
I'll try anything I have on hand, his faves are blueberries, bananas, mango, cantaloupe, grapes. Doesn't like peaches or strawberries.

I look as his food bowl like an ice cream sundae. The greens are like a double scoop of ice cream, so I put the most in the bottom. Veggies are like whipped cream, so they go on top, and fruit is like the cherry. I guess percentage proportions would be like 70/20/10.

It's more of an art. Somedays I just feed greens since they are the staple. One day I had an abundance of yellow squash and all the lizards ate yellow squash that day. Once in a while if I have leftover fruit, he might get extra banana. I just try to keep changing it up so he gets a variety of nutrients. If I feed collards one week, then I'll switch to turnips the next. I try not to feed the same fruit two days in a row. Some days there is no fruit.

It seems to have worked for us...my little ig had some health problems and was underweight at 45g (that's tiny!) when he should have been 90g. I weighed him last week, 3 months later, and he's 185g. So he's been healing and growing on that diet, along with a lot of fresh sunshine!

k thanks a bunch

>>ok so ive had my Iguana for about 10 months now and he's only like a year old. ive pretty mcuh only been feeding him green leaf lettuce and he seems to be fine but then i started reading more about what to feed them and they say to add some fruit but not too much fruit and to give them some of the mineral diet foods but only some and im sorta lost.
>>So i was wondering what you guys feed your Iguanas to keep them healthy?

Green leaf lettuce lacks enough nutrition to go the long haul with iguanas and MBD is so very not fun to treat!

I have several species of iguanas here and they all get this diet.

Our diet consists of a base of greens. My guys prefer the greens to be chunky. The green base is about 40% of the diet. I rotate between several types. Collard, Dandelion, Turnip, Mustard and occasionally Kale.

Other veggies that I mix in are rotated by what looks good and available in the store. This is also 40% or so.
Parsnips
Yams
Winter squash (mine prefer carnival or acorn)
Green beans
Ocra
Occasional summer squash in small amounts (I usually chop and store separate because of high water count)

Fruits also vary by what looks good. This is around 20%
Raspberries
Strawberries
Prickly Pear
Cactus pad (prickers must be removed)
Blueberries
banana - this is a treat and gets the most stubborn kids to eat
Plantains
occasional sliced and skinned apples and pears

All of my iguanas are also provided with rep cal pelleted food as well.
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Ok i've had my igg for a while and i know im know expert but...i feed my igg collard and mustard greens,i also feed him fresh kale. He is health and i dont just give him greens. The trick is to have a good ratio of cal.hos.! i give my igg all kinds of other fruits and veggies! u just cant over do it!! Mine LOVES yellow squash and Yellow bell peppers! but i also give him snakes every now and then...like tonight for instance he has mastered using is litter box...and as he knows he will get a treat for using it! so he got his kale mustard and collard greens and he got grapes and carrots! They learn real fast if u reward them! anywayz the way to prepare their food is easy...i pre-cut my greens and ziplock them! and its alot easier when i have to feed him! Three times a day is alot of greens and once they get to a certain length they will start to eat about 3 times their weight in food...its normal! i just make sure that he gets enough excercise and enough sun and so far health problems have been rare...oh and one more thing although iggs have a strong jaw they dont really chew their food so it would help your igg when eating if u cut his food up..like his treats and stuff...i cut the greens also!
well i hope this wasnt to confusing and good luck!!
always,
Hunter of DS Reptile Rescue
P.S. they also need a heat lamp and a u.v. light!
this sight might help with your questions www.iguanaden.org

Hello
After doing much research, the information from iguanaden made the most sense and had the longest track record. Do your research and go with whatever makes the most sense to you based on results not just theory.

Here is an example of what's on iguanaden.org

Staple 2 or 3: collard greens, dandelion greens, arugula

Variety 3 to 5: mustard greens, watercress, cilantro, swiss chard, escarole, endive, turnip tops, chickory, mustard spinch

Greens:small amounts
Acorn Squash (grated)
Butternut Squash (grated)
Yams (grated)
Parsnips
Green Beans
Peas

Fruits:rarely and not that often
Grapes
Strawberries
Melons (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon)
Blueberries
Raspberries
Mango

For more information go to the website.