- Caging/Housing: A 20-gallon-long aquarium will suffice as caging for baby and young green iguanas up to about 18 inches long. We acclimate our baby albino green iguanas in this kind of enclosure. If you put a newly acquired small lizard in a HUGE enclosure, they sometimes have difficulty finding their food and water. Additionally, these smaller tanks allow green iguanas to understand that you are not a predator that intends to eat them. All in all, a small tank is much better than a large cage for a baby green iguana. An adult green iguana needs LOTS of space. That cute little baby green iguana will grow at a very rapid rate to a 6-foot-long dinosaur with special needs that the average owner cannot provide. An adult green iguana requires an enclosure at least 12 feet long by 6 feet wide by 6 feet high. The height of 6 feet is very important as, these lizards are primarily arboreal in nature. A good rule of thumb is to provide a cage that is at least twice as long as the iguana, with a width at least the same length as the lizard. You cannot house adult males in the same cage, or they will fight. The cage parameters and temperature gradients are easier met for adult iguanas in some type of wire enclosure. How you construct or purchase the enclosure is not as important as providing the proper size and temperatures needed to house an adult iguana.
- Feeding: Green iguana dietary needs are easily met both with raw natural foods that can be purchased in a supermarket and commercially prepared "Iguana Food." Vegetables such as collard greens, turnip greens, dandelions, yellow squash, whole green beans, etc., are excellent food for your green iguana. We also provide fruit about once a week. A green iguana diet that is high in fruit can cause diarrhea. Food preparation for small green iguanas is slightly different than for adult green iguanas. When cutting up raw vegetables, it is wise to cut each piece to the proper size for the green iguana to pick up and easily swallow whole. Remember that green iguanas cannot chew their food and have to swallow it in one piece. Additionally, there are great commercial foods made by Zoo Med, Mazuri, Rep-Cal and others that are nutritionally sound and that green iguanas like to eat. If you are using a commercial food source such as Mazuri Tortoise Chow, which we rely heavily on, you must moisten it as needed so the juvenile green iguanas are able to eat it. My large green iguanas will simply pick up the dry pieces and swallow them. You should add a calcium supplement, such as Osteoform, to the green iguana food about once a week. Under NO circumstances should you give green iguanas a diet that is high in protein. If you do, over time this will lead to renal failure and the death of the iguana. We also provide live hibiscus plants of the proper size to fit into the cage as not only a food supplement but also for the juvenile green iguanas to climb on. Hibiscus plants can be purchased at most garden centers, but remember that these may have been sprayed with an insecticide.
- Watering: Water should always be made available. Remember that smaller green iguanas, especially babies, may not be able to locate their water bowl. Because of this, it is vital that you mist them daily and soak them at least twice weekly in order to ensure that they are well hydrated. If you start with a juvenile green iguana, it is beneficial to mist them as well as to occasionally put them in their water dish. If possible, it is best to provide a water container large enough for the lizard to get into and soak. In the wild, green iguanas always live near water and are excellent swimmers.
- Handling Iguanas: Baby green iguanas generally do not bite, but excessive handling should be avoided until the iguana gets used to its new home. Green iguanas make intelligent, friendly pets. Unlike snakes and many other herps, iguanas have the capability of identifying their caretakers, and some have remarkable personalities. Over time they may become quite affectionate and are among the most rewarding of all reptiles to keep. I implore you to NOT purchase a green iguana on impulse just because they are cute. Unfortunately, baby green iguanas are now so inexpensive that they have become what I call "a disposable pet." Many of the green iguanas that are purchased perish because of the lack of knowledge and ability of the keeper. Please think before you buy a green iguana and remember that as with all animals, they are living things. If you have read this article and still want an iguana as a pet, you will not be disappointed, as green iguanas are one of the finest reptiles available today.
- Prices:
USD- 10
GBP- 29