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I am looking for instructions to take care of an iguana2007-11-24 2:00:47

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME shylilly_665@yahoo.com

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go to www.anapsid.org and you'll find out everything you need to know.

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DO NOT feed the iguana lettuce of any kind, even romaine has only 1 percent calcium and isnt worth it.

DO NOT feed the iguana any animal proteins, it causes renal failure. Iguanas are STRICT vegetarians. Those manufactered diets you find should only be a supplement only, they are not nutritionally complete. Their diet should consist of collard greens, mustard greens, dandilion greens, hibiscus flowers and leaves, watercress, parsley, turnip greens, butternut squash, apples, carrots, plums, and mangos. Kale and spinach are high in oxcalates wich binds calcium so they should only be a n occasional treat. Bananas are high in potassium and phosphates and they too should only be an occasional treat. They will also need a good calcium powder sprinkled onto their salad ONCE a week. Anymore then that and you risk hypocalcemia wich can be deadly. I use Tetrafauna ReptoCal and Flukers brand too.

Baby iguanas need no less then a 55 gallon tank and that will need to be upgraded in 6 months. They grow fast when they are babies. Eventually the iguana will need a room sized cage since they grow to be 6-8 ft long. They need a basking light with the correct wattage bulb that makes it 90 degrees on the hot end of the cage. They also need a flourescent uvb bulb that emits 5% or higher uvb rays. The bulb needs to be replaced every 6 months. Decent brands of bulbs are Zoo Med's Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0, Exo- Terra Repti-Glo 5.0 or 8.0. They need to get within 6-8 inches of the bulb too. Iguanas are arboreal and feel more comfortable high up so they need sticks and stuff to climb on and their cage should be higher up so kids and dogs and cats cant scare the crap out of them. Iguanas are prone to renal failure not only from pisspoor diets but also from not having the correct humidity. They need 70-80 percent humidity wich can be achieved by having a substrate that is digestible and safe and holds humidity well, i prefer coconut fiber in the expandable brick form. I use Eco- Earth brand but bed-a-beast is also good. Do not use walnut shells, big pieces of bark, sand, and liner. All have caused impactions. Also the iggies should have a large water dish wich they will primarily use as a potty so it needs to be changed daily. A shallow cat litter pan does the trick (a new one that hasnt been used as a cat litter box) and misting atleast a couple times a day.