About Green Iguanas
The green iguana, also known as the common American Iguana is amongst the largest species of lizard in the America’s.
Originally found in South America such as Northern Mexico, Central America, Southern Brazil and the Caribbean Islands but have become an invasive species in North America.
They live high up in the trees and feed on primarily fruit, leaves and flowers. They are excellent swimmers and often live near to water sources.
They are known to leap from branched into the water to make a large space to scare away predators.
They have strong jaws, razor sharp teeth and big claws to allow them to climb trees.
In captivity, they need a large arboreal enclosure with a large water source and lots of high branches to climb and bask with a variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers.
Green Iguana Husbandry
Daily Chores
● Fresh water daily
● Spot clean daily
● Spray Daily (Full clean once a month)
● Use F10 Veterinary Disinfectant
Vets and Insurance
● Exotics Vets are not easy to find, here in Brighton we use Coastways in Kemptown as they have an exotic vet called Celine. It is essential you find an exotic vet.
● There is insurance you can get for your reptile through Exotic Direct.
Handling Green Iguanas and their Hormones
Handling Gloves
Handling your iguana should be fun and rewarding. But sometimes, your iguana can try to bite or scratch you (can be accidentally, too) when handling.
It might be a good idea to get thick gloves for handling your iguana, to help you feel more confident when handling and taming your iguana.
Green Iguanas require patience and lots of work to get them to a handleable place. Correct handling technique will help you establish trust and bond with
your iguana. You will need to learn how to correctly hold an iguana, when to handle it and how to approach it for handling.
Hormones
Green Iguanas also deal with hormonal behaviours which can lead to more defensive behaviours. You need to be aware of their breeding seasons to know when you lizard is going to be more challenging to work with.
Handle them with care and respect, avoiding sudden movements or loud noises. Iguanas need time to adjust to new environments and establish trust with their owners. Regular interaction and socialization can help them become more comfortable with human handling.
Green Iguana Diet
Iguanas should be fed daily. Water should always be available for drinking.
Safe Foods for an Iguana
Spring Greens, Rocket, Watercress, Bok Choy, Dandelion leaves & flowers, Figs, Banana, Papaya, Mango, Squash, Hibiscus
Supplementing your Iguana’s Diet with Botanicals
- Arcadia Reptile Flowerboost
- Arcadia Reptile Dragon Fuel
Supplementing your Green Iguana Diet
The use of high-quality reptile supplements in the correct amounts at the correct frequencies will help to ensure optimum bone health and skin health for your reptile, and help to avoid a plethora of nutrition-related illnesses such as metabolic bone disease.
EarthPro-A on every feed with CalciumPro Mg every 4th feed on all items. A quality powder with D3 and A at feed 6 or 8 as a cycle.
Check out the feeding schedule using the link below
https://www.arcadiareptile.com/earthpro/feeding-programme/herbivores/
Minimum rehoming Requirements for a Green Iguana
You can source all enclosures, equipment, electrics and decor from us as we run a shop.
- 6ft x 4ft x 6ft Vivarium
- Arcadia Reptile ProT5 54 12% Kit £75
- 75W Arcadia Reptile Halogen £15
- 50W Arcadia Reptile Deep Heat Projector £21
- Dimming thermostat £55 (you will need 2 thermostats)
- Arcadia Reptile Ceramic bulb holder and plug £15 (you will need 2 bulb holders)
- Habistat Heat Cage £15 (you will need 2 cages)
- Substrate and decor is up to you. We advice a Sand X Soil mix as substrate and a minimum of 2 hides and a water dish. Ensure Plants are safe for consumption.
Setting up your Iguana Enclosure
When installing the electrics in your enclosure, you want to create a warm side and cooler side. The halogen and UVB create the warm side. While the ceramic provides a boost to ambient temps when needed.
When you buy everything from us, we can set up your enclosure free of charge