Green Iguana Care

The Green Iguana is a tropical lizard, who needs a lot of handling to keep tame. It is a good idea to hold or pet your iguana 2-3 times a day. They will look forward to their time with you and become a great pet, just remember to respect their feelings. Their tail, which is their best weapon, will become detached if pulled. Never grab your lizard by the tail. It will remain in your hand. Although the tail will regenerate itself over time, a scarring will remain to mark where the new one began.

When young, a small 20 gallon aquarium will be suitable until the first year, it then will need a 55 gallon tank. After which time you will need to invest in a large screened in home or build your own. Reptile carpeting is usually the best and substrate for you and it. A HEAT PAD IS A MUST, they need the extra heat to aid in digestion. Plenty of climbing material and a large water dish.

Keep a dry food available at all times. Daily fresh fruits and vegetables including:  romaine hearts, carrots, strawberries, zucchini, beet greens, dandelion greens, and carrot greens. Crickets, mealworms and cooked egg yolk are good sources of protein. Be sure to dust all foods with calcium powder!

Protein Requirements:

After the next year they will only need about 10% of their diet to be Protein based. This decreases as their growth slows down. Only give broccoli and spinach sparingly as they can block calcium absorption. Calcium deficiency is one of the main causes of disfigurement and growth problems in the iguana.