Iguana Care

Hawthorne Animal Hospital

1125 Goffle Road
Hawthorne, NJ 07506
973-427-5554

Introduction: One thing that you will hear, over and over again, as you research iguana care, is
that "iguanas are not easy care pets". Why is that? After all, other popular pets, such as dogs, cats,
and fish, aren't nearly so difficult. What is it about iguanas that makes caring for them such hard
work? Well, the biggest factor is this: iguanas, like other reptiles and amphibians, are dependent
upon their environment for a wide variety of things that relatively lower maintenance pets such as
mammals can get from other sources. They get heat from their environment. Their bodies use
certain wavelengths of light in the environment to aid in their metabolism and body chemistry. They
are very well adapted to their natural environment (warm, fairly humid places), which is usually
extremely different from the captive environment in which they find themselves. A proper
environment and diet is necessary for long term health of your pet. Understanding your iguana's
needs before you create a habitat for it is very important. Having said that, just what are an
iguana's basic habitat needs?

Size: It is important for new iguana owners to realize that a properly cared for adult iguana will be
LARGE - up to 6 feet long! Contrary to the common misconception, they are not limited in size by
the size of their enclosure. They will continue to grow throughout their lifetimes – quickly at first,
and then slowly as they age. A young iguana will outgrow a 55 gallon aquarium in its first year.
Before purchasing an iguana, you must be sure you have the resources and space for a large
enclosure, or the ability to provide your iguana with free roaming space that still provides all the
habitat necessities.

An iguana enclosure should be at least twice the length of the iguana and should be tall. Six feet is
the minimum habitat height recommended. Iguanas are arboreal (tree climbing) and feel most
comfortable up high. The width of the cage should be at least half your iguana's length. The bigger
the cage, the better off your iguana will be. Not only does an inadequately sized enclosure cause
stress, but iguanas that are kept in too-small cages injure themselves fighting the cage trying to find
an escape route. Nose wounds and broken claws indicate that the iguana has been scratching at the
cage walls or door or rubbing its nose along the glass or screen, trying to find a way out. Cages
that are too small also limit the iguana's movement and climbing ability.

A baby or juvenile iguana does not need a huge enclosure. In fact, a large aquarium makes a fine
habitat for small iguanas. Be aware, however, that iguanas grow very quickly, and they will
outgrow a large aquarium by the end of their first year. So, it is important that you plan ahead and
have a large enclosure ready. In the meantime, the aquarium must have all the same things as the
large enclosure: proper lighting, heating and humidity devices, and climbing materials.

Temperature: Since they are from the tropics and are cold-blooded, iguanas need an enclosure that
is kept very warm. You must provide a basking spot that is 90-95ºF, and the ambient air
temperature surrounding your iguana should be no lower than 80ºF during the day. Inadequately
warm temperatures prevent iguanas from properly digesting their food and absorbing nutrients.
Growth is stunted and malnutrition results. In addition, an iguana that is kept too cool will be
uncomfortable and inactive. Within the habitat, a range of temperatures should be provided so that
your iguana can regulate its body temperature by moving back and forth between cooler and
warmer areas. Like all other animals, iguanas must have a day/night cycle.

To provide optimal temperatures, two heat sources should be provided:

1. A source of belly heat to facilitate digestion. This can be supplied with a heating pad made for
people and set on low heat. Heat tape sold through some reptile supply companies, heat pads made
for reptiles or other animals, and heat rocks have been associated with burns. Check heat sources
often. Ensure that the cage allows a range of temperatures, with daytime basking temps between 95
and 100 degrees.
2. A source of overhead heat. Ceramic heat emitters can be put in shop light holders with heavy
duty sockets. These are rather expensive but are long lasting and can be left on all the time.
Incandescent light bulbs can be used instead, but must be alternated with dark light bulbs for night
use. The heat source should be within 2-3 feet of the iguana's basking spot but should be out of
reach and covered with wire barriers to prevent burns.

Lighting: Iguanas should have a source of UVA and UVB light. It is thought that UVA may
stimulate natural behaviors by providing a component of natural sunlight. UVB is important to
iguanas for another reason. Without it, their bodies cannot manufacture vitamin D3 or properly
metabolize calcium. Iguanas that are deprived of proper UV lighting suffer from a disease called
Metabolic Bone Disease which is unfortunately very common in captive iguanas. MBD causes
weak bones, jaw and bone deformities and early death.

The absolute best source of UV light is the sun. Allowing your iguana to bask in the sun on a
regular basis will provide it with large amounts of natural UV light. The general rule of thumb is -
the more real sun your iguana has access to, the better. One thing to be aware of is that glass and
plastic filter out the UV components of sunlight. It is for this reason that you cannot just set your
iguana in front of a closed window in the sun. The window glass filters out most of the UV light, so
your iguana will not benefit from such sunbathing in terms of vitamin D3 production (although he
might enjoy this (in)activity immensely).

An additional source of UV light (besides sunlight) is special fluorescent UV bulbs available in pet
stores (Repti-Sun 5.0, Iguana Light, Reptile Light, and Vitalite fluorescent tubes are examples)
that sell reptile supplies. The additional use of artificial UV lights acts as a safety net - especially
in cool, cloudy and/or northern climates.

Humidity: Iguanas require high humidity as well as high temperatures in their environments. One
of the most common problems seen in captive iguanas is dehydration. Iguanas don't seem to be
programmed to drink very much, perhaps because in their native rainforests there is sufficient
humidity in the air and moisture in their food to keep them hydrated. Captive environments tend to
be much drier, and with a lack of desire to drink, even if water is made available, many iguanas
spend much of their time at least mildly dehydrated. Chronic dehydration taxes the kidneys, and
can contribute to kidney failure at fairly young ages. For this reason, it is important to provide
your iguana with a humid environment. High humidity also helps loosen shedding skin, which
makes the shedding process easier and helps prevent retained shed. Humidity levels in your
iguana's environment should be 65-75%. Daily spraying of your iguana and misting the cage with a
water bottle, and soaking your iguana daily in warm water will help in this regard.

Bedding and “Iguana Proofing”

The best type of bedding to use for your iguana’s cage bottom is either newspaper,
butcher’s wrap, or “reptile carpet” which is similar to astro-turf. Particle type beddings, such as
corn cob or gravel should not be used, as iguanas tend to eat these and an intestinal blockage could
occur.
 Also, iguanas are attracted to shiny metallic objects. If you let them have supervised
exercise in your house, make sure their areas are free from screws, pins, coins, paper clips, etc. as
these are ingested readily by iguanas and surgery may be needed to remove them.

The Iguana Diet: Veggies and Variety

60-70% GREENS, such as turnip greens, beet greens, collards, bok choy, swiss chard, dandelions,
parsley, romaine lettuce, escarole, spinach etc.
25-30% BULK VEGGIES, such as squash, zucchini, sweet potato, peppers, broccoli, peas, beans,
okra, carrots and sprouts.
5-10% FRUIT, Warning, iguanas really love fruit, but it doesn't provide much nutrition, so do not
feed them fruit more than once every other day, because some will pick out all the fruit and not eat
the veggies that provide almost all the needed nutrition.
Calcium and Phosphorus: Calcium deficiency can cause many problems in pet iguanas. You should
have a powdered calcium supplement to sprinkle over your iguana's food. Proper exposure to UV
rays also prevent calcium deficiencies.
For Babies and Females about to lay fertilized eggs: 5% protein. Warning, no meat protein! Do not
feed your iguana cat or dog food, chicken, or any other meat product vegetable tofu is a good
protein supplement. Also, some pet store carry powdered protein supplements which you can
sprinkle on your iguana's other food.
Minimize feeding your iguana celery, iceberg lettuce, or any other water vegetable. They do not
contain the nutrition they need.
DO feed your iguana a good variety of these suggested food, because different individual iguana
needs vary, and limiting your animal's diet to 2 or 3 types of vegetables could be a health risk.
Ingredients :
EACH MEAL should contain ingredients from EACH of the SIX following categories :
Leafy green vegetables :
30-40% of the total diet (two or more at each meal)
Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelions (leaves and flowers)*, nasturtium
(leaves and flowers)*, hibiscus (leaves and flowers)*, escarole, chicory, watercress,
endives, green onions
In small quantities : Carrot greens, beet greens, kale, chinese cabbage (bok choy), swiss
chard, parsley, romanian lettuce, spinach.
Optional (in small quantities) : basil, oregano, coriander (cilandro), sprouts, grass*.
*It is best to cultivate these plants yourself to avoid pesticide/herbicide toxicity
Nutritious vegetables :
30-40% of the total diet (offer a variety weekly)
Green and yellow wax beans, orange-fleshed squash (pumpkin, spaghetti, butternut, acorn),
snap peas, snow peas, okra, sweet potato, red and green peppers, parsnip, asparagus, leeks
(+ leaves)
In small quantities : onions, celeri, mushrooms
Vegetable protein :
Up to 5% of the total diet
Alfalfa pellets (make sure they don't contain any animal products; soak before mixing in the
salad), cooked beans (rinsed and drained), tofu (in small amounts).
Grains :
Optional, up to 5% of the total diet
Cream of Wheat® (an ideal Ca:P ratio of 2:1), whole bread, bran cereal, rice, pasta
Nutritious fruit :
Up to 15% of the diet
Fresh or dried figs (calcium-rich), papaya, mellon, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries,
apricots, prunes, apples, grapes.
Vitamins / minerals :
Vitamins : Choose a good multivitamin for humans or reptiles. PRIME (made by Hagen),
a supplement for birds, is highly recommended. Nekton-Rep is also very good. Add one
small pinch per meal, 2-3 times a week for hatchings and juveniles, and one large pinch per
meal, 1-2 times a week for adults.
A note on animal protein sources :
In the wild, iguanas are folivores, a type of vegetarian that eats primarily leaves. Some
iguana books falsely claim that iguanas eat insects until they mature, then switch to a
vegetarian diet as adults. This is not the case. They are vegetarians from birth even though
they might occasionally accept unnatural foods in captivity. Protein should be supplied as
a plant based source. Dog and cat food, crickets, trout chow, mealworms, etc. should be
excluded from the diet.
A note on commercial iguana diets :
the advantage of these products is that they are easier to use than preparing a balanced
salad several times a week. The disadvantage is that in spite of claims that the commercial
diets are complete and balanced, they may not be so. Commercial diets are unproved. They
may be used in emergencies or occasionally added in small amounts to the fresh salad but
should not form a major part of the diet.
Final note : Offer variety, variety, and variety ! It's the only way to make sure your iguana
stays healthy.