Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What should I feed my iguana?
A. See Food/Water/Vitamins
Q. Are their any foods I should not be feeding to my iguana?
A. Stear clear of vegetables that contain high concentrations of mildly toxic chemicals including: oxalic acid/phytic acid/goitrogens/saponins. As these foods are fine for humans, they are harmful when fed to iguanas. These foods include: tofu, soy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, califlower, bok choy, spinach, rhubarb, beets, swiss chard, turnips (root), cabbage, bok choy). No lettuce of any kind should ever be fed to an iguana. They have very little nutritional value and cause diarrhea. High protein foods such as Dog/Cat food, monkey biscut/chow, eggs, meat, and cheese should never be fed to an iguana.
Q. Should I be giving my iguana any vitamins? How often should I give them to my iguana?
A. Be sure to add to your iguana's food both a vitamin supplement and calcium supplement for iguanas/reptiles, avaible at most pet stores, approximately two times a week. Usually there is a chart on the bottle showing how much to use according to your iguana's weight. If it confuses you, my advice is "a sprinkle" of each. Don't use it every day-too much can be toxic. Try to get a calcium supplement with Vitamin D3 added.
Q. I have never seen my iguana drink. Do I need to give it water everyday? What about a place to bathe/swim in?
A. Yes. Even though you may not ever see it, your iguana does drink water. Always make sure your iguana has clean, fresh, water available to him/her. As for a place to bathe, if you have one make sure you always keep it clean. I don't feel it is necessary to keep a bathing container available for your iguanas if they never use it. Some iguanas hate baths, so you can spray them with a gentle mist from a clean spray bottle daily.
Q. What kind of cage should I keep my iguana in? What kind of substrate should I use?
A. Iguanas outgrow their cages VERY fast. Don't waste your time buying glass tanks bigger and bigger as your iguana grows, you'll just waste money. Iguanas need a lot of room, so you are better off building your own enclosure or having one built for you. Iguanas like to climb and be up high, so you will want to include a shelf or perch with easy access to it. Choose a suitable substrate which is safe for your iguana. ANY kind of wood chips, gravel, sand, corn cob, reptile bark, lizard litter, etc. are NOT SAFE for your iguana. He/she will eventually end up ingesting some of it which will cause harm to the digestive system. Safe alternatives: artificial turf or linoleum-that can be washed or wiped up with a mild soap and water and rinsed thoroughly.
Q. What kind of lights do I need? How many hours of light do iguanas need?
A. Iguanas need special lighting that will provide the benefits of natural sunlight. You will need to set up a full spectrum florescent light to produce UVB rays. It should be placed about 8-14 inches from your iguana for it to get any benefit from it. This light and all others used in or near your iguana's enclosure should be on about 12-14 hours a day; they need about 10-12 hours of darkness also, or their health will suffer. A timer makes life so much easier. Make sure the bulb is not covered or it will not have any benefit. Special fixtures are sold where the bulb is exposed. I use "Zoo Med's Iguana Light" in a fixture you could find in any hardware or lighting store(minus the cover). "Vitalite" is also popular. FLORESCENT LIGHT ALONE WILL NOT HEAT YOUR IGUANA. You will need to also include in your set up a warm basking area. You can do this by using other lights or ceramic heaters(make sure you use a porcelain light fixture because ceramic heaters can get VERY hot). Beware of round lights that say "full spectrum" and "neodymium". They are fine to use WITH your florescent light, NOT instead of; or you could use regular white light bulbs. I use mine inside a silver dome fixture sold in most hardware stores. Basking spot lights(they have a silver backing to reflect) are also sold in most petstores with a good reptile section. Your iguana's enclosure should sustain a temperature gradient ranging from about 75F-84F (cool spot) and about 90F-94F (basking spot). An ideal iguana enclosure should have one end at around 75F and get warmer as your iguana goes to the other side where it can bask somewhere up higher on a branch or ledge at around 92F. Your iguana should be able to place him/herself at a temperature it feels comfortable with at any time-not be forced to be hot or cold.
Q. Does my iguana need a hot rock/pad?
A. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. However, many iguanas burn themselves on hot rocks/pads. If you provide a basking area that is approximately 92F(which is extremely important) your iguana should be able to properly digest its food without a hot rock/pad. If you feel strongly about it or if you already use one and your iguana loves it, than you should purchase a rheostat, which is a device you plug your heat rock/pad (or other heating devices) into so you can control the temperature of it. Heat rocks/pads get too hot without using one.
Q. Will my iguana need its nails trimmed?
A. Yes, you will need to trim your iguanas nails. This will probably need to be done a couple times a year depending on how fast your iguana's nails grow. First, make sure your iguana is as relaxed as you are going to get him/her to be. Having two people work on this task is helpful, but one can do it alone if need be. If you have a partner,one person should hold the lizard with both hands, one around the neck and front area, and the other in front of the hind legs. The other person, using a clean reptile (cat, rabbit, etc.) claw clipper (found in most pet stores) then clips off the sharp pointed TIP on the claw. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CUT INTO THE BLOOD VESSEL!!!! Using a bright light behind your iguana allows you to look through the nail and show you where the blood vessel starts. Don't cut all the way up to it, leave a little bit of room from where it becomes visible to where you cut. Cutting into the blood vessel will hurt your iguana and upset him, which could result in injury to the both of you.
Q. What are mites, and how do I know if my iguana has them?
A. Mites are little red, brown, or white insects that feed off of your iguana. They look like little red, brown, or white dots on the skin. Sometimes you will see them move, and other times not. Mites will ultimately kill your iguana if left untreated. If you find mites your should call your reptile vet immediately.
Q. My iguana has laid a clutch of eggs. What do I do next?
A. You can find information on egg-laying and incubation at Melissa Kaplan's "Preparing For Egg-Laying And Incubation Of Potentially Fertile Eggs"
Q. Is it true that iguanas carry Salmonella and can pass it to humans?
A. You can find lots of information on that subject at Melissa Kaplan's Giant Green Iguana Care Collection: Salmonella.
