Alright, so I'm getting an Iguana........?

Question

Yes, I know it's a big responsibility. But my cousin doesn't really like hers (as it doesn't like her daughter very much) and wants to give it away. She offered it to me, and I'm extremely prepared to get it. But my mom wants me to write a report on the diet, sanitary, and habitual needs to ensure it doesn't suffer and all that.

Does anyone know of any good sites in which I can learn all this stuff? And please don't go on about how I shouldn't get one and all that.

Answer 1

well the basics are, over 4 foot lizard, which needs constant light and heat, and eats vegetables and one of the coolest pets to have but also one pet that only some people are capable to take care of. go to this web it helped me a lot.....

http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/iguan...

Answer 2

For green iguana info it is Melissa Kaplan's site, it doesn't get any more thorough and comprehensive then that.....

http://www.anapsid.org/

Answer 3

I think that if you're prepared for a lizard that can get between 4-6 feet, has a tail strong enough to leave large red welts on you, and many teeth sharp enough to send you to the ER for stitches, go for it. I love iguanas.

Keep in mind that iguanas are not the most "cuddly" lizards, and some take up to a year to allow you to touch them, and some NEVER do. Remember that these lizards can live 15+ years. Make sure it has a "forever home" with you. They need LARGE enclosures, and do well if they have their own room (meaning the room is their cage, and is iguana proofed, humidity proofed, and heat proofed).

Iguanas are strictly herbivores, meaining they eat ONLY greens&fruits&veggies. Iguanas should NEVER eat insects, meat, or rodents. The protein in thost types of foods cause kidney failure in iguanas.

Iguanas need high humidity, and relatively high temperatures. They also need A LOT of good quality UVB, and supplements. If you get a UVB light in a petstore, get a flourescent TUBE; do NOT get the compacts or coils, they can cause blindness and other health problems in reptiles. ReptiSUN makes good UVB. However, the best UVB is the MegaRay, which is heat and UVB all in one. You can get the MegaRay here http://www.reptileuv.com/  

You will need supplements to put on your igg's "salad". They need to be fed twice a day. Once in the morning, and once in the evening. If you have a flourescent tube UV light, you need Repcal calcium+D3, and Herptivite multi-vitamin. If you get the MegaRay MVB bulb, you need Repcal calcium NO D3, and Herptivite multi-vitamin.

Iguanas, are usually pretty sanitary, but you need to clean their cages daily. Check for p**p, and remove it everyday. Do a full cage clean out at least every 2 weeks. Iguanas like to soak and p**p in their water dishes, so you have to change the water everyday, and sometimes more then once if they p**p in it. Bottled water is the best; tap water can have chlorine and other toxic chemicals in it. You can give your iguana a bath in a rubbermade bin of lukewarm water, no deeper then his shoulders to help keep it hydrated. Regular bathing keeps iguanas hydrated, clean, and encourages regualr bowel movements. Do NOT use any soaps in your iguana's "bath", only use plain water. Test the temps with the inside of your wrist to make sure the water isn't too warm. Be careful when bathing an iguana for the first time, especially if you don't know if the previous owner has ever bathed him before; he may be scared to be put in the water like that. Go slowly, and if he gets scared, try putting your hand or something else in with him that he can rest his front feet on; it makes them feel more secure. Iguanas usually like to swim, so the bigger the bin is, the better. You can also "bathe" (no soap) your iguana or just let him swim in your regular bath tub, but rinse it VERY carefully before filling it and putting him in; any soap/shampoo/bathroom cleaner residue can be toxic to him.

As far as habits; you must be consistant. Always turn the lights on and off at the same time every day (you can buy timers to turn the lights on/off for you). Always feed the same times everyday. If you take him out, or try to "tame" him, do it the same time everyday. Iguanas get used to habit, and can become very stressed if you change things around on them. They will even get stressed and become angry if you move their cage around in a room, put it in a different room, move things in their cage, put them in a different cage, etc. It is a good idea to put them in their large adult enclosure right away, so they don't get stressed when you put them in a new cage every few months (they grow FAST). If you are getting a small baby, you can section off the adult enclosure until they're big enough to live in the whole thing. Remember, it will cost $1000's to buy even the MINIMUM sized enclosure for an adult, so it will be MUCH cheaper to build one.

Here is a site that has very good information for first time iggy owners:  http://www.greenigsociety.org/

Good Luck!

Answer 4

if you could get the book iguana for dummies i got one and it tells you everything you need but for a online site idk i would try youtube and type in green iguana it well teach you a lot of stuff