Caring for Green Iguanas

Ron Hines DVM PhD 4/29/06

General
Green Iguanas naturally inhabit the forests of Central and South America and the Island of the Caribbean. They are active in the day-time and inhabit trees growing at the fringes of deep jungle. The prefer areas adjacent to water sources. There, they can be seen basking on large horizontal tree limbs or feeding amount the foliage. Iguanas are intensely territorial so no more than a single large male will be found in a specific area encompassing about a quarter to a half-acre in size. In captivity, cage size is often not much longer than 1.5 times the iguana’s length. This exemplifies how adaptable these creatures really are.

About a third of green iguanas (Iguana iguana) sold in pet stores survive to maturity. This is due to the stress these creatures receive during transport from South and Central America and inadequate care and nutrition. Of those that survive, more than half are surrendered to rescue agencies or simply abandoned due to their large size, activity and aggressiveness. So one should think twice about purchasing the cute, baby iguanas for sale inexpensively at pet shops. Given good environment and diet, they rapidly grow into formidable pets.

Caging Requirements
Be optimistic and build or purchase your first cage considerably larger than necessary. You can purchase a 60 gallon aquarium but I like to construct my own. For a juvenile 7” long iguana, I like to begin with a cage that is 3 feet long by 1 ½ feet wide by 1 ½ feet high. Go to Home Depot or a similar builder’s supply store and purchase two 36” x 18” sections of ½ inch thick plywood, two 18 ½” by 18” sections of 1/2 “ plywood, one 35” x 18 ½ inch piece of 3/8th inch Lexan (polycarbonate) or acrylic plastic 37” by 18 ½ “. They will cut the sheets up for you. You will need some 1 ½ inch galvanized box nails. If you heat up one nail in a pair of pliers over the gas range it will melt nail holes through the carbonate where you attach it to the front of the cage. For a top I like a section of 1-inch diamond mesh plastic netting. This is the hardest part to find – I buy huge rolls of it from Memphis Net and Twine Co. but it is also used in day glow color as a barrier fencing along construction sites. One ½ x 1 “ vinyl coated 18 gauge turkey wire works even better for the top. You may find a feed store that will sell you a 38” x 20 “ section. In climates colder than Central Florida, vinyl-coated wire is the best option because heat sources tend to melt expanded plastic netting.

No mater how you obtain your iguana cage, cages should be fabricated from smooth materials to prevent scrapes and abrasions to your iguana’s nose. I give both sides of the wooden portion of the cage four coats of Varthane urethane varnish before I attach the front and top. Three 16-ounce spray cans should due. After varnishing, draw a bead of GE clear silicone calk along all internal corners. Don’t place the iguana in the cage until a week after the varnish and calk are applied.

There is lots of discussion as to objects to put in the iguana cage. I and most animal behaviorists, feel that most of these objects, e.g. silk plants and flowers, bark, stones and gravel basically enhance the cage’s appearance for humans. I do not feel that iguanas really miss these objects in their environment. All these enhancement objects accumulate debris and bacteria and greatly increase the risk of ingestion of toxic or obstructive objects that can kill your pet. So I limit internal appurtenances to one 5-7 inch diameter sloping log with the bark removed for the lizard to bask on.

The best cleaning and sanitizing agent is a 1:20 solution of common household bleach and water.

Flooring
I place a 36 x 17 ½ section of short napped outdoor carpet on the floor of the cage. I flame the edges so that it does not unravel. Keep a few extra sections to go through the wash. There is no problem with placing a few large flagstones in the bottom for visual effect or painting a jungle scene with acrylics on the rear board.

Iguanas that roam loose in the home in most of the United States tend to get too cold in the winter and do not get adequate sunshine. By the time the problem is noticed these pet have generalized septicemias and metabolic bone disease that are often incurable. So I limit the time iguanas remain free in the house.

Diet
In the wild, iguanas eat primarily leaves and flowers. Many owers feed a diet that is too rich in protein and carbohydrates. The content of an optimal captive diet for iguanas is unknown. That is why I stress variety in diets. This is also why I do not recommend commercially prepared iguana diets at this time. None that I know of are formulated based on adequate trials. Do not allow you iguana to subsist on less than four or five varieties of of leafy vegetables and fruit. The fruit should not comprise more than a quarter of the diet. These are some of the ingredients that should constitute your iguana’s diet:

Collard Greens Carrot & carrot tops Peas and pea pods
Mustard Greens Cabbage Sweet potato
Dandelion and Dandelion Flowers Spinach Bell pepper
Shredded and soaked Alfalfa cubes Clover Mango
Plantain Hibiscus flowers Cherries
Green beans Fruit tree flowers Strawberries
Squash Romaine lettuce Blueberries
Apple Broccoli Papaya
Pear Collard greens Green beans
Rehydrated Alfalfa Cubes Powdered Alfalfa String beans

I like to make Alfalfa a part of every meal. Dice and mix the ingredients well so the lizard eats a good variety of ingredients each meal. Often the best outer portions of these vegetables are discarded by the grocery store. If you can maintain good relations with the produce department staff, you can often salvage the portions they discard. Alfalfa cubes are available at feed stores. Powdered alfalfa is equally as good. It can be purchased at health food stores. Most of these products can be stored frozen.

Supplements
I do not suggest that health iguanas receive supplements. It is too easy to overdose them on the fat soluble vitamins, A and D. New imports are often quite thin and weak and will benefit from a good reptile supplement such as the ZuPreem or Mazuri line. You can also sprinkle soy powder obtained a health food store on young, frail iguana’s food as a protein supplement.

Animal Protein
Animal protein is usually supplied to iguanas at dog and cat chow but also as crickets and even mice. In the wild, iguanas do not eat animal protein. They should not receive it in captivity.

Lighting
Green Iguanas have high Ultraviolet light requirements. Ultraviolet light is part of natural sunlight. Much of it is lost when light filters through glass. Ultraviolet light is necessary for the iguana to manufacture vitamin D-3. Most animals can utilize a vitamin D-3 food supplement. A lack of vitamin D is the cause of rickets and one form of metabolic bone disease. However the poor response we see to supplemental vitamin D-3 in sick pet iguanas make it questionable whether iguanas can utilize supplemental vitamin D-3 in their diet. It appears that they must manufacture it themselves in their skin under the presence of full spectrum sunlight or certain artificial light sources.
An area that receives enough sunlight is an area that would allow a plant such as a philodendron to thrive. Next to diet and temperature, insurance of adequate lighting is the most important decision concerning your iguana that you will make. There are many florescent lights that claim to be full spectrum light sources. Many do not live up to their claims. I like to supplement natural sunlight with ordinary incandescent bulbs housed in standard aluminum clip-on concave shields. They are available in any Wal-Mart or K-Mart. I use ordinary 40-watt incandescent bulbs. I place them approximately 8 inches from the top of the cage.

Temperature Gradient
Iguanas normally bask in the sunshine where they can regulate the amount of heat and sun they receive by moving in and out of shaded areas. This is very important to their health and very difficult to duplicate in a cage and house setting. What you can do is establish a temperature gradient within the iguana’s cage going from room temperature (about 78F) to 95F by the use of incandescent bulbs and a heavy-duty heating pad. I use a heavy-duty pad purchased at Wal-Mart and placed under one end of their cage. On that same end, I suspend two 40-watt incandescent light bulbs about 8 inches over the top of the cage. This allows the iguana to choose a location on his perch that best meets his heat and light needs. I have not been successful using hot rocks (sizzle stones) or fluorescent lamps that supposedly supply “ full spectrum light”. Measure cage temperature with two spirit aquarium thermometers placed inside the cage, not on the sides of the cage.

Water
There are those who state that iguanas do not need to drink. It is true that their diet is about 80% water, but I have always kept a shallow dish of water in their cage. I use a seven-inch salad dish with a large rock in the center to keep it from being overturned. This also increases humidity level in the cage. If humidity is low, keep two dishes in its cage. Change the water daily.

Veterinary Care
Most of the health problems I see in iguanas can be avoided by providing proper temperature, adequate caging size proper temperature and an appropriate, varied diet. Once Iguanas become ill due to a lack of one of these factors, they are quite difficult to cure. Periodically, Iguana toe nails need to be cut with and animal or a human toenail clipper. They will probably bleed. If you are not up to this task, take him to an experienced veterinarian. If you do it at home, bleeding can be stopped by pressing the iguana’s toe into a soft bar or Ivory soap or searing the bleeding point with a hand-held battery operated cautery orsoldering iron. I have had iguana owners take me to task for suggesting human toenail clippers instead of cat toenail clipers (Resco or equivalent). I prefer the human type because it is almost impossible to get the entire nail or a mature igunana into the jaws of the clipper thus preventing taking too much off and subsequent bleeding. With the guillotine-like jaws of the cat and dog toenail clippers the entire nail will fit into the opening and the claw can be cut to short. Whichever apparatus you use, be sure to just nibble off very small portions of the nail to avoid bleeding.

Here is one response:

With all due respect, I feel that you should up date your web page to say that "the iguana toe nail should be clipped with a cat type toe nail clipper and not the human type. I have 3 green iguanas and the cat clipper works GREAT, as long as you do not cut too far back. I feel (as do many other iguana owners) that the human finger / toe nail clippers are not the correct cutting angle, they tend to crush or split the nail and cause the bleeding. You may also want to add that the nail should only be clipped at the very tip. And possibly include a diagram, or refer them to a web site that has this.

Diseases Infectious to You
Most, if not all, iguanas carry species of Salmonella bacteria in their intestines. These bacteria can cause stomach or flu-like symptoms in people. They are especially severe in very young and very old people and people with compromised immune systems. Attempts to remove salmonella with prophylactic antibiotics are not usually successful. The best strategy is to wash your hands thoroughly after handling all reptilian pets. And not bring them into contact with you kitchen area, food or food utensils. A one to twenty solution of household bleach in water will kill Salmonella.

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