Green Iguana As A Pet?
My Birthday is coming up next month and i'm thinking about getting a green iguana.I have a few questions and I hope some iguana owners can answer with good responses... i want to know,how much do they actually cost at a pet store...and realistically,everything i'd have to do to keep it healthy and show it affection...what would i need to buy right away??? and what other things would you recommend i buy to make sure it has everything...what type of food should i feed it...basically everything,I want to know everything I can before i buy one...i've wanted one for about 7 years now,so thanks for any help.
Comments
at first have 400 $ up front for cage then uv light
its a big resposibility so get something smaller
Iguana's are interesting pets but at the same time, they could get Agressive. In my opinion, they aren't the best reptiles you can get and aren't the easiest pets to take care of. They can grow up more than 6 ft or 7ft . They need a bigger enclosure. They eat alot and grow up very fast. Their whipping of tail and bite is very painful. They get agressive espiacally during breeding season. Try a leopard gecko or Bearded Dragon
I would check out a few online sites before you decide to do this. Iguana's get really big and need very large enclosures which are not by any means cheap. Then you need to be able to have a proper heat gradient and humidity for it. The feeding it isn't too bad, lots of fresh vegetables, some fruits, etc. It's the habitat that is expensive for them. Usually young iguanas are inexpensive at petstores (around here most the time I see them for around $20), but will end up costing alot by the time you have a set-up that can correctly house the Iguana, if you have that covered then go and enjoy your new pet.
ok a lamp with uv lighting will cost about 60 bucks and a large tank and in about a year your gonna have to build it a cage and a heat pad or light on top of the uv lamp that is anout 15 bucks you should buy the iguana food at the pet store and still feed it a variety of veggies never insects or meat of any source and iguanas as juveniles are usually under 20 dollars
Well over here they cost around £100 thats like $200 or 240 euro depending on where your from.
General
Through consistent daily handling your iguana will become tame, though at first it may try to whip you with its tail, bite or scratch. To lift, place one hand under the pelvis and one under the chest, then carry your iguana resting along your forearm. Allow plenty of exercise outside the enclosure, in a safe, iguana-proofed area.
Housing
A 55-gallon glass tank is suitable for a hatchling, but in a year will be too small, as your pet will continue to need larger enclosures as it grows. Use paper or towels, artificial turf or washable carpet on the floor. Avoid newspaper, kitty litter, wood shavings, gravel, sand, and bark. Install a hiding box, climbing branch and shelves to rest on, as well as an under-tank heating pad to maintain daytime temps between 76-88° F and humidity around 75%. Provide a basking area of 88-95° F at least 12 hours a day, using a basking light or ceramic heating element (100-150 watts). At night keep temperatures at 73-84°F with a heat light (60-100 watts) or ceramic heating element. UVA and UVB light is essential for good health. Choose a 'full spectrum' fluorescent light specifically designed for reptiles (not all 'full spectrum' lights provide UVB light) and securely fix it 12-15 inches above the iguana, controlled by timer to give a 12 hour day/night cycle. Natural sunlight is even better!
Diet
Feed your iguana primarily dark leafy greens (60% -70%) with a small amount of grated vegetables and a bit of fruit. Good choices are collards, mustard, dandelions, escarole and watercress. Avoid iceberg lettuce. Sprinkle alfalfa pellets, powder, or crushed tablets over the fresh food and mix. Commercial alfalfa-based iguana food may be offered in addition to fresh foods. Iguanas should never be offered meat or dairy products. Calcium supplements can be beneficial breeding females. Vitamin and mineral supplementation are generally unnecessary and may even be harmful (consult your vet). Clean drinking water should always be available.
Cleaning
Remove waste daily. Wash your iguana's enclosure and equipment weekly, and disinfect.
Health
Be sure to locate an experienced reptile veterinarian. Be observant, any change in normal appearance or behavior may indicate an illness or injury needing treatment.
Warnings
Reptiles may carry salmonella bacteria, so good hygiene is essential.
Iguanas are great! I have three. Relatively inexpensive at pet stores (17-20 dollars).....they can easily be kept in a 20 gallon tank when juveniles. Be prepared to provide bigger housing as they will outgrow a small tank within the year.
I have a large open wire tank (coated wire with small openings) which house my guys in the winter....and an outside living environment in the summer. Natural sunlight is a must for these guys.....even with the UV lights and alternate heat sources. I am lucky to have a large bay window where they spend their winter days basking in the sunlight. While I provide them fresh water and a deep bowl of water for immersing themselves in, I also give them "bath" time (in winter months) so that they can swim and play. During the summer, they have their own "built in pool" in the outside lizardtorium.
My igs love the dark greens, strawberries, bananas and the like....and I add Firm Tofu for extra protein and for hydrating them. They love it.
My guys are very easily handled....but it isn't about holding them "twice a day". You'll develop your own habits with them. I have two that will position themselves (rear to me & lift their tail to have me pick them up) and one that is a "free roamer" - being literally potty trained to poop almost as soon as he finishes his salad.....he hasn't messed in the house once and he's nearly four years old. (I can't say that of the other two.....while not very messy and allowed to free roam, they aren't as consistent in their pattern of defecating.)
I give the igs a pellet supplement - along with the salad and have a dish always full......but I never feed until the igs have had an opportunity to warm completely and become active. My experience has been that the salad/greens can wilt if you put them out before the igs are ready to feed....and waste can occur.
The pet store near me sells them for about $15.
Before buying one, seriously consider a few things: they will live over 10 yrs, need a HUGE cage that will take up tons of space, and the iguana itself can get up to six ft long!
If you want to look at all the requirements, I suggest going to exoticpets.com they've got good caresheets and links to other info sites. They also have lists of good beginner reptiles
have you ever owned a reptile before??? they aren't an easy first lizard...the initial cost of the iguana is not too bad, but buy the biggest cage you can afford, because they grow FAST...you may even want to think about a custom built cage, since aquariums are heavy...they eat mostly veggies, and make sure you have proper uva and uvb lights along with the heat light...get a big water dish too...i bought a small cat litter pan for mine, and had a couple on hand to switch out to clean...get a small active lizard, so you can get it used to you early...don't pick a bony or weak looking one.
why not i own one ?
buy a small one ,and a big tank, some can grow as big as 6ft . goggle iguanas, they eat lots of greens, need handling at least twice a day , so they don't bite , and these guys can whip there tails,if they feel threatened,
over all, good pets , but do your home work first ,