Diet and Feeding

Most young iguanas need to eat daily, while older iguanas can be fed daily or every other day, depending upon each pet's individual appetite.

Most (80-90%) of the plant material should be dark green leafy vegetables, and only 10-20% should be fruits. As a rule, anything dark green and leafy can make up a large part of the diet. Yellow, red and orange vegetables can also be included. Avoid fiber-rich, nutrient and vitamin-deficient light green vegetables including iceberg or head lettuce and celery, as their composition is mainly fiber and water with little nutrient value. The inner light-colored parts of some vegetables are less nutritious than the darker green outer leaves.

Acceptable vegetables that should represent a high percentage of the diet include collard greens, beet greens, mustard greens, broccoli, turnip greens, alfalfa hay or chow, bok choy, kale, parsley, Swiss chard, watercress, clover, red or green cabbage, savory, cilantro, kohlrabi, bell peppers, green beans, escarole and dandelion. A lesser percentage of the diet can include cactus, various squash, sprouts, cooked sweet potato, parsnips, okra, cucumber, asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, peas and corn. Fruit can include apples, pears, bananas (with skin), mango, grapes, star fruit, raisins, peaches, tomato, guava, kiwis, and melons. Fruits that are particularly healthy include figs (which contain high calcium), apricots, dates, raspberries and strawberries. Fruits may be eaten preferentially, are generally mineral poor and should perhaps be used sparingly as top dressing. As a treat, flowers such as geraniums, carnations, dandelions, hibiscus, nasturtiums and roses may be offered.

Swiss chard, spinach and beet greens should be fed sparingly as they contain oxalates that can bind calcium and other trace minerals, preventing their absorption. Diets composed primarily of these vegetables can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Caution should also be exercised when feeding cabbage, kale or mustard greens, as these contain goitrogens; excessive amounts of these items may lead to hypothyroidism.

Fresh clean water should be available at all times for your iguana. Iguanas will not only drink from the water bowl but will often bathe in it as well. Provide water in a heavy bowl that is not easy to tip over. You must change the water and clean the bowl regularly, because iguanas often will eliminate in their water bowl while bathing. You may also want to mist your iguana with a water sprayer a few times a week.

Handling

When you first get your green iguana, he may be quite tame and friendly. He could also be unfriendly and unwilling to let you touch him. This is understandable since iguanas are wild animals and you are unknown and a possible predator. With time, patience, and persistence your wild pet can become a fun and enjoyable companion.

Adjustment
You should not immediately try to pick up, pet, or hold your new pet as soon as you get him home. Allow him a period of adjustment. Being moved to a brand new home is a traumatic event for an iguana. Give him a week or two to adjust to his new surroundings and your presence.

Calm
Try to do everything possible to keep your iguana calm while attempting to tame him. This is primarily accomplished by not doing things that could scare him. Avoid making loud noise, making sudden movements, and always trying to pick him up when you are near.

You should also remain calm and in control when around your iguana. If you are jittery, scared, or nervous, he can sense that and it could freak him out.

Hand Feeding
Hand feeding your iguana is a good way for him to get accustomed and feel safe around you. Attempt to hand feed your pet his favorite foods while he is in his cage. Even if he won’t eat it, he will be slowly getting used to you being around. It may take a while to get your pet to accept food from you, or even see it eat, but it is a great way to build trust.

Handling
Every time you go into your pet’s cage you should not immediately try to pick him up. Sometimes just put your hand in the cage or attempt to pet him. Always pet a reptile the same direction as his scales otherwise it may be an unpleasant experience for him and you. Petting and hand feeding will help your iguana feel comfortable while still in the safety of his cage.

When you pick up your iguana, always gently lift and support him from under the belly. Grabbing an iguana from above can be perceived as a predatory action and scare your pet. Make sure you give him time to release his claws from wherever he is perched. You do not want an accidental injury from a claw being ripped.

Freedom
When you bring your pet out of his cage, restrict him to a small room at first. Most rooms will seem huge compared to his normal habitat. The room should also be iguana proofed so there are no places where he can get hurt or trapped. They are climbers, so be sure to check high and low for dangers.

You can start by sitting in the room and just pet or hold your iguana. He may stay or wander off to explore. If he decides to explore, just keep an eye on him. Iguanas love to check out and inspect all parts of a room.

Persistence
Try to handle your pet daily, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Persistence and repetition are key in trying to tame an unruly iguana. All it takes is regular handling, hand feeding, petting, some freedom, and time. Your wild tail whipping pet can eventually be friendly and enjoy your company and attention.

Housing

You’ll need to consider an iguanas natural environment. Most iguanas that are kept as pets are green iguanas, which live in rainforest habitats throughout South and Central America, as well as Mexico. If you do not live in an environment that closely matches these places, you’ll need to accommodate by modifying the habitat accordingly. This will require lighting and heating.

Additionally, in the wild, iguanas spend much of their time in trees and they love to climb. So you’ll need to include features in the habitat that will allow them to maintain this lifestyle. They also love to jump and swim, so their habitats should also accommodate these things.

Iguanas are cold-blooded, which means that rely on exterior sources to regulate their internal body temperature. In the wild, this generally involves spending lots of time sunbathing. You’ll need to provide a heat lamp to replicate the heat from the sun, and probably large, flat rock or two for the iguana to lounge on and soak up the artificial sun. We recommend using ceramic heat emitters and a dedicated thermostat to provide adequate thermo regulation. This is especially important for outdoor enclosures where overnight temperatures dip into the low 70's or lower.

Iguanas can get quite big. Full grown sizes will vary, but you can count on your iguana growing to about six feet long from nose to tail.

An animal that size will need plenty of room to move around. Generally speaking, a good iguana habitat should be at least ten feet long by three feet wide. Keep in mind though that this is a minimum. Bigger is better. If you can fit twelve feet long by six feet wide, you’ll be even better off.

Also, because of the fact that iguanas usually live in trees and their natural instinct is to climb up into them, your habitat will need to be quite tall. A good rule of thumb is about six feet tall. And you’ll need to have branches, real or artificial, or some other kind of perch up near the top of the enclosure for the iguana to climb up onto.

So at a minimum, you’re looking at an iguana habitat that is at least three feet by ten feet by six feet. That is a considerable size for habitat and you’ll need to find a suitable location to put it. Maybe an iguana owner will choose a nice large wall in a common area of their house to install the habitat. Others dedicate an entire bedroom to their iguana’s habitat.

Whatever you choose, as long as you’re aware of the size requirements, and know that you have the space for it, you shouldn’t run into too many problems. It’s good to remember though that a habitat that large will likely end up being quite heavy. So make sure that you’re putting it in a spot that’s not only structurally sound but also a place where it can stay permanently.

Some confident and experienced iguana owners keep their iguanas “free range”. That means that they are allowed to wander around the house freely and un-enclosed. Please note that while there’s nothing wrong with this, it does require more experience, and even a free-range iguana will have a dedicated habitat, even though it’s allowed to leave it whenever it wants.