When deciding to get an iguana as a pet, many people imagine a phlegmatic, almost decorative lizard sitting quietly on a branch. The reality is more interesting and complicated. The green iguana is an intelligent and demanding pet whose life in captivity depends entirely on your knowledge and willingness to create the right conditions for it.
Keeping an iguana is not just about having an aquarium in the corner of the room. They need a spacious terrarium, more like a corner of a tropical forest, with special lighting, temperature, and humidity. This affects not only their mood, but also their health and even their lifespan, which can be 15-20 years.
In this article, we will explain the basics in simple terms: how to set up a home for an iguana, how to feed it properly, and what to look for in order to notice signs of illness in time. This will help you understand whether you are ready for such a responsible neighbor and how to make your lizard's life long and comfortable.
The green iguana is a bright and active reptile that can make an unusual pet, but it requires serious care. To keep it happy, it is important to provide a spacious enclosure with good lighting, the right temperature, and ultraviolet light, without which it will develop bone problems. It feeds mainly on plant foods — fresh vegetables, leafy greens, and fruits — and protein supplements can sometimes be given at a young age. Most often, iguanas get sick due to improper care — vitamin deficiency, digestive problems, dehydration, and infections due to poor hygiene. Treatment should be timely, and at the first signs of illness — lethargy, bloating, refusal to eat — it is best to show the animal to a reptile specialist.
Habitat, living conditions, and lifestyle
The green iguana is widespread in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands. These large lizards feed on tropical plants, fruits, crop shoots, and flowers.
Very rarely, they may eat protein foods such as worms, larvae, or small rodents, but it has been scientifically proven that protein is practically not absorbed by their bodies; moreover, it can even cause death.
Common iguana
The green iguana leads diurnal arboreal lifestyle. Unlike its relatives, it feeds during the day and leads a more sedentary lifestyle at night. According to statistics, iguanas living in captivity live much longer than those in the wild. This is due to humans hunting them for their tasty and juicy meat. Moreover, in some states, iguana meat is a traditional dish.
Note: The iguana was given mystical significance. The descendants of the Maya tribes believed that the planet was located on four large iguanas, symbolizing the cardinal directions. In the museums of Lima, you can find many iguana figurines, from which we can conclude that this animal was worshipped and given special significance.
Iguanas prefer to spend most of their time in the shady thickets of tropical forests or in the shade of huge rocks. With their long, developed fingers and claws, these animals are excellent at climbing trees. Its massive tail, which takes up most of its body, serves as protection from predators. Its scaly skin protects it from overheating and external damage.
Young specimen
When danger arises, the iguana transforms from a lazy and measured animal into a nimble and agile lizard, capable of escaping from a predator in a fraction of a second. When near water, green iguanas can swim and dive well, but they do so solely for personal safety or pleasure. Moreover, if an iguana cannot get to shore, it quickly tires and may die in the water, as it sinks to the bottom without movement.
In a terrarium
Interesting fact! Iguanas are quite skittish, so when keeping these animals in terrariums, it is extremely important to provide them with peace and quiet. Loud noises and sudden movements can cause the lizard to panic, which is accompanied by chaotic movements around the terrarium.
Appearance
Despite their name, iguanas are not always green. Within the same species, the following color variations can be found:
- green;
- blue;
- light blue;
- black;
- pink;
- orange-red;
- purple.
It is noteworthy that the color of iguanas depends on their age and habitat. In drier regions, their color varies from sandy to orange. Iguanas living in tropical thickets can be gray, green, or bluish in color. In Peru, iguanas have blue-colored skin with characteristic black spots. Island dwellers can be pink, black, or lemon-colored.
Iguana skull with characteristic teeth
Note: Iguanas have a compressed sac in the throat area, which plays an important role in thermoregulation and during mating. Their paws are short, their toes are long, and they end in curved, sharp claws. Their bodies are covered with scales, and they have large shields on their heads.
Males and females can be distinguished by several characteristics.
- Males are always larger, and their heads are tetrahedral in shape.
- Males have long spines along their spine.
- The male's tail is thicker and longer.
- The inner part of the hind legs has pores in the form of symmetrical black spots. This feature is the determining factor in distinguishing males from females.
Iguanas have excellent eyesight and can spot danger from dozens of meters away. Males have more pronounced eye lines than females.
Housing conditions
The common iguana is one of those species of lizards that requires special effort to keep at home. Since the animal is large, loves water, high humidity, and resting on driftwood, you will have to work hard to set up the terrarium.
But that's not enough, because iguanas are herbivores, so you'll have to plan their diet so that they are not only happy but also healthy.
Terrarium
When choosing the size of the terrarium, experts recommend adhering to the following rules: while the lizard is small, choose a medium-sized terrarium measuring 2x2x1. As soon as the animal reaches sexual maturity, a large terrarium is needed, at least 4x2x2. If there are several iguanas, there should be enough space for all of them.
The common iguana seems to be known to absolutely everyone.
The terrarium should be divided into zones.
- Open space with soil it is important for lizards to walk on typical soil, as well as to burrow during the egg-laying period and the dry season. A feeder is usually placed here as well.
- Swimming pool – the container should be made of plastic or glass without sharp corners. Its size should be such that the animal can not only completely immerse itself in the water, but also swim a little. The pool is usually placed on the front left wall of the terrarium. It should be equipped with a comfortable exit in the form of a ladder or driftwood.
- Place under the sun this is the name given to the branches and driftwood on which the lizard will rest under the rays of an improvised sun if necessary. There should be at least 30 cm between the lighting fixtures and the iguana so that it does not get burned or suffer heat stroke.
- Hiding place iguanas love to hide at night, so you need to set aside a place in the terrarium where oak branches will lie. The animal will enjoy spending the night there, feeling safe.
Please note! The bottom of the terrarium should be covered with any available carpet, on which soil should be scattered. Sand or fine quartz is most often used.
The top and sides of the terrarium should have holes to ensure natural ventilation.
Photo of an iguana
The terrarium should be thoroughly cleaned once a month. Debris should be removed and the water changed daily. The soil is disinfected, and the walls of the terrarium are treated with baking soda.
Light and heat
Iguanas are tropical creatures, so the optimal temperature is between 29 and 35°C with a relative humidity of 75-80%. These microclimate conditions are created using incandescent lamps, which are usually placed in the soil and driftwood area outside the terrarium itself. Humidity and temperature are controlled using an electronic thermometer-hygrometer.
Iguanas are tropical animals.
Note! For the animal to fully absorb calcium, the terrarium must have an ultraviolet lamp.
At night, it is important to turn off the lights and heating. Animals should cool down, as they would in the wild.
If you want your iguanas to reproduce, you can stimulate them by creating a dry period, which is normal in the wild. To do this, gradually lower the temperature, remove water from the pool in parts, and reduce the amount of light and nighttime heating.
Diet
Individuals raised in terrarium conditions eat the following.
- Fruits: banana, mango, papaya, apple, kiwi, orange, pear.
- Vegetables: lettuce leaves, Chinese cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, cucumber, green beans, spinach, squash, zucchini, cauliflower.
- Grasses: couch grass, wheatgrass, dandelion (flowers), plantain.
Feeding iguanas
It is best to feed your iguana around noon. By this time, its body will have warmed up after the night and will be ready to eat.
When feeding, it is important to understand that iguanas do not chew their food, but swallow it whole, so all food must be chopped up. The food is placed in a bowl, which is placed in the terrarium. After 4 p.m., the bowl must be removed, regardless of whether there is food left in it or not.
Green iguana
In addition to greenery, food supplements in the form of vitamins and calcium are extremely important for iguanas. They are usually produced in the form of powders, which should be “dusted” over crushed food in a bowl. The following are good options:
ReptoLife – a complex of vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions.
ReptoCal – calcium in an easily digestible form.
Important! It is best to change the diet daily to keep iguanas' appetites healthy. To ensure good health and a beautiful appearance, iguanas should be fed daily.
Reproduction
The mating season in terrarium conditions falls in December-January, so animals should be prepared for this starting in October. This is done by creating a period of drought. The temperature in the terrarium is gradually lowered, water is removed from the pool, and the diet becomes more monotonous. The length of daylight hours is also reduced. This lasts for about 1 month.
The exit from this period is also carried out gradually so as not to provoke stress. When natural living conditions are restored, the female is placed with the male, where the mating process takes place. After a while, the female will lay eggs in soil with high humidity, and the young will hatch in 3 months.
Common iguana (Iguana iguana)
It is best to separate a fertilized female from the male so that no one disturbs her and causes her to worry about her offspring. It is better to clean such a terrarium partially, without interfering with the natural process.
Individuals reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years of age. It is permissible to keep several females and one male in the same terrarium. Keeping several males or individuals of the same sex together may result in a fight for territory that could be fatal.
Color variations and morphs
Green iguanas can be not only green, but also brown, blue, light blue, pink, and orange. It all depends on their habitat, diet, and age. Their color may change with age.
It was previously assumed that green iguana varieties differed in color, but scientific research has refuted this fact. The common iguana is a single species without subspecies or morphs. Differences in coloration are not species differences, as mating between common iguanas of different colors occurs naturally.
Diseases, causes, and prevention
The most common health problems and their manifestations are listed in the table.
| Disease and cause | Symptoms | Treatment |
| Nasal discharge: caused by bacterial infection and damage to the mucous membrane. |
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| Bone deformation: calcium deficiency and problems with its absorption. |
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| Wounds and skin injuries: fights between iguanas, throwing themselves around the terrarium, and injuries from sharp objects. |
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| Digestive disorders: the animal is fed stale vegetables and fruits, as well as unsuitable grass. |
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| Pneumonia: acute hypothermia of the animal. |
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Females experience weak labor when the eggs block the passage. Help is only available at a veterinary clinic, as independent actions can seriously injure the animal.
A proper balanced diet, vitamin supplements with every meal, clean water in the pool, and good microclimatic conditions will help reduce the risk of disease.
Green iguanas do not eat meat
Interesting facts
Iguana may seem boring to many breeders, but in fact, this lizard holds many secrets and mysteries.
The main enemy of iguanas in their natural habitat is humans. These large lizards are hunted for their tasty and juicy meat, as well as their strong and beautiful skin.
- Iguanas communicate with gestures. Bowing and chaotic tail movements are more common in males that are ready to fight. During the egg-laying period, females are more active and aggressive towards anyone who approaches their nest.
- Iguanas are excellent swimmers, especially when in danger.. Despite their shallow breathing, this species of lizard can hold its breath for 20-30 minutes.
- The iguana's tail has incredible strength.. With its help, iguanas defend themselves from predators when attacked.
- The iguana is a herbivorous animal., which loves greens, flowers, and cacti.
- There are characteristic pores under the hind legs of males., through which adult iguanas secrete aromatic substances used to mark their territory and scare off potential enemies in the wild.
- The claws of females are more rounded and longer., which is used to dig the ground during the egg-laying period.
- Urine is excreted from the body in the form of sneezing. through special nostrils, leaving a characteristic whitish coating on the walls of the terrarium.
Common iguana
Important! Iguanas have a vestigial organ – a third eye located at the junction of the parietal bones. It has an atrophied lens that does not perform its main functions. Scientists believe that the third eye is currently responsible for light sensitivity and helps the animal adjust to changes in the time of day.
Green iguanas have sharp, flat teeth with serrated edges at the ends, which are useful for cutting grass. Therefore, the animal can bite a person painfully if it is under stress.
Note: Iguanas may eat the feces of their fellow terrarium inhabitants. This is necessary to replenish the deficiency of nutrients in the body and is considered normal.
The average price of a young iguana is about 10-15 thousand rubles. It is better to buy lizards from trusted breeders who have the appropriate documents.
Iguana iguana
The common iguana quickly gets used to people and can distinguish between them. It also responds well to contact and responds to touch. Moreover, the animal quickly gets into the rhythm of its new life and gets used to eating, bathing, and basking in the sun at approximately the same time.
Keeping an iguana is a long-term and responsible decision. These lizards are not just exotic decorations, but living creatures with complex needs. Success depends on your willingness to invest energy, time, and resources into creating the right conditions.
Remember that the key to your pet's health is simple but essential: a spacious terrarium with proper heating and lighting, a balanced plant-based diet, and cleanliness. Many problems, such as bone disease or parasites, most often arise from mistakes in care.
If you provide your iguana with everything it needs, it will be able to live with you for many years, delighting you with its unusual appearance and character. Observe your pet, consult with a herpetologist in a timely manner, and your green beauty will feel great.
