Iguana Care

Now the deal is that several people want to get pets that are different and exotic. Why, I dunno. But it seems that owning an iguana as a pet is the latest trend. I dunno what your reasons for getting an iguana are, but you need to make sure that you know all about pet iguana care if you're going to take the responsibility of an iguana. In the article that follows, we shall be getting into more detail about iguana care and what it entails. I'd urge you to read this one if you're going to be getting an iguana soon.

The Care Guide

In the paragraphs that follow, we shall take you through the details of what iguana care involves and the kind of things that go into making it work well for both parties involved. But before that, let's learn a little something more about iguanas as pets.

About Iguanas
Iguanas are huge reptiles that are a part of the lizard family and are native to South and Central America, which is basically the iguana habitat. One is able to recognize an iguana due to its characteristic crest that runs from its head to the spine. Its scaly body is another physical feature that cannot be missed. Iguanas can be of several kinds namely the green iguana, blue iguana, desert iguana and the Lesser Antillean iguana. These iguanas might make for interesting pets but they need to be cared for in a very specialized manner. A failure to do this can lead to trauma and death of the pet. So before you go sauntering about to get yourself a pet iguana, which by the way is an endangered species, you need to read up on the different techniques for its care. These will be given in the paragraphs that follow.

Care Sheet
Here are some basic iguana care tips that you need to follow:

• Creatures of the Wild ~ Iguanas are creatures of the wild, so taking precautions when handling them is your duty. Do not ever forget that.
• Personality ~ Different iguanas have different personalities. While some are mellow, others can get really dangerous when it comes to an unfamiliar environment. Make sure that you do not put them in a situation that is unfamiliar and overwhelming for them or they might attack, especially the males. But they need to get familiar with you so spend at least a 2 - 3 minutes holding them and stroking their backs.
• Grooming ~ Cut their nails from time to time because these can administer some nasty injuries. Along with that, bathe your iguana thrice a week in lukewarm water.
• Precautions ~ Keep minimum contact with their face because their saliva has several harmful bacteria. Similarly do not provoke them 'coz they might bite or lash their tails at you.
• Food Habits ~ Iguanas are herbivores, therefore their feeding techniques have to be specialized. Include plenty of vegetables in their diet. Vegetables like mustard, turnip, collard, etc. should make up for 80% of their diet. 5% of their diet should also include fruits and peppers. Supply the iguana with more calcium than phosphorus, but never overfeed an iguana. Provide for clean and fresh water and change it regularly to prevent infection. Do NOT feed iguanas animal proteins 'coz it's very harmful for them.
• Lighting ~ Regular exposure to the sun's rays is the best way to provide for vitamin D for your iguana. But if that is not a possibility then fitting in of UVA and UVB light sources is absolutely necessary. Use fluorescent light bulbs which are especially prepared for reptiles to be supplied with UVB and UVA lights. Replace these every 6 - 12 months. It is important to provide equal and direct light so don't use any sort of filtering system for the same.
• Iguana Enclosure ~ Many don't take into consideration the growing patterns of the iguana and therefore fail to provide for the correct form of accommodation for them. Nothing less than a 55 gallon aquarium should be provided for the iguana. This is because by the time the iguana is 5 years old, it'll be about 5 feet in length. That is why start off with a huge cage or bird aviary if possible. You can even have a custom-made framed enclosure to support your iguana. Many owners have even devoted an entire room for the purpose. Make sure there is a lot of floor area for the iguanas to roam about. If possible provide them with vertical climbing space so that it duplicates the action of climbing trees for them.
• Heating Conditions ~ Iguanas are cold blooded and the artificial conditions that you provide for them do not allow them the heat that they would have otherwise got from the sun. You therefore need to provide them with a heat source that has a temperature of 90 degrees F and heats a larger area at one time. But do not go in for heat rocks 'coz there is a high risk that the iguanas will burn themselves on it. More importantly you need to provide them with areas that are full of shade within their enclosure, so that they can cool off when their body is warm enough. The enclosure should therefore contain several areas that alternate between shade and light.

And there you have it, these are the basic steps that go into iguana care. Even though your need to get an exotic pet might be primal, this care sheet must have given you an idea of the extensive care that is required to be given to these creatures. So if you do not think you're capable of providing it, do not get yourself an iguana. Many iguanas in captivity have lived under a year due to less care and negligence on the part of their owners.