Iguanas As Pets

Before I had a dog, cat, bird, hamster, or bunny, I had a green iguana (Latin name iguana iguana). That's one'a them cute guys right up there in that picture, with the spines and the dewlap. Having such a different pet so early in life contributed greatly to my love of all animals, no matter how "weird."

These guys may look, well, prickly, but like many animals, they can make great pets if treated and kept properly.

Things to Know Before Buying an Iguana

Not everyone knows this, so I'm putting it first: Iguanas can grow up to six feet. They can become as long as a human is tall, and weigh up to one hundred pounds. Iguanas grow quickly. Not all of them will reach this size, and just like it takes people time to grow, it takes iguanas time to grow. You'll start to notice when an iguana begins to outgrow its enclosure, and when that starts to happen, a larger one should be found as soon as possible.

Iguanas have teeth. They're small and mostly made for chewing fruits and vegetables, but they don't just have gums. This surprised me as a small child when I thought it would be fun to let my little lizard gum my finger. I'd rate the teeth as more painful than a parakeet beak, but not as painful as hamster teeth. They're tiny. Not something to worry about, but it's best to avoid surprises when considering a new pet.

See that long tail? That can be used as a defense. One of the reasons iguanas are alright to have with cats and other animals is that iguanas will, ahem, whip those animals into shape. I attribute much of the training my dog has in not bothering other small pets came from my iguanas. To make that clear: Iguanas whip. It isn't something that can really hurt a person, but smaller cats and dogs will learn to keep their distance (actually, mine was partial to our parakeet, and they actively wanted to spend time together!).

Those spins aren't actually sharp like porcupine or hedgehog spines. Nor are they poisonous, serrated, or generally dangerous in any way.

Now that you've been briefed on some of the lesser known attributes of iguana iguana, let's talk about what you'll need to keep one of these cuties in your home!

Fine Living

When they're small, it's perfectly acceptable for an iguana to be kept in a 30-50 gallon aquarium. My family kept ours in a large bird cage--green iguanas are climbers, and ours appreciated having upward mobility on large sticks that a bird would typically perch on. As they grow, their home will need to grow, as well. Move to a larger gallon tank, or as I suggested, a large cage. For those six-foot Godzilla iguanas that I've seen, a much larger enclosure was needed, typically built of wood and mesh wire ( HERE is a wonderful hub about all things iguana cage related!).

Of course, they also need to eat and drink. Shallow food and water dishes are best, and to keep everything clean and healthy, clean and disinfect these dishes several times a week. To handle the end product of eating and drinking, newspaper at the bottom of a cage makes for easy cleaning. People swear by indoor-outdoor carpeting. Whatever you use, it shouldn't be dangerous for the iguana to eat just in case they decide to rip some up. Sand, wood shavings, and kitty litter are definite no-nos, as they could hurt the iguana if eaten.

There are a few other items iguanas need in a habitat to be happy and healthy. Iguanas are cold blooded, not producing their own heat. They spend a lot of time soaking up rays in the wild. There are two parts to dealing with this in captivity: First, you need to make sure your iguana has a heat rock. These are like heat pads shaped like natural rocks, and help an iguana maintain body temperature. Second, if you can, take your iguana outside! Iguanas are actually pretty okay on a harness, and Ultraviolet light is necessary for their digestion. Artificial UV lamps can be bought, and in the case of using these, don't keep anything between the light and the iguana--let it lay directly in the light. An iguana's habitat should be kept between 83ºF and 103ºF (note that that's Fahrenheit, not Celsius). However, always provide an iguana with shade! Since it can't make its own heat or cool itself off, it relies on its habitat for help, and without shade an iguana could suffer from heat stroke. As I mentioned in my cage, climbing materials are great for your iguana. They're made for movement, including up and down trees, and when an animal can live as naturally as it can in a captive environment is when it is happiest.

I cannot stress this enough: CLEAN YOUR IGUANA'S CAGE OFTEN. Iguanas are highly susceptible to bacteria and fungi if in a disgusting environment. This is super important to keeping your captive iguana healthy! Here are some tips for preventing infection. Follow them.

• If there is uneaten food left over, remove it as soon as the iguana is done eating.
• Change whatever material catches feces often, and clean where it is placed.
• Keep the area dry! Bacteria and fungi thrive in warm, damp places!
• Avoid household cleaners (Windex, Lysol, PineSol) when cleaning--iguanas are sensitive creatures.
• Bathe your iguana in lukewarm water once or twice a week. (Many iguanas like water, but some don't, so be careful about this until you know how your iguana will react.)
  

Nutrition

Iguanas are herbivores, or vegetarians. Unlike many small pets who eat a pellet blend, iguanas need fresh food. They eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and roots, but specifically dark greens. Dandelion greens, broccoli, spinach, kale, alfalfa, and parsley are good for them. Lettuce, counter to what you may think, should be avoided as it offers no nutritional value. Apples, bananas, papayas and mangoes are acceptable fruit, and occasionally yogurt. Because iguanas have digestive difficulties, a special vitamin-mineral supplement should be added.

There's this funny little fact about iguanas: In the wild, they gain bacteria important for digestion from eating a very small amount of adult iguana feces. You may want to talk to your vet about this, because it can be good for your iguana's digestive support.

Handling

In the wild, iguanas can be aggressive and territorial. In captivity, they can be made relaxed. This good behavior is brought out by regular handling. Handling an iguana for fifteen minutes twice a day will acclimate it to people, and having more than one person handle it will get it used to being held by more than its main owner (something especially important in families). Introduce your iguana to other people gradually, after introducing it to being handled in the first place. This will reduce its overall stress level and make it more friendly.

When getting your iguana used to being held, stroke its head, neck, and sides gently. Never be rough with your iguana or unnecessarily bother its spines. Also, those two circles on the side of its head? Don't mess with those! Those are the iguana's type of ears, and like tapping on a tank can hurt a fish, bothering those circles can harm your iguana!

Be careful of your iguana's claws. They are sharp. I have an interesting scar down the side of my wrist from where I upset my iguana (my fault--I was young, and wasn't holding him correctly). It's best to keep iguana's nails reasonably trimmed. Ease into this too--start trimming early. Do not use nail cutters for people and dogs! These aren't the right cutter for the iguana's type of nails! There's a special cutter you can buy made for cats, birds, and lizards. Cutting any animal's nail incorrectly can lead to lots of pain, and even infection.

So, here's something most people I encounter don't know about iguanas: They drop their tails. If they're frightened and consider themselves in danger, they can just let their tail fall off. It just falls off! It lays there twitching and wiggling! This happened to me when I was very small, again my fault because I scared it, and it was obviously an effective tactic because while I screamed bloody murder the rest of the lizard scampered off to hide. The lizard is fine, though. This will scare the bejesus out of most people if it happens, but the iguana's tail grows back just fine. Just try not to make this happen, because any undue stress on animals is negative, and...well, your fingernails will grow back, but would you want them all to just come off?

Common Health Problems

Like all animals, iguanas are more naturally likely to suffer from certain health concerns.

Parasites are a big issue for many reptiles. Iguanas can develop internal and external parasites. If you think there may be a problem with internal parasites, take a fresh fecal sample to your vet. Mites are external parasites If mites develop, take your iguana to the vet, and thoroughly clean everything that your iguana uses. Mites are to reptiles what fleas can be to mammals--they're not good, and they're darn hard to get rid of.

Metabolic Bone Disease is a weakening of bones due mostly to improper diet and temperatures. Listening to what this bug has said about heat, light, and additional supplements (such as the ones found below) can go a long way toward preventing this. Kidney disease can also be caused by bad diet and water. If your iguana stops eating, loses weight, swells, or stops going to the bathroom, get it to the vet immediately.

Well, now you know what to feed an iguana, how to provide for its environmental needs, and potential health complications. I genuinely hope that anyone reading this hub can enjoy an iguana as a companion the way I have in life, and more than that, enjoys this creature in a responsible and hospitable way.