To maintain the health of your iguana does not mean that you need to take it out on regular walks on the park, or have him groomed in your local pet center. These are the things you would do for your pet dog but not for your iguana.

Keeping your iguana healthy is a matter of knowing its basic needs. With all the information about these reptiles already available, there is no reason why you cannot have them growing big and healthy.

Some people prefer to have iguana for their pet because they think that taking care of one is not as difficult compared with other kinds of pets. But then, iguanas can also be sensitive if you do not know what you are doing.

Unlike pet dogs or cats, there is really no high maintenance needed to keep your iguana healthy. All that is needed are some basic necessities that may seem unimportant yet will prove vital in keeping them healthy and fit.

Iguanas are like human. They are fully awake in the morning but needed the darkness of the night to be able to sleep and rest. This is one of the things you have to consider if you have an iguana.

In pet stores today, you will be able to find an assortment of iguana shelters that are complete with the necessary equipments that you pet will need. For example, there are cages available that comes with a bulb that serves as light as well as a heat source for your iguana. Heat is vital in maintaining the body temperature of an iguana. Some owners go to the extent of monitoring temperatures and providing heaters for these pets.

Those who cannot afford these things opt for the more conventional approach of turning lights off in the evening so the iguana can rest. But the problem with this set up is that there is no additional source of warmth supplied to the iguana. In these cases, you may find drifting off to a corner or a place where these reptiles find the heat that their body needs.

For those who want to maintain an orderly temperature monitoring, there are timers that they can buy to ensure that everything is kept well in order. Keep in mind that iguanas thrive mostly on outdoor forest temperatures. That was their home before they were in captivity. It is therefore important that you maintain what they have gotten used to so that they will not find it hard to adapt to their new environment.

First aid is also necessary if you notice signs of illness of skin diseases. Be sure that you have antiseptics or iodine ready for use. If your iguana appears to have an infection, you will notice dark spots or scratches that were not there initially. The best thing to do is to note if these things are starting to get worse or not. Check out the surrounding areas around your pet. Some of these things are caused by the environment that they are exposed to.

If the problem persists, then it is time to consult an expert iguana veterinarian. They will be the ones who will give you advice on what to use on your pet to stop whatever symptoms of illness it is experiencing.

If the health of your iguana is important to you, then you should prepare yourself for the necessary measures in maintaining and keeping them.

When people talk about getting an iguana for a pet, they usually refer to the most common species, the “Iguana Iguana” or the green iguana.

Found in South and Central America, as well as other parts of the Pacific, the iguana has become very popular among pet owners in the United States and Europe in the past few years.

Active in daytime, the young iguana is usually bright green in color, helping it to hide itself from predators in the green vegetation of the forest.  With its quick movements and sharp eyesight, the green iguana avoids capture quite easily.  As the iguana grows older, its color changes from bright green to a muted green.

An iguana in the wild spends its day trying to find a sunny spot to lie on, feeding, and trying to escape from predators.

Of course, an iguana in captivity is a different case.  Though there are no more predators to escape from, an iguana should be well taken care of by its owner.  It maybe a popular pet, but taking care of it is by no means an easy task.

Let’s talk about some things to do when taking care of an iguana.

1.    Provide a large enclosed space for your iguana.

Since a green iguana may grow as large as seven feet, the pet’s enclosure should be any owner’s top priority.

It may seem that the iguana is contented with a small pen; however, without ample space, it will grow listless and will be stressed, resulting to sickness and even vulnerability to infections.

The enclosure should be a few times the iguana’s length in either depth or width or one and a half times in height since the animal needs to move around or even climb.

Later on, the pet iguana should be given privileges to roam around the house, as long as the owner will make sure that it won’t be able to get out or feed on important stuff around the house.

2.    Provide big branches or synthetic structures for your pet’s enclosure.

Not only will the enclosure look more pleasing to the eyes with the addition of the things mentioned above, but they will also make the pen a better place for the green iguana to live in.  It will be a good habitat since it will provide a venue for climbing and basking – two activities that contribute to the iguana’s emotional and psychological growth.

For the flooring of the enclosure, one may use mulch (a material designed to keep hold of moisture, prevent weeds from growing, and keep the earth from being eroded) or simply sheets of your daily newspaper.

3.    Make sure to provide the enclosure with a good heating device.

You should not overlook this since an iguana not properly heated will not be able to digest its food well.

An owner should provide a good source of UV light for the iguana.  The enclosure should not have any part with a temperature lower than 26°C while at least one part should have a temperature as high as 35°C.  A spotlight is good for this purpose.

4.    While heating and light are important, provide darkness, too.

Six to 10 hours of darkness each night is also important for the iguana’s well-being.  The enclosure should be shielded from streetlights or lights from appliances.

5.    Pay attention to your pet iguana.

Any pet animal deserves care and interaction from its owner.  Just like your regular cat or dog, the green iguana deserves love and affection.  If not given the attention it deserves, an iguana may grow listless, sick, and eventually die.

There you go.  The tips mentioned above are just some of the things that have to be considered in taking care of an iguana.  These are not to be used as a substitute for a consultation with your trusted veterinarian.  Professional help is still needed in order to make sure that your iguana will live for a very long time.



An iguana though robust and aggressive in nature needs a lot of care than most of the pet animals. Most people who got their pet iguanas for the first time do not know what to do about them or do not have the knowledge on how to properly care for them.

The most important thing to do when having an Iguana Lizard as your pet is to get to know them, read articles about the, and consult some professionals on how to take good care of them.

Stay away from bad informations that you might get from shop owners and other people who seem to know about it but doesn’t.

Most iguana owners often get confused on which book to follow and which website to look at or which person to take advice from. So to have the right information about taking good care of your iguana make sure that your guidelines are approved and also check out some credible websites about the myths and misconception about taking good care of your iguana lizard pet.

Make your iguana feel at home first by not moving it from a small place first, leave your iguana in a small secluded place and observe it first for a few weeks and chart down different changes that it may project.

It may be stressful for your iguana to get used to your place for the first time so but don’t fret about not being able to handle your iguana for the first few weeks, this will basically make the taming process of your iguana faster.

Next is to find a good veterinarian for your iguana. While waiting for your iguana to get accustomed to his new environment you should find a good veterinarian for your iguana’s regular checkup.

Food is another issue when it comes to taking care of your Iguana Lizard pet. Aside from the iguana food that you can buy from the pet store you can also feed your iguana with vegetables and fruits

One basic rule is that Iguana Lizards are stringently herbivores, though many books recommend insects to be fed to iguanas some are still against this notion and firmly believes that feeding your iguana lizards green and leafy herbs is still the best diet.

Eventually the most important thing is to provide them with fresh food and water. And they should be fed regularly everyday the number of times is not that important as long as it is fed everyday and fed enough to be healthy.

Habitat of your iguana is also a major factor in your proper care regimen. You should have a large place for your iguana lizard, as time goes by your pet will grow bigger almost four times bigger the size when you first bought it.

Cleanliness is also an important factor in an Iguana’s habitat and with your Iguana as well. Try to clean them on very regular basis to avoid parasites that can cause sickness and odor on your iguana’s habitat.

One thing that you should have in mind before owning an iguana lizard is the amount of fund that you are willing to give. Owning an iguana is not an easy task both physically and financially, so be ready to shed not just some sweat but also some cash to go with it.

Green iguanas are the ones you usually bring home to take care and pamper. What you may not know is that there are different types of iguanas out there. Oftentimes, you will see these other types not in pet stores but in the forests where they live.

There are actually six types of iguanas. These are the

1. Dipsosaurus, the desert iguana.
2. Ctenosaura, the spiny-tailed iguana.
3. Lemanctus, casque-headed iguana.
4. Corytophanes, the helmeted iguana.
5. Cyclura, the rhinoceros and rock iguana.
5. Chalarodon, the Madagascar iguana.
6. Green iguana.

The famous iguana that is fast becoming a part of most households is the green iguana. These iguanas may be of different types and appearances but they all have similarities terms of diet, habits and size.

1. Herbivores iguanas.

The description of herbivores is the kind that eats only plant or plant matters. It can be noted that there are not many reptiles that can live on plant food alone. This is what makes iguanas unique from them. This may be the reason why people want these reptiles for their pet. Feeding them is not as hard as any other animals.

Being herbivores does not mean that you can just pick any plant out there to feed your iguana. If you want to maintain its health, consider giving them nutritious green and leafy vegetables. Try lettuce. You can give it to them regularly. If you do not have an abundance of vegetables to supply, consider other alternative sources of leafy plants.

2. Tropical temperature.

Iguanas are used to having tropical climates all year round. That is why you will not be able to find an iguana habitat in places where there are shifts of hot and cold climates.

This is one thing that you should consider once you have decided to have a pet iguana. You are required to monitor the temperature around your house or in shelter that you have provided for them.

Iguanas need constant heat to maintain their body temperature. Many iguana owners have realized that there is an increase in the usage of their electric heaters or gas once they have an iguana in their household.

So if you are located in locations where there is a winter season, make sure that your heater works. If you do not have one reliable source of heat, then it is a wise idea not to consider getting an iguana.

3. Tamed iguana.

Your pet iguana will not get tamed on its own. As the owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that you tame your iguana well so that they will be able to socialize well with you and with others.

A tamed iguana will be able to roam around your house without moving or eating on anything that arouses its curiosity. You can also take them outdoors or in events outside of your home. You also have the ability to caress, hold and cuddle your iguana once you are assured that it will not harm you when you do so.

4. Iguanas grow big.

You might be misled into thinking that your iguana will remain small and tiny all throughout its life cycle. This is a misconception.

All types of iguanas will grow its full size once they are taken properly care of. In 3 to 4 years time, expect your iguana to be five to six feet long.

How to take care of your first Iguana

I have a 7 year old iguana who sleeps with me at night, she never could be put in a cage mostly because I felt like I was putting her in prison and she did no crime. She is outside everyday until about 6:pm then she is working her way under the blankets. I also have her pretty spoiled by hand feeding her, she eats well on her own but if I hand feed her she clears the bowl.

People think that iguanas make cool pets; they may be right. Some may have the misconception that iguanas are low-maintenance pets; they would be wrong. As with all pets, iguanas have their requirements. However, the main issue in taking care of a pet iguana is not just your ability to provide the iguana’s needs. It also involves your qualifications.

So what does it take to have a pet iguana?

1) Love – of course, you need to love your iguana in order to take proper care of it. When you love your pet iguana, it naturally follows that you will do everything to take good care of it. This is the basic requirement for an iguana pet owner. This is because love lays down the foundation for all the other things that you need to do or have in order to take proper care of your iguana.

2) Patience – iguanas need a very long time to be tamed. You cannot expect an iguana to begin behaving properly immediately. You need to be patient in order to spend the amount of time required to properly train an iguana. You must persevere in order to truly take care of your pet iguana. Remember that patience is not just about riding out your pet iguana’s bad habits; it is about making the effort to train it properly.

3) Commitment – we are not talking about a marriage. However, you need to be committed to taking care of your pet iguana. Some people just buy an iguana on impulse. During the first days, they might take proper care of the iguana. However, as time goes by, they soon lag in their responsibilities and the iguana is neglected. This, of course, leads to some serious consequences.

Before buying a pet iguana, you should realize that iguanas can live up to 20 years. Are you prepared to make a commitment for that length of time? If you think that you can just sell an iguana when you’re bored with it, you would be wrong. You see, a sudden change of owners can affect the iguana very deeply. It would adversely affect the iguana’s health.

4) Finances – taking care of an iguana can be very expensive. You need to provide food, a spacious habitat, and other supplies that are necessary to a pet iguana’s well-being. You will also have to spend cash for regular trips to the veterinarian. Can you do that? Remember that buying the pet iguana is only the first step. You need to spend money to take care of it too.

5) Willingness to learn – some people jump at the prospect of buying a pet iguana without first thinking about the things they need to do in order to take proper care of an iguana. If you are planning to own a pet iguana, you should have the willingness to learn how to properly take care of them. This means that you have to make the effort to read up on iguanas and how to take proper care of them.
6) Time – you need to have available time in order to take proper care of a pet iguana. This does not mean that you need to have time to feed it and clean it. You need to spend some time to play with your pet iguana. This will definitely help the health and well-being of your pet iguana.

i think my cat fell into the tank, and now the iguana is puffy around his mouth. any ideas what this is from?

what is a good name for it?
any other info would be helpful

Nearly thousands of people are currently keeping pet iguanas in their homes. But then certainly, there are a few valuable information to note of when intending to keep pet iguanas. The pet stores give pertinent information to the buyers of these reptiles especially when it comes to their behavior, caging, lifestyle, and diet. The internet also hosts the most worthy information about taking care of pet iguanas. So if you are a budding owner of pet iguanas, this article is just for you.

Iguanas are the most popular lizards that are taken home to be pets. They rank to be among today’s pet “fads”. They are even sold in the most affordable prices in several pet stores. They are not that difficult to take care of but of course they are to be highly maintained. Things such as veterinary medications, feeding techniques, caging tips, and many others are among the most particular things to consider when getting pet iguanas. Yes, the pet iguanas must be properly caged and well-fed so as not to risk their long life span. They become very huge that owners may think they will be hard to tame, feed, and control. At times, the bigger and matured iguanas can become really aggressive. They may also attempt several times to escape.

So what should you expect from a pet iguana? Obviously, what you need to give your pet iguana is sufficient tender loving care. Aside from that, you should also maintain right sanitation within its cage. You must be careful to handle your iguanas especially when there are children, pregnant women, elderly people, and not yet immunized individuals that try to be in contact with your pet iguanas.

Which iguana will be right for you to take care of? The “Iguana iguana” or the rainforest green iguana ranks to be the most-sought after pet iguana by many people. These plant-eating lizards find solace in the shrubby places. If you intend to have them as pets, you must create a homey environment for them. It will be utterly significant to provide branches that will allow them to bask under the heat of the sun that will be allowed to enter into their housing. More so, alternative heat sources can be utilized. You just have to be careful not to let your pet iguanas reach the bulbs and other heater devices or else they will get burned.

It is also important that you know of its digestive makeup. The iguanas are known to be Hind-Gut fermenters which mean that their lower intestinal tracts play a major role for their survival. Such digestive tract is held to be responsible for the production of the fatty acids, water reabsorption, vitamins, and many others. Malnutrition and uncleanness often result to sickness and death of the pet iguanas. Overall, you must learn how to cater to the food and habitat needs of your supposed to be pet iguana.

Like any other living being, the pet iguanas have their own taste preferences. They may or may not like certain foods that you will give. It is better to study the overall profile of your pet iguana so that it can live its life to the fullest. Having pet iguanas will give you some time to understand how animals of these species react and behave. Their existence actually lies on your own hands.