How to feed your green iguana properly
If you are considering having an iguana pet, you need to check out some tips about iguana food.
The first thing you should know is that iguanas are vegetarians and they feed on vegetable protein. The vegetables with the best nutritional value for iguanas are those that are high in calcium, contain Vitamin D3 and are low in phosphates. Vegetables known as greens are the best ones for their stable diet. Some examples of possible green food are collard greens, mustard greens, alfalfa, dandelion greens, watercress. These include -yucca root, snap peas, parsnip, papayas, okra, mango, kabocha squash, green beans, butternut squash and acorn squash. You need to be very careful when feeding your iguana pet because an improper food can eventually lead to kidney failure.
On the other hand, not all vegetables are good for an iguanas menu. For example, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage related vegetables can cause thyroid problems, so it would be best to avoid them.
“Commercial iguana food” can be also used without fear. It provides the nutrients a green iguana needs in order to be strong and healthy. A mixture of fruit, vegetables (mainly greens) and commercial lizard food is the ideal combination. Other things to use are squash, yams and particularly raspberries and blackberries as they are high in calcium.
Besides iguana food, your pet also need a constant supply of fresh, clean water to drink from! You will daily need to change the water in your iguana cage. These kinds of reptiles normally drink very little but do like to soak, unfortunately they do often use the bowl afterwards as a toilet.
Be sure that the humidity is not low. You can check this aspect by watching the quantity of water your green iguana drinks. The easiest way is to use an adjustable humidifier which will solve any problems you have.
Many people believe that iguana food can include almost everything, but this is a myth. iguana food has to be correct in order to keep your pet in a proper condition.