Things You Should Know About Keeping Iguanas As Pets
More people are looking for pets that are a little out of the ordinary. Iguanas just happen to fit that bill. However, having iguanas as pets does require a bit more care and attention than having a dog, cat or budgie. Especially if they are to survive out with their natural habitat of Central and South America.
Although they start off as being quite small cute reptiles, they do not remain like that for long. Many people take them as pets not being fully aware that they can grow up to 6 feet in length and weigh up to around 15 pounds. That does mean that they require a lot more space than might have been expected.
If you plan to have an Iguana as a pet, you need an enclosure that allows ample space for this 6ft long reptile to move around easily. The best enclosures are made from glass, perspex or wood. A flooring of Astro Turf, newspapers or carpet is best. The Iguana will eat soil, sand or gravel, which can cause health problems.
In addition to accommodating a six ft. Reptile that likes to move around the enclosure has to provide the Iguana with places to hide. You need to match the temperature of its natural habitat at around 90-100 degrees for up to 14 hours a day, and much cooler for the other 10 hours. Letting the Iguana lie out in natural sunlight whenever possible is a good idea.
As Iguanas grow they become much less social and do not like to share their space with other reptiles. They can injure each other quite severely. Alternatively, the stronger reptile may bully the other and stop it from receiving its fair share of the food and space.
Although there are a variety of commercial food products available for Iguanas, they do not fulfill all their dietary requirements. Commercial products need to be supplemented with a minimum of three fresh greens for every meal. Younger reptiles need to be fed at least once a day, but once they reach adulthood they only require feeding 2-3 times a week.
Feeding Iguanas purely on commercial foods will affect their health. The same applies to restricting them to only a few types of vegetables or fruits. The more varied their diet the better for them. They need a good mix of commercial foods and fresh to remain healthy.
Although they start off as being quite small cute reptiles, they do not remain like that for long. Many people take them as pets not being fully aware that they can grow up to 6 feet in length and weigh up to around 15 pounds. That does mean that they require a lot more space than might have been expected.
If you plan to have an Iguana as a pet, you need an enclosure that allows ample space for this 6ft long reptile to move around easily. The best enclosures are made from glass, perspex or wood. A flooring of Astro Turf, newspapers or carpet is best. The Iguana will eat soil, sand or gravel, which can cause health problems.
In addition to accommodating a six ft. Reptile that likes to move around the enclosure has to provide the Iguana with places to hide. You need to match the temperature of its natural habitat at around 90-100 degrees for up to 14 hours a day, and much cooler for the other 10 hours. Letting the Iguana lie out in natural sunlight whenever possible is a good idea.
As Iguanas grow they become much less social and do not like to share their space with other reptiles. They can injure each other quite severely. Alternatively, the stronger reptile may bully the other and stop it from receiving its fair share of the food and space.
Although there are a variety of commercial food products available for Iguanas, they do not fulfill all their dietary requirements. Commercial products need to be supplemented with a minimum of three fresh greens for every meal. Younger reptiles need to be fed at least once a day, but once they reach adulthood they only require feeding 2-3 times a week.
Feeding Iguanas purely on commercial foods will affect their health. The same applies to restricting them to only a few types of vegetables or fruits. The more varied their diet the better for them. They need a good mix of commercial foods and fresh to remain healthy.
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