Find Out Why the Green Iguana Makes a Great Pet
Lizards are becoming very popular exotic pets, with the most common of these lizards being the iguana. There are many different types of iguanas, with the Green Iguana being the most popular. One thing that attracts buyers of Green Iguanas, is that pet stores sell them quite cheaply. However, they might not be as easy to care for as you might think.
The Green Iguana is found in Central America, South America and Mexico. It generally lives in and around trees and plants, and is more active throughout the day time. When getting a Green Iguana it is important to know that it can grow to around 5-6 feet in length and can weigh up to 15 pounds – as you will need to take this into consideration when choosing the iguanas housing. Also, iguanas are solitary animals, and should be kept separate as they could attack each other. When Green Iguanas are fully grown, they can become aggressive towards you at certain times of the year, so be careful of this.
Choosing your housing for your Green Iguana can be difficult as they need a very large space to live, especially when they are adults. When they are young and growing, they will need at least a 20 gallon glass tank. As they get older and grow bigger you will need to find somewhere bigger. There is a myth that iguanas will only grow as big as their surroundings. This isn’t true and they will keep growing no matter what their housing size is.
Iguanas must have UV light in their cage in order to survive, as this will help keep their skin healthy. The UV light should be kept on around 12 hours per day. Since they are from hot countries, the iguana’s home should also be at the right temperature. Having the correct temperature helps the Green Iguana with digestion so it will grow and will keep its immune system healthy. Make sure the tank doesn’t get too hot to where it might burn the iguana. Also, the iguana needs humidity, therefore don’t let the heat dry the tank out.
The Green Iguana has a strict diet and should only be fed certain foods. They are herbivore animals in the wild, therefore they live off of plants and leaves. You should feed your pet iguana a mixture of vegetables and fruit which has been chopped up into small pieces, as well as dark greens such as dandelions. Unlike what some people may think, you do not feed the Iguana insects such as crickets or other food such as mice, as this can damage them and cause disease.
Green Iguanas can be a very interesting exotic pet to own, as long as you can provide it with all of the necessary needs. This includes making sure it has the right housing needs, and the right dietary needs. Failure to do this could lead to expensive vet bills, so take this into account when buying your Green Iguana.