From the Archives of

The Colorado Herpetological Society

Lizards

Iguana Captive Care Requirements

by Petra Lowe

1. Proper caging
2. Proper heating
3. Proper lighting
4. Proper diet

Caging
Iguanas are big animals, so they need A LOT of room. The normal size of an adult iguana is 5-6 feet. Adult iguanas should be housed in an enclosure with the minimum dimensions of 6 feet high, 6 feet long, and 2 feet wide. Remember that height is more important than width because iguanas are arboreal (tree dwelling) and prefer to spend time up in the branches. You need to provide stout branches for the iguana to climb on. Young iguanas can be kept in smaller encloses, but the smallest size recommended is a 40-45 gallon aquarium. Within 4 months (providing you purchased your iguana at 1-3 months of age), your iguana should outgrow this size of enclosure, at which time it can be moved into the larger cage. There are no manufactured aquariums on the market today that are large enough for an adult iguana, so the only real choice is to home build or custom order a cage. Many companies who advertise in reptile trade magazines can build good custom cages of appropriate size.

Heating
It is critically important that iguanas receive proper heating. Iguanas require a basking spot of 95-100 degrees F, and a cooler end of 80-85 degrees. At night the temperature can safely drop to 70-75 degrees, provided that the animal can warm up during the day. The best way to provide a basking site is to use a basking lamp. A basking branch should be placed laterally under the heat lamp to provide the correct temperature range.

Make sure to screen in the bulb or place the bulb out of the iguana's reach so it cannot burn itself. Proper heating is important to maintain a healthy immune system and proper digestion. Iguanas kept for long periods of time without proper heating eventually become ill.

Full Spectrum Lighting
Iguanas require what is termed "full spectrum lighting". Full spectrum lighting simulates the wavelengths of natural sunlight. This is important to your iguana because iguanas require irradiation by light in the UVB range (290-310 nm) to create vitamin D3. Iguanas need this vitamin in order to absorb calcium in their diets. Without full spectrum lighting, iguanas develop a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease, which is a calcium deficiency. Full spectrum lighting is provided by fluorescent bulbs specifically manufactured for use with reptiles (NOT plant grow lights). The only commonly available fluorescent bulb on the market today that produces UVB is the Reptisun UVB 310 or the Reptisun Iguana Light. Vita-lites are good bulbs, but they do not produce UVB. If you wish to use a Vita-lite, you may, but it must be used in conjunction with a BL type blacklight (available at Home Depot). BL type blacklights should be left on for a few hours a day, and then turned off. The fluorescent lighting (Vita-lite or Reptisun bulb) in your iguanas cage should be left on 10-12 hours a day, and turned off at night. If the fluorescent light is left on at night, iguanas cannot sleep and they become stressed (and cranky). Full spectrum lights must be replaced every six months, even though they will not burn out before this time. The full spectrum effect of these bulbs wears off over time. If you can, get your iguana out into the sunlight, but be careful to provide a cooler area so it does not overheat. Unfiltered sunlight is the best source of full spectrum light, but sunlight through a window is not sufficient as glass screens out the beneficial UV rays. DO NOT put your iguana outside in direct sunlight in an aquarium unless you quickly want a dead iguana. Glass aquariums heat up quickly (much like a closed car).

Diet
Proper diet is a crucial part of iguana husbandry. The following is a recommend diet:

• 60-70 : Dark, leafy, calcium rich greens such as: collard greens, mustard greens, endive, watercress, dandelion greens. Other greens such as romaine and green leaf lettuce may be offered occasionally. Spinach should be either fed in small amounts or avoided entirely because it contains oxalic acid, which binds calcium in the intestinal tract, making it unavailable.
  
  
• 20-30%: Grated Veggies such as: carrots, squash, zucchini, cucumber etc.

  Avoid or feed sparingly: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, escarole, cauliflower. These veggies contain iodine binders that can cause thyroid problems.
  
  

• 10-20%: fruits such as : strawberries, raspberries, mango, papaya, kiwi, melon, apple.

  Iguanas love bananas, but they should only be offered as a treat because they have the incorrect calcium to phosphorus ratio for iguanas.

In addition to proper diet, iguanas require calcium supplementation. Calcium powder can be purchased at reptile stores. Calcium powder should be lightly sprinkled over the iguana salad three times a week for juveniles (who should be fed every day) and one or twice a week for adults (who are feed once every other day). Water can be offered in a dish, but you should also spray the cage once a day to raise the humidity. Iguanas will often lick the accumulated drops either directly from the spray bottle or off cage furniture.

Conclusion
Iguanas can live a long time (10-15 years) if cared for properly. If not cared for properly, iguanas rarely live beyond three years. Iguanas do not make good pets for children because they require elaborate care. If the parent is willing to provide the care, iguanas can be a good family pet. In addition, iguanas do carry salmonella bacteria, which can cause a bacterial infection in humans, especially young children, elderly people, and people with compromised immune systems. Therefore, it is essential to ALWAYS wash your hands after handling an iguana or items associated with iguanas. Iguanas should not be allowed in the kitchen or in the bathroom, as they can spread salmonella to people this way. Salmonella infections can be serious, but they rarely occur. Proper husbandry and hygiene will prevent the spread of salmonella from iguanas to humans. Please refrain from taking your iguana out into public areas (unless it is for an educational forum). Many people are afraid of large reptiles and should not have to encounter one unexpectedly. This type of behavior reflects poorly on herptoculturists (people who own, care for, and breed reptiles) as a group and fuels many arguments against the keeping of reptiles in captivity. Iguanas are special animals, and deserve to be cared for properly. If you do not feel that you can provide the requirements that iguanas need, by all means, DO NOT BUY ONE. That cute 12 inch hatchling you see will grow to be 5-6 feet at maturity and demands a lot of attention, if anyone tells you otherwise, they are wrong. Iguanas normally retail from $20-$60, realize that the proper set-up will cost three times that amount, or possibly more. There are many iguanas out there that are neglected and/or homeless because the person who purchased them did not realize what they were getting into, do not become a contributor to this ever growing problem, Educate yourself.

Suggested reading
The Green Iguana Manual, by Phillip deVosjoli, published by Advanced Vivarium Systems- Although a little outdated, this book is excellent.