Re: Any iguana keepers?
I had one up until a few years ago, reached 3 1/2 feet. They can live a long time and learn some funny things along the way. <br /><br />Dark leafy veggies are important. You may need a mineral suppliment powder or special supplimental food to supply it with the nutrients it needs. None of this was too expensive when I had mine. Kaytee makes a dry food that they will nibble on which provides a lot of the elements they need. Iguanas will always eat the fresh stuff greedily. Don't feed them head lettuce, it's all water and no nutritional value, don't eat it yourself either... My Iguana loved to eat bananas, grapes, oranges, bitter greens, bell peppers, broccoli leaves, shredded carrots (really improved his color). Give them variety, hand feeding will improve his or her socialization quite a bit. Feed him a whole peeled banana for a good laugh!<br /><br />Your cage sounds ideal for an Iguana, they like to climb up and down during the day, that is their daily routine involves time spent at different levels of thier "jungle" depending on temp., light, feeding, etc. I put a couple of large branches and synthetic sisal ropes for him to climb around and bask on. Avoid cedar or pine chips or branches, the resin and its evaporates are not good for lizards.<br /><br />Put the lights on a timer, routine is important. Try to locate an electric heated stone, my iguana always spread out on his after meals (to aid digestion) and on colder evenings.<br /><br />I located my cage so that it got AM sun through a window for a couple of hours each day. The sunbeam didn't flood the cage though, just hit half of it and left half shaded. The lizard moved in and out of the sun as he preferred. This seemed ideal to me.<br /><br />Iguanas will not remain healthy unless they have humidity, If you are in a dry area you will need to provide moisture. I covered the screens on my cage with clear plastic in winter to conserve moisture and heat. Iguana's need fresh drinking water at all times!! I also had a tub with about 3" of water in the bottom of the cage. My Iguana usually used it for a toilet which made cleanup easy (flush!). <br /><br />I'm sure you know by now, Iguana dung is NASTY, half bird, half cow manure! I cut several sheets of vinyl to fit the bottom of the cage that I could spray off or toss to ease cage cleaning. Don't use sand or sawdust, he'll try to eat it and mess up his mouth and crop. Avoid plastic plants for the same reason.<br /><br />Iguanas are a little fragile so if you're afraid you'll hurt it in a struggle then you should maybe not handle it. Mine was not afraid of me but reacted voilently to constraint. After reading that letting them go just reinforces the struggling behavior I started picking mine up everyday and holding it until it stopped struggling and for a while after then letting it go once it calmed down. After a while I was able to handle him whenever I needed to. Of course he was pretty small when I got him... Reptiles can harbor bacteria, that's natural, always was your hands after handling or feeding, be careful about being bitten. You can trim an Iguana's claws much like a cat's, clip off the sharp tips but don't cut into the darker growing part.<br /><br />Of all Lizards Iguanas must be the most sociable and easiest to keep as pets. They are pretty easy to please as long as they are healthy and not in a corner being ignored. They need stimulation whether you handle them, hand feed them or just sit at the cage door and talk or whistle (good socialization is to have your phone conversations in front of the cage). They do require daily attention in captivity and will thrive if treated right. Mine would actually follow me around a room if I let him loose and on a few occasions escaped his cage in the morning and crawled into bed with my wife and I!! I'm sure he was seeking warmth or food and not companionship but who knows?<br /><br />Good luck with the new friend! What's his/her name?
<br /><br />In Trinidad they hunt them for food and sport.