Iguana Care | The importance of diet for your iguana

The importance of diet for your iguana

Iguana belong to the largest species of lizard family and have specific diet needs. Iguanas are commonly seen in tropical rain forests, hot deserts and semi-aquatic places. From the forests of North America, Canada and South America to the desert places of South Africa and Madagascar and Island of Galapagos, you will be able to see different types.

Iguanas can easily adapt to their environment. Like other reptiles, they are also egg-laying animals and cold-blooded, meaning they cannot produce heat from their body.

Different types have evolved the ability to be able to become accustomed to their iguana habitat . They have their unique skills. Some dwell in high trees for instance, and can jump to the ground without having injuries. In addition, iguanas in Galapagos Island, the Amblyrhynchus cristatus, known as the marine iguana are good swimmers.

The species can also differ in their color, size, behavior and their extinction status in the wild. Some iguanas have vivid and bright colors, and others are dull. Most iguanas grows quickly, a hundred times heavier as their normal size as a hatchling in just about 24-30 months. But this would happen if they are given proper care, enough food, and a place with good air circulation and lots of sunlight.

Most iguanas are herbivores while some are omnivore or carnivore depending on their habitat. Terrestrial dwellers are carnivore, they eat mealworms and wax worms while the forest and tree dwellers are herbivores, eats young leaves, flower buds and fruits.

Proper feeding of iguanas is important. Sufficient food intake might lead to bloating, and obesity. In addition, lack of proper diet may also lead to some diseases. Cases like these are very usual so you must be prepared whatever happened to your pet iguana.

If your pet is showing signs of NSHP or MBD you must take it to a veterinarian. Your iguana is suffering from Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyrodism or a metabolic bone disease. It doesn’t mean that your iguana is unhealthy if it is oversized or fat. Proper diet must be given. Provide your pet with a high calcium and low phosphorus diet. Also, always make sure that your pet gets a proper sunlight.

If you’re iguana body seem to be bony and fat and jaws seem to be swollen, it may be in the critical stage of NHSP or MBD. This would lead to brittle bones that causes deformities and fractures.

To avoid this to happen give your iguana proper diet, exercise and should maintain a good weight but not becoming overweight. It is also necessary for to obtain the needed calcium or phosphorus ratio for proper iguana care.

How will you know if your Iguana is growing properly?

Hatchlings usually measures about two and a half to three and a half inches, snout to vent. When it reaches and emerges from the egg it grows three-quarters of an inch a month for almost three months. The growth of the young slows to a half when it is three months old with a snout to vent of five and three-quarter inches. Iguanas reache for about 9-10 inches stout to vent in just one year.

The growth of your pet in this stage is very fast. During its twelve to fifteen months, it will grow for about triple of its original length. The growth of your iguana slows radically as the it continues to grow for next years. Make sure you give your iguana a proper diet that will help it grow healthy and strong.

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