Iguana Help

[animal_rescue]

Well, last week my uncle asked me if I wanted to keep him iguana that he won at The County Fair, my mom said no but we were going to watch him while they went on Vacation, so now we've had him since Sunday and they we're supposed to pick him up on Tuesday.... So now we have him, they aren't calling us and they aren't picking up their phone, so it might very well they abandoned him with us. We really don't know anything about iguanas and need some help, we might keep him or we might give him to our vet(he has a bunch of snakes, lizards, and iguanas as pets). I've been looking up looking up iguana care but still need some questions answered, do iguanas like baths? What about when they are shedding? Will Melvin need mealworms or crickets to eat, does he even need them to eat? The Pet Store told us he'll eat meal worms but I don't think he likes them...

Well here are some pics of him!

[QueenScoopalot]

#1 iguanas do not eat meat, they need a very wide and varied diet of dark leafy greens and fruits and veggies. Also they need a small amount of calcium added to their food daily...I use a spoon nd scrape a cuttle bone onto my iguana's food daily. Cuttle bones are usually for birds. # 2 they need proper lighting and heat lamps to assure they won't get metabolic bone disease which is very common with iggys. A full spectrum light will simulate sunshine which in their natural habitat helps bone growth etc. Here's a good site about iguanas...and I should add, they aren't easy to care for by any means. http://www.greenigsociety.org/home.html

[animal_rescue]

Thanks for the info! I know they are hard to care for, my aunt used to have one, but that was years ago, so I don't remember much...

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Originally posted by animal_rescue
do iguanas like baths? What about when they are shedding? Will Melvin need mealworms or crickets to eat, does he even need them to eat? The Pet Store told us he'll eat meal worms but I don't think he likes them...

Yep! They love baths. You can just let him soak and "swim" around in luke warm water. Don't fill the tub too high, only to about his belly. Oh, and No Soap or anything, just water.

No mealworms or anything, like QSAL said they eat mostly dark leafy greens with a little fruit or other vegetables, but the majority of the dies needs to be leafy green. Also like QSAL said the calcium is important as well as the UV light and heat.

[DogLover9501]

I don't have time to read through the previous posts, so I'm sorry if anything has been said already.

I have a lot of relatives with Iguanas, so I know a little bit..

Do you have a set-up for him? They need lots of space. Iguana's should have a UVB/UVA light, and also love natural sunlight/to be near a window.

The iguanas I know do not eat any insects, but they eat lots of fruit and veggies. Some good things are romaine lettuce, lots of greens(collard, bok choy, chard, dandelion..etc), strawberries, snow peas(my beardies love them!)..etc.

Iguanas should also be handled everyday, to make sure they are tame. They are also good at letting you know that they don't want to be bothered at the moment

*Edit* They do like baths, and it will also help with shedding

*Edit again * I forgot to mention that I find it so strange that people can win Iguanas at fairs As I believe they are a pet that you need to research alot.

I hope that helps a bit!

[IRescue452]

Winning an iguana at the fair is never a good idea. Who would give out a prize like this? With that said, it's not your fault and I'm glad you are there to take care of it. This looks like a very young one. When they are adults the can grow to a length of over 6 feet. They can also live into their teens. Are you prepared at all for a large lizard that will be around that long? They love to climb and I've seen people with plastic shelves set up by the windows for them to louge around on which they seem to love. Since they need so much room its not always practical to build a big cage when they can have the run of a good window seat. You need a cage for when you are gone and during the night but other than that they do good with the run of a room in the house. I know head lettuce is not a healthy diet for iguanas and that vitamin supplements should not be given- only calcium an some D3, as supplements can be harmful to them. I can't think of much else right now. Got a name picked out yet?

[animal_rescue]

If we don't keep him, they we'll definetly give him to our vet, we trust him to keep him and care for him.

I don't agree with winning any animals at fair, but I wasn't there with my uncle when he was playing the game.

His name is Melvin, I'm not sure if it's a boy or girl though..

Right now he's in a cage with just enough room for him, when we get a hold of my uncle and find out what's going, we will set up a 50 gallon tank for him, atleast until he grows, then my mom will have my dad build him a cage and hopefully when I get my bedroom in the basement I can set up a spot down there.

His cage is right infront of the window and we take him outside during the day, like I said until we find out what's going on we can't afford anything if we're just going to give him back(they have all the stuff for him, like they would give anything to us ). Probably tomorrow my mom is going to his house and find out, then we're going to go shopping.

Thanks for the input on food! I told my mom he needed greens, now I can show her this a prove it!

[ILoveReptiles]

Grr! They're still giving these out as prizes at fairs??? AUGH!

My iguana (Caicos) has a custom built cage that is 6 1/2 feet tall, 5 feet wide, and 3 feet deep!

As for the diet - I always feed mine the Iguana Den diet - it's a mix of 8 different kinds of veggies (out of an extensive list) hand chosen to have high calcium and low phosphorus content (Ratio 2:1).

You can check it out here: Iguana Den

[animal_rescue]

Well, thanks for the help!
My mom finally got a hold of my uncle and they are coming to get him.

edit: we might keep him anyways, I really like this little guy already, and I don't want to give him back to my uncle. I'm trying to convince my mom.

[tikeyas_mom]

do iguanas like baths? Bathing is a great way to both hydrate and potty train your iguana. Depending on the size of your iguana, you can use either the tub or the sink for bathing. To bathe your ig, begin by filling the tub or sink with some warm water (same warmth as you would bath a baby in, ask your mom). Do not use soap or other cleansers. The water level should be no higher than your iggie's sholders. You should let him/her have a good soak in the tub, for about 20 min.. if the water cools, make sure you replace the cooling water with warm water... The tub can be a scary thing for baby ig's.. some get used to it, some love it, and some just hate it... it is varied..

Your Iggie looks very young so I would assume he has never had a bath before... plus, since he was "WON" at a fair... I would most definatly make a vert appointment for him..

Because water stimulates many reptiles to defecate, tub time is a good way to 'potty train' your iguana.. Once they defecate, remove the ig, clean out the tub, and refill with a few inches of clean warm water. Let your ig back in the tub for a good soaking. Most igs catch on to the idea fairly quickly. Once they start using the tub as a potty..



What about when they are shedding? Iguanas will shed their skin much like other reptiles, except that it sheds in pieces instead of in one piece. Basically, they will shed everything on the outside of their bodies except for their eyeballs. Dealing with shedding is a regular event with iguana owners. Shedding is completely normal and it’s usually a sign of good health and proper care.

Depending on the age and size of the iguana, it will shed anywhere from many times a year to only once a year. An iguana's skin will begin to turn dull in appearance before it’s ready to shed. The color will usually be a hazy shade of the normal color of that area. Fresh, new skin is usually shiny and brightly colored.. NEVER rip off dead or flaking skin, this could injure the underlayer of new skin..

Will Melvin need mealworms or crickets to eat, does he even need them to eat?
Green iguanas are strict VEGANS.. And your appears to be a Green iguana... So no bugs for him..

I reccomend... IGUANA DEN DIET (ILoveReptiles posted a link above)...


Good luck..