Content
- Iguana Morphology
- domestic iguana
- The terrarium for the iguana
- Domestic iguana feeding
- The health of the domestic iguana
- Interacting with the domestic iguana
The iguana as a pet is increasingly popular. However, before adopting it, you must know all its morphology and type of life. Some buyers buy it because of the striking green color of the young animals and because of its size close to 50 cm.
But with time can reach 1.80 meters, a considerable size that will be difficult to maintain if you have a small apartment. Do you want to know more about this amazing animal that is the iguana? Find out everything about iguanas and find out if this is the ideal pet for you in this article by PeritoAnimal.
Iguana Morphology
The iguana is a ab reptile. When it is young it has a very attractive bright green color, which turns to a dull gray tone as it becomes an adult. He always lives close to water and when he feels in danger don't hesitate to go for it, he swims very well.
Like geckos and other reptiles, the iguana has the ability to produce autonomy, that is, it is able to launch its tail if it feels threatened to attract the stoner and flee. Afterwards the tail regenerates and grows back, however, it will never make it as big and beautiful as the original. Besides, if it loses it again it won't grow any more.
The iguana lives from the Mexican coast to South America. It lives approximately 13 years.
domestic iguana
To acclimate the iguana to your home, you will have to recreate mainly all the conditions of temperature and humidity ideal for animal survival. Keeping in mind that the 50 cm the iguana will have when adopting it will quickly become 1.80 meters.
Before purchasing the iguana, consider whether she and her family count on space enough to get along together. Your children will also grow and will need more space as they get bigger. Evaluate all of this before your purchase.
The terrarium for the iguana
At minimum dimensions of the terrarium for your adult iguana they should be at least 150x160x75 cm. Bearing in mind that the height is more important than the width of the terrarium, since inside you must place a trunk with branches for the animal to climb.
THE temperature inside the terrarium it should fluctuate between 28ºC and 32ºC. During the night when the animal is inactive it can lower the temperature to 25ºC.
At the bottom of the terrarium you can place a layer of gravel of about 11-15 cm, under which all the cables will pass: the heater, the 0.5 fluorescent UBV light, so that the iguana can correctly synthesize vitamin D.
THE moisture it should range between 70-85% and in addition to the drinking fountain, where the water must be changed daily, it is convenient to have a shallow and wide container for bathing.
In addition to the trunk, you can place some flat stones without edges and some non-toxic plants to decorate the terrarium.
Domestic iguana feeding
When the iguana is young it eats more often than when it is an adult. in addition to insects, eat fruits, vegetables, leaves and plants.
The frequency with which we should feed it is 3 times a week, preferably in the late afternoon or morning. When he reaches adulthood he eats less often. Adult iguanas are herbivores. Your veterinarian will advise you on the proper amounts of food for your iguana.
The health of the domestic iguana
Your iguana must always be veterinarian controlled. In the face of a color change, the fact that your skin's brightness has gone off, or any other change you should consult your veterinarian to assess the change and rule out some of the more common iguana diseases.
Occasionally, vitamin supplements must be administered, always prescribed by the veterinarian. The veterinarian will also periodically cut your nails so that the claws do not grow twisted.
Avoid drafts and sudden drops in temperature, as the iguana can suffer from respiratory infections due to pathogens.
If you see white spots growing on your iguana's skin, this is a sign that mites are colonizing your iguana's skin. You should bathe your iguana with warm water and then thoroughly clean the terrarium.
Iguanas can suffer from the presence of ticks, you can remove them with tweezers.
Interacting with the domestic iguana
To properly interact with your iguana, the first thing to do is learn how to handle it correctly. Never grab your iguana by the tail, as it can get out very easily.
You should hold it gently by the belly at the level of the hind legs. See how the iguana reacts, if it tries to hit you using its tail as a whip or open its mouth aggressively, it's because it doesn't want to be bothered.
Something you should do to help interact with your iguana is to let it walk outside the terrarium for an hour a day, always under your supervision.
Have you recently adopted one of these animals? See our article with names for green iguana!
