Do you have a place in your home for a large (12 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 8 feet tall) iguana enclosure?
Can you commit yourself to clean a large enclosure every day?
Can you provide a heat source for an iguana?
Can you provide a high humidity environment for an iguana?
Can you provide a fresh, plant-based diet that iguanas need?
Are there any children, seniors, pregnant women, or immunocompromised people in your home?
Iguanas can grow up to 7 feet long when their tail is included in the measurement, and they generally weigh around 20 pounds. Therefore, an aquarium or a small reptile enclosure is a very short-lived home for a young iguana. An adequate enclosure for a single iguana is around 12 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 8 feet tall. Many people even choose to convert an entire room or a large closet to their iguana’s habitat.
Iguana’s enclosure must be kept clean. Owners should remove uneaten food, feces, shedding skin, and other visible waste every day. They should also clean the food and water dishes daily. The main enclosure should be thoroughly cleaned with a pet-safe cleaner at least once a week.
Iguanas are tropical animals. They want to bask at 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and their habitat shouldn't drop below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They need a temperature of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit to properly digest food. Owners often use heat lamps typically positioned less than a foot away from basking ledges to achieve an optimal temperature.
Iguanas need at least 70% humidity in their environment. Owners often increase the humidity of their iguana’s habitat by adding a pool of water to the enclosure or by using a mister. It’s generally recommended to mist your iguana two times a day to increase humidity and maintain healthy skin.
Fresh food is the key to a healthy iguana. Iguanas in the wild are strict herbivores. They avoid eating animal protein, including insects. Diets high in protein can cause health issues, such as kidney failure. In addition to a quality pelleted commercial diet, owners should provide their iguana with dark leafy greens, some fruit, and a calcium supplement.
You can take care of an iguana as a pet!
Iguanas carry salmonella. This means salmonella is present in the iguana’s digestive tract without causing the disease to the animal. Humans can contract it from touching the iguana or items in their environment. This can be avoided by following a good hygiene practice, but if there are young children, seniors, pregnant women, or immunocompromised people in your home an iguana might not be the right pet for you.
https://www.thesprucepets.com/iguanas-as-pets-1236880
Sreten null
Hi! I’m Sreten Filipović. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, with a master's degree in Environmental Protection in Agricultural Systems. I’ve worked as a researcher at Finland's Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) on a project aimed at adapting south-western Finland to drought episodes. I founded a consulting agency in the field of environment and agriculture to help farmers who want to implement the principles of sustainability on their farms. I’m also a founding member of the nonprofit organization Ecogenesis from Belgrade whose main goal is non-formal education on the environment and ecology. In my spare time, I like to write blog posts about sustainability, the environment, animal farming, horticulture, and plant protection. I’ve also published several science-fiction short stories.
You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreten-filipovi%C4%87-515aa5158/
