Iguanas may seem like unusual pets, but they can also be quite ideal for people who want their pets to be low maintenance and easy to take care of. Iguanas, part of the lizard family called the Iguanidae, can basically big reptiles, usually in green in color and can grow up to five inches. As lizards, iguanas do not require the usual tasks you may have to do if you own a dog or cat. However, despite this, you should still know how to properly take care of iguanas before you decide that these reptiles are indeed the perfect pets for you.
Iguana care tips
The most important thing to consider when taking care of iguanas is their living space. Iguanas can thrive in terrariums or a big fish tank (without the water, of course) with some logs and other additional items to create a living environment similar to their natural habitat. However, do consider the size of the terrarium vis a vis the iguana. Iguanas can grow as long as five inches. And while many terrariums are bigger than five inches, will these terrariums offer the iguana sufficient space for comfortable living? This is important when raising young iguanas, not unless you’re willing to buy a new living space for the iguana when it grows out of its fish tank.
Iguanas need plenty of sunlight, so make sure you place your iguana living space in a place where it can get this. If you live in a place without any access to natural light, you should place an artificial light source beside the iguana’s living space to mimic sunlight. Pet stores sell artificial UV light sources, so this shouldn’t be a problem. As for the temperature, Iguanas are meant to live in tropical climate, so making sure that their living space has a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit is imperative.
What many pet owners do not know is that iguanas are actually vegetarians. Unlike other lizard pets, iguanas have an all vegetable diet because it does not have the capacity to digest protein. Needless to say, do not give your iguanas live food such as rats or crickets (which may pet stores would suggest you feed your iguanas). The diet of the iguana is a very important consider here since it could be expensive and difficult to acquire. Most pet stores do not offer special food for iguanas.
And speaking of expenses, make sure that you are prepared to spend a considerable amount of money for iguana medical care as well. Of course, this isn’t entirely different from how you raise other more common pets. The difference, however, lies in the fact that not all veterinarians can provide sufficient medical care for your pet iguana.
Many might ask whether iguanas are dangerous pets. Inherently, they might be; their nails are their tail can be used as weapons against their predators, and that would include humans. But by providing them with an good, social environment, they would get accustomed to human interaction.