If you are considering getting an iguana, you are best off keeping only one. Iguanas are quite territorial, and fights between iguanas do occur. In fact, iguanas that have lived together for a long time may suddenly attack one another, seemingly out of nowhere. An iguana may even challenge its owner in a fit of territorialism.
Iguanas are strict vegetarians and should be fed a nutritious and highly varied diet of leafy greens, fruits and vegetables. They will eat pasta and bread and other human foods, but these should be avoided in favor of the iguana-salad approach. Foods may also be lightly dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement. There is an extensive body of literature on iguana diet and nutrition as well as the problems that befall these lizards if improperly fed. Among the items recommended for iguanas are collard greens, dandelion greens with or without flowers, shredded carrots, kale, kohlrabi, sliced yellow squash and bits of apple, orange, berried and grapes (but not too many). Iguanas also love any kind of lettuce, but lettuce is of no value nutritionally to them so it should be avoided. If they get used to eating lettuce they will forgo other foods and this is not a good thing.
In addition, they need eight to twelve hours a day of UV-B exposure, either from a fluorescent light or from unfiltered sunlight, an impossibility during the winter months in more temperate as well as northern climates.
They obtain water from their food, which can be wetted prior to feeding and, in addition, they lap up spray-mist as well as drink from a water bowl. They also like to swim; as they get larger they are best accommodated in the family bathtub after all traces of soap or cleaning agents have been rinsed away. In addition, it is necessary to disinfect the tub after wards because iguanas, like all reptiles, shed salmonella bacteria, which is potentially pathogenic to humans. If you set aside a separate room it may not be a bad idea to include a shallow kiddie pool for this purpose. Filling and emptying it will challenge the iguana owner’s ingenuity. Be careful not to let splashes reach your eyes or mouth, or come in contact with any open cuts.
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