Anybody keep Iguanas ?

I was just wondering if you do what type of feeding you do . I have 2 Igs myself and that are still very young .

Falkorre

First thing i would ask u is what are u feeding them right now?!


I used to feed my adult ig's a rotated diet of carrot, apple, celery, cabbage, cricket, locust, mealworm, and the branded iguana pellet food you get in the shop

Important thing is to feed them frequently when young, small amounts daily, and when fully grown, feed only every 2nd or third day, if they get hungry before that, then increase the size of the meal.

It is a myth that ig's are vegetarian, they are omnivores who favour vegatation, in the wild they will eat small insects, and even fish.

you also need to be sure you are occasionally dusting the leafy veg with a vitamin an mineral supplement like Vita-herp or similiar.

I hope ur prepared mate, these babies are gonna get mighty big, and eat a LOT, and if u dont handle them enuf now while they are young, ur GONNA end up with a big nasty lizard that whips ur face with his tail and scratches u with his claws lol

Mine was a rescuee who decided to stay for a cpl of years (You would be AMAZED how hard it is to find a good home for a 4.5 foot lizard who likes to whip people and takes delight in dismantling furniture, scaring the dog thru the glass sliding door, and hiding on the windowsill scaring passers by wittless)

If u need any more advice mate, feel free to ask,

I loved my ig and read up a lot on the species as they were very popular at the time an I knew id have quite a few to deal with once ppl got bored with them :rolleyes: I adore all my animals, but i will never understand why people dont do their research BEFORE taking on a reptile

B

Well diet is the main thing for me . I am trying to find the best food in Ireland for them . However i have been reading up about them and have talked to many people and i have been told that feeding them crickets and meal worm short term is good but long term will kill the iguana . If you think of it Iguanas are tree dwellers and the only way an Ig was to eat an insect is by chance .
The fish story i have not heard . I know that Igs are at home in the water but i never heard about fish .

Falkorre

Yup as I said, rotating the diet is the key, a little of everything is always better than just the same thing day in day out, for any animal .

As far as fish go, Ig's only *rarely* take fish, I only know they will coz the water area in mines enclosure was big enuf for me to put a couple of guppies in, he ate them both lol Apparently in the wild, they can swim for miles in rivers, they just dont like to because of predators like crocs.

*Some* keepers who like the easy to maintain diet of veg and fruit will tell you insects can be bad, somone once even told me they will attack and kill the ig, ig's skins are like leather lol

Like I say, a little of everything, often is what they seem to like most and thrive on.

B

FAYESY

I keep Iggies, one thing I will never ever feed is crickets and mealworms! Iguanas are foliavores they eat leaves etc only way they eat bugs is by accident! too much meat will cause kidney failure! Igs should live upto 15-20 years! too much meat & they will live to an average of 5! Do a search on the net for Melissa Kaplan! She has the best advice on all aspects of Iguana care! You will also need a good vet incase of problems! Your Ig diet should be a 2:1 calcium to phosperous ratio there are lots of good site that will tell you the ratios of calcium in food! I feed a grated mix of carrot & parsnip with a selection of sald leaves, chinese cabbage, dark green leaves occasional small amounts of spinach, fresh fruits & I dust the food every 2-3 days with a good reptile supliment & once a week the igs get half a centrum tablet.

Regards

Faye

Falkorre

Faye,
It is a while since iv kept igs, but a close reptile vet friend of mine tells me that insects *are* hunted out by igs, not in vast quantites ur right there, in the wild. So, no more than a cpl a week and there should be no damage, she has an ig that is 9 years old on that diet, seems they dont *need* it but they do *like* it.

B

(PS faye, plz plz dont take this the wrong way, im not trying to get at u, just thought I would mention that all the exclamation marks u seem to use in ur posts, make u come across, well, like ur shouting and screaming at us lol )

B

FAYESY

Dre,

I forgot to mention yesterday that dandylion leaves & flowers are great for iggies. They are loaded with calcium, just be sure to pick them from an area that is away from the road & an area that has not been sprayed with pestercides, give them a good clean & watch the iggy munch away!

You have probably workd out for yourself that your hand & arms will forever look as if you lost a fight with a very mean cat LOL Ollie decided he didn't want to be cuddled & whipped me & clawed me & because that didn't work tried the crocodile roll!! FUN! Never let the ig win! he/she will always remember if they manage to beat you! be firm but gentle.

Enjoy

Faye

tyu

hi, yea i really need to know somethin!!
were in ireland can i get an iguana!!?
please help me out, id be very greatful, thanks

Our man in Havana

I saw baby iguanas in Daves Jungle in Tullow Co. Carlow - Just one thing are you sure you want an Ig??? They need a lot of food costs about €60-70 a week to feed my 2! They eat a huge plate full of food every day - they have a very varied diet & get calcium at least twice a week.

Here my 2 are muching into Pak Choi, grated parsnips, courgets, lettuce, salad leaves, fruit etc.

tyu

yea i do, how much wud u say it is to keep 1,
n r they selling them? in that zoo u said?
if they are, do you know how much?

Our man in Havana

Daves Jungle had around 30 in january so he may well still have them & I THINK they were around €130ish it will probably cost you around €30 a week to feed an aduly obviously less for babies & you will need to grate tough foods & cut the salad & veggie leaves smaller for young ones - also do you have room for a large VIV?? Mine is over 10feet long 3 wide & room hight they have a radiator in there & a 250watt infared bulb on all the time & a 100watt UV light that is MEGA expensive saw them for sale in reptile haven for €150!!! So your electric bill will be high etc & they claw & tail whip & can BITE mine have not bitten but your arms will looks like you are a self harmer etc.

They will also need to be wormed about once a week & I have to travel from Laois to Bray with my monsters in the car WAY not fun - all these are things you will have to consider. Also when you want to go away on holiday will you have anyone who will feed your pets for you? Mine get feed daily. Ollie my male pictured in front came to me from a guy who was going away for the summer & his folks refused to look after his pet.

Just a few things to consider as many of these FAB creatures are often given away as they are aggressive, too big etc etc. So please think about it do a LOT of research I love the comprehensive advice on Melissa Kaplans site www.anapsid.org

Good Luck with what ever you decide if you need more advice please pm me. Have you ever handled a full grown iggie?

tyu

well, i come from south america, and ive bumped into many, never actually dealt with one
but i know wat theyre like,