Your brand new Baby Iguana

To house your baby iguana, you will need an enclosure such as a fish tank or cage, taking into consideration the iguana's growth. The cage should have the approximate dimensions: 18 in. long, 12 in. wide and 14 in. high. As your iguana grows, you will have to keep expanding the tank, making it more comfortable for your iguana to be in. Some dry wooden branches should be placed inside so that the iguana can climb up and therefore absorb the heat better from the lamps. Remember, Iguanas love to climb!

Heating and lighting are necessary because the iguanas obtain their energy from heat. Adequate lighting is very important. The day temperature range should be between 32°C (90°F) to 34°C (93°F) and at night between 22°C (71°F) to 24°C (75°F) to keep the iguanas comfortable and in good health. Artificial lighting is a good substitute for sun light when sun light is not available but it is better to take the iguana into the sun light whenever possible. Iguanas absorb heat from sunlight or adequate artificial lighting.

Feeding iguanas in not complicated, for iguanas are herbivores and eat leaves and fruits. It is best to feed romaine lettuce, cabbage, zucchini, other eatable leaves, carrots, all kinds of fruits, cauliflower and broccoli, etc. Green food is high in calcium and also contains vitamins D3 which are important for your iguana. Food should be fresh and clean.

For drinking place a bowl of water inside the tank so that the iguana can drink whenever it needs to. This will also help keep the humidity inside the tank at about. 95%. The water should be cleaned daily and the bowls should be disinfected.

To tame your iguana, you have to let it get accustomed to its new environment for a few days. As you feed it daily, start picking it up for at least 10 min. at a time. After a few days place him in your shoulder with a small harness. Never pick up the iguana by its tail because it breaks easily. Before and after handling the iguana it is recommendable to wash your hands thoroughly with soap. After a while the iguana will get accustomed to you and you will be able to take it with you to different places. It is important to have patience and not rush the training procedure. Iguanas are very calm, especially these since they have been bred in captivity and therefore are accustomed to human contact. When properly trained, they can be wonderful, exotic pets. During the training period it is a good idea to buy clippers, sold at pet's stores, to trim the iguana's claws so you won't get scratched during this time.

Health is not a problem to iguana owners if it has a proper diet and a healthy and clean environment. These lizards are very resistant to diseases. They don't need the care that other pets would need. It is definitely important to have a reptile experienced veterinarian at hand. Most pet stores can recommend one.