I'm always drawn to the reptile section of my local pet store. Apparently I'm not the only one! Iguanas are becoming more popular as pets.
Before getting an iguana, however, there are several things you need to seriously think about:
As with any pet, proper feeding, housing, and caring for your iguana is going to take time and money. Many diseases in iguanas are due to improper nutrition and environment. Do you know how to supply their basic needs?
As with any pet, proper feeding, housing, and caring for your iguana is going to take time and money. Many diseases in iguanas are due to improper nutrition and environment. Do you know how to supply their basic needs?
Even with proper nutrition and housing, iguanas may develop health problems or become injured. You need to be willing to provide the necessary health care for your iguana?
Iguanas grow. An iguana might look cute when they are first hatched, but, what are you going to do when the iguana reaches several feet in length, and needs a cage the size of a small room?
It's also important to recognize the temperature needs of an iguana before taking one home. Iguanas are cold-blooded and require supplemental heat for proper digestion. They prefer 84-90ºF during the day and 70-77º at night. If a reptile is cold, it cannot properly digest its food and is more likely to become ill. Lizards like a temperature gradient so if they are cold, they can move to a warmer part of the cage and vice versa. Place a good quality thermometer in the cage at the level the iguana spends most of its time so you can monitor the temperature.
As with any pet, you have to watch out for the potential that animal has of bringing bacteria and diseases into your household. Many iguanas harbor the salmonella bacteria, so great care needs to be taken when handling your pet, including proper and thorough hand-washing.
As I always ask on this blog, please do your research before taking any new pet into your home.
