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Home » Reptiles » Iguana Care, Feeding, and Socialization
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IGUANA CARE, FEEDING, AND SOCIALIZATION
By Melissa Kaplan
anapsid.org

Author Melissa Kaplan wrote a guide on how to take care of iguanas and share your life with them. The guide is too long to present as one document, so we split it into several articles to make it easier to read. The guide covers a range of topics on how to care for iguanas.

* Preface The best time to read this 7-part article is before you get a green iguana. Melissa Kaplan's article has been accessed by hundreds of thousands of iguana keepers looking for information on how to properly setup, feed, and start taming their iguana. Part 1: Introduction This information helps lay the foundation for why we do the things we do for captive iguanas. They will affect decisions on housing design, diet, and establishment of daily routines. This information will also help you to understand what your iguana does or doesn't do. Part 2: Creating a Home Creating an iguana home is more than throwing together a 10-gallon tank, a hot rock, and some bark. (In fact, that is exactly what you should not do!)We must provide for the iguana not only as it is today, but as it will be in the months and years to come. Temperatures and humidity need to function independently of your environment. Part 3: Food Selection Iguanas were thought to be omnivores, consuming both animal and plant matter. But animal protein is not good for them. Iguanas are leaf-eaters in the wild. The iguana digestive system is structured to process a high-fiber plant diet. Herp veterinarians recommend that no animal protein be fed to green iguanas. Part 4: Food Preparation and Feeding If you thought shopping for all these vegetables and greens and trying to figure out where to stash them in your refrigerator was stressful, the fun has just begun. Now you have to learn how to make the salads and serve them! Part 5: Taming and Socialization Iguanas are not domesticated animals. They do not have any innate trust of humans. The tamer and more highly socialized the iguana is, the lower the risk of reactive responses. A socialized iguana clearly enjoys being with people. Learn how to tame and socialize an iguana. Part 6: You, Your Iguana, and Your Reptile Veterinarian Do not get an iguana, or any other reptile, if there is no veterinarian trained in reptile medicine within comfortable driving distance for you. If you do not have immediate access to your own transportation, do not get an iguana or other reptile. All new iguanas, whether they are hatchlings you bought from a store or expo, or someone else's pet you've taken in, should be seen by a reptile veterinarian. Part 7: Summary of Key Points While this 7-part article is more extensive than most books on basic care, feeding, and taming, there is much more to know. This article just touches the surface of what it takes to care for an iguana properly. Part 8: Footnotes, Article and Website References The footnotes, referenced articles, and websites mentioned in this series are located in this one section for your convenience.


  • Home page
  • Our Services
    • Surgical Services
    • Internal Medicine
    • Vaccinations
    • Dental services >
      • Dental Procedures
      • Dental handouts
    • Diarrhea
    • Puppy and Kitten wellness care
    • Senior Pets
    • In-House Laboratory
    • Diagnostic imaging
    • Emergency Care
  • Our Team
    • Our Staff
    • Our Doctors
  • Tour our facility
  • Contact us
  • Library on topics and handouts
    • First Aide
    • Cancer Therapy >
      • Referral
    • Info for dogs >
      • Allergy- itch relief
      • Bandaging
      • surgery discharge instructions
      • y 2 spay
      • Ear infections
      • Behavior problems >
        • Breeds and their diseases >
          • cat breeds
        • Aggression
        • Thyroid Disease
        • Submissive urination
        • Sibling Rivalry
      • diabetes
      • heart disease- heart valves
      • nutrition
      • Thyroid disease
      • Behavior >
        • training and annoying things your dog does
    • Info for Cats >
      • Administering pills, capsules and liquids to cats - links to videos
      • y2spay and neuter
      • abscesses
      • Diabetes
      • Cancer
      • Bandaging
      • Behavior problems >
        • fears and phobias
        • General principles and techniques
        • Aggression
        • Inappropriate urination
    • medication handouts
    • nutrition
    • Info for pocket pets
    • Info for Iquannas
    • Info for ferrets
    • pregnancy in humans
    • regulations
  • Employment forms
    • employment forms
  • Blog- interesting cases
  • Fun things we do in the community
    • 3rd through 5th graders at Dolores Animal Hospital perform teddybear surgery
    • Career day at Dolores Elementary School 2015
    • Dolores River Festival
    • Spaying and neutering on the Navahoe nation deep into Arizona
    • 9 Pet check 2014
    • newspaper articles
  • Deals and Specials and Links
    • Referral Rewards Program
    • Deals and Specials and Links
  • What our clients are saying about us,
  • patient and client pics