Iguanas are a family of lizards that can be found in the tropics of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean islands. According to the data, the iguana genus consists of two species, namely the green iguana and the lesser Antillean iguana. Due to its unique body shape with features unusual for other lizard features, this animal is often kept as a pet and is very popular. Also, their fairly long lifespan and their body weight can become larger are other reasons why these animals are often kept as pets.

Iguanas are exotic animals that can be kept at home. In their maintenance, iguanas also require some special treatment that is classified as easy and difficult. Like the need for cages and food that should not be arbitrary. So, think about and also consider the following things that are important in keeping an iguana.

Before you own an iguana, you need to choose the best iguana and not just trust reptile sellers who provide inaccurate information. Also try consulting a reptile dealer for help and advice on keeping iguanas. In addition, you should also think about the health of your iguana in the future by having a regular veterinarian just in case. Do not stress your iguana, as this can cause the tail to suddenly break, but the tail can still grow.

In addition to the above, the next thing to do before raising an iguana is to understand its nature and characteristics. This will make maintenance easier in the future. Keep in mind that iguanas are wild animals that are later kept. Behaviorally, iguanas do not like direct contact with humans, and their habits in the wild will greatly affect their behavior when confined. However, the more you continue to train, the more docile the iguana will become.

Here’s how to keep an iguana you can apply. Make sure you understand and practice it according to the conditions of the iguana and also try to create comfortable conditions.

1. Pay attention to the cage

The growth of the iguana’s body from head to tail can reach two meters with a body weight of up to 10 kg. Therefore, keeping it in a small cage will not be efficient. Therefore, you need to provide a cage that is large enough, safe and comfortable enough for the iguana to grow. In addition, UVB light for its growth period is also very important, without this the iguana will experience a vitamin D deficiency, so good lighting will be of great help. It is also recommended to set the ideal temperature around 35-38 ^orc.

2. Food and drink

Iguanas are herbivores, so prepare vegetables for their food. In general, the diet of iguanas in the wild is almost the same as that of iguanas kept at home. Iguanas prefer fresh foods, such as broccoli, mustard greens, squash, green beans, dark leaves, and fruit. In addition, it is also necessary to prepare various types of supplements, such as those that contain high calcium content. For the feeding schedule, you should give him fruits and calcium once a week. As for drinks, always provide clean drinking water to be consumed at any time. This will also prevent dehydration.

However, there are also foods that are not capable of meeting your nutritional needs, such as cauliflower vegetables. Therefore, it is recommended to add other vegetables or fruits that are capable of meeting the needs. To support fruit and vitamins, you can add bananas, strawberries, apples, melons, and blueberries. And also interspersed with the intake of green beans.

In addition, there are also special feeds that can be purchased at pet food stores. You can give this special food to your iguana if the iguana needs extra extra nutrients for its growth period, because it already contains complete nutrients. The thing to remember is that iguanas are herbivores, so it is advisable to never give them food in the form of meat or insects.

In general, the food an iguana should eat should meet all of its nutritional needs. Of course the percentage of each type of food is not the same in all. This is so that the food intake that the iguana consumes can be varied and not only provide one type of food. The following percentage composition can be used as a reference to meet your pet iguana’s food intake. Consisting of 45% for green beans, 40% for green vegetables, 10% for types of fruit, and 5% for protein from other foods.

3. Create a comfortable environment

Iguana cages must be prepared in advance. It is recommended to provide a cage that is large enough to prepare for the growth of the iguana. Choose a cage with wire material with a good circulation system. In addition, it is also necessary to provide a base in the cage, such as one made of carpet. Also provide a playground for the iguanas in the form of tree branches that can be used as a place to climb. Iguanas also tend to hide when they feel threatened, therefore hiding places should also be considered. In general, what you should do is provide an environment similar to the natural habitat of the iguana.

4. Cage cleaning

Cleaning the cage becomes a routine activity to continue providing comfortable conditions for the iguana. In addition, the bedding of the cage must be changed and any remaining food must be cleaned immediately. Another thing that is also important is to regularly wash the place where you eat to minimize and prevent the growth of bacteria that come from food scraps and can cause serious illness. If you have more than one iguana, it is best not to keep them in a cage. It is recommended to make a separate cage but with the same comfortable environment as the other cages. The reason why the cage is separated is to avoid the appearance of aggressiveness in the iguana. Also learn about how to tame a green iguana.

5. Health

It is also quite difficult to pay attention to the health problems of iguanas as pets. Also, because iguanas are conveyor bacteria Salmonellawhich means there are bacteria Salmonella in the digestive tract, but does not cause disease. So if you want to have an iguana but on the other hand you also have pregnant women or children, as well as people who have a low immune system, it is better not to have iguanas in the home environment. This is because the bacteria in the digestive system of the iguana can transmit diseases to the people around it, and of course it is a danger to keep the iguana.

This is how to keep an iguana and also when you have kept an iguana, make sure you pay more attention to all the conditions related to the environment where it is kept. Hopefully this article can help and increase your knowledge.