Subject: Care of Green Iguanas (part 1 of 2)

From: [email-masked] (Dave Rotheroe)
Date: 25 Mar 92 01:57:10 GMT

I recently was given a (bad quality) copy of two articles.  The first is
"Care of Green Iguanas" the second is "Care of Snakes".  I would have
prefered to ask the author's permission, but I've been unable to contact
them, so couldn't ask for permission to post them.  I'm hoping what they
were wanting was the discementation of this information, and not to make a
buck (there is no copyright on the articles).  The articles to contain good
material, especially for the beginner.  I've scanned the "Care of Iguanas"
article, and fixed most of the character recognition and format problems.
Comments in brackets are mine, all other text is from the article.  Here is
the first half, with the second half to follow soon.  Part two contains
information on diseases / injuries / infections.  The "Care of Snakes"
article may or may not get scanned (it's 4X in size) - send me mail.

Dave Rotheroe                  [email-masked]		    DoD#0045
CONVEX Computer Corporation
Richardson (Dallas), TX 75083-3851
(214) 497-4512

A day without sunshine is like...   night

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Care of Green Iguanas (part 1 of 2)

Natural History

The green (or common) Iguana (Iguana Iguana) is an arboreal (tree-living)
and diurnal (daylight active) lizard usually found at elevations below 3000
feet in tropical and subtropical regions from northern Mexico to central
South America.  It is most often found in the vicinity of rivers and
streams.

Iguanas have short, powerful limbs equipped with strong, sharp claws (for
climbing and digging), and a long, strong tail.  They can reach lengths of
6-6.5 feet.  A large flap of skin (the dewlap) hangs from the throat and
helps regulate body temperature.  Iguanas also have a prominent crest of
soft spines (longer in males) along the midline of the neck and back,
beginning at the base of the skull.

Male iguanas tend to be larger and have brighter overall coloration than
females.  The distinct color of males is especially pronounced during the
breeding season.  Males tend to have larger heads than females, in part
because of swollen jowls.  Both sexes have 12- 13 prominent pores arranged
in a row on the underside of both thighs.  These glandular structures
secrete a waxy substance with which iguanas mark their territory and
identify each other.  As the males mature, their "femoral pores" develop
slight outward projections.  This developmental modification probably
enables the male to better grasp the female during copulation.

An iguana's skin is entirely covered with very tiny scales.  Iguanas cannot
change their coloring (as chameleons do), but certain areas of their skin
can be- come darker when exposed to direct sunlight.  Young iguanas are pale
green with black-ringed tails.  They mature to a lighter, more earthy color,
usually with dark vertical bars on the body and tail.

Vision, hearing and the sense of smell are acute.  In their natural
environment, iguanas tend to be very wary, hiding or fleeing at any sign of
danger.  Iguanas are somewhat clumsy but accomplished tree climbers.  They
tend to bask by day on tree branches, often over water.  When frightened or
threatened, they usually drop (sometimes from great heights) into the water
below.  Being excellent swimmers, they quickly make their way to protective
cover by pressing their front limbs along their sides and swishing their
powerful tails from side to side.  Iguanas can also safely land on the
ground and run to protective cover after jumping from substantial heights.
When threatened or cornered, iguanas can defend themselves with
astonishingly quick, whip-like lashes of their tails and with their claws
and jaws.

Iguanas mate in January or February.  After a pregnancy of about 2 months,
the female digs in moist sand or soil, usually near the base of a tree, and
deposits 25-40 eggs.  The hatchlings, measuring 25-30 centimeters long,
emerge in about 2 weeks.  [ WRONG - Dave ] They grow 1-2 centimeters a year
and attain sexual maturity in about 3 years.

An interesting, but unfortunate, fact is that the iguana is widely hunted
throughout its range for its tender white flesh and for its alleged
aphrodisiac properties.  Central American natives refer to the green iguana
as "bamboo chicken." Because it is timid and relatively slow, it is easily
captured.  Its eggs are also collected and eaten by local hunters.

Requirements in Captivity

Diet

In its natural environment, the green iguana is almost completely
herbiborous (plant-eating) from the time it hatches.  Despite this, captive
juvenile iguanas should he fed a relatively large proportion of animal
protein.  Older iguanas should receive a greater proportion of vegetable
matter in their diets.

Juvenile iguanas should be fed daily.  A good diet consists of 1 part animal
protein (water-packed tuna, cooked chicken, hard-boiled or scrambled egg,
Purina Trout Chow, dog food) added to 2 parts vegetable material (broccoli
and its leaves, Swiss chard, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, beet, collard,
mustard and turnip greens, carrot tops and thawed, frozen mixed vegetables).
Chop all of the ingredients into a size that can be easily handled by the
young iguana.  Then mix them thoroughly and store the mixture in the
refrigerator in an air-tight container.  Once or twice a day, offer a small
amount of this mixture after it has been liberally sprinkled with an
appropriate vitamin-mineral supplement (Reptical and Vita-Life, Terra-Fauna
Products Mountain View, CA 94042; Reptovite, Verner's Pet Products, Long
Beach, CA 90807).  Nekton-Rep (from West Germany) and other Nekton products
are available for sale in some veterinary hospitals.

Particular attention to calcium supplementation is essential because young
growing iguanas are very prone to calcium deficiencies.  Nekton-MSA,
Reptical or Vita-Life should be used to supplement all juvenile iguanas.
Growing iguanas may also be fed "expanded" guinea pig or rabbit pellets
(pellets allowed to expand by absorbing water), either plain or as a top
dressing over vegetables.  This is a convenient way to add necessary
vitamins and minerals (contained in the pelleted food) to the iguana's diet.

Older iguanas should be fed 2-3 times per week and can be offered the same
items as listed above.  In addition, live crickets, mealworms and pinky
(neonatal) mice can be offered in small numbers, though experts believe that
feeding live food invites exposure to undesirable bacteria and possible
transmission of parasites.  Plant material, such as dandelions (flowers and
leaves), clover, rose petals, and flowers of hibiscus, carnation and
nasturtium, should be offered as well.  Many health food stores carry dried
dandelion and other edible herbs that can be offered to captive iguanas all
year round.  Fresh fruit (bananas, berries, apples, peaches, pears, plums)
can occasionally be included in the diet.

If a captive iguana is to benefit from live insects (crickets, mealworms),
careful attention must be paid to how these insects are reared and fed
before they are offered as prey.  Mealworms, for example, are often reared
in wheat midlings and/or wheat bran, which are calcium deficient.  Mealworms
nourished on such calcium-poor material consequently become
calcium-deficient and so, too, will iguanas feeding on them, often resulting
in metabolic bone disease.

Ideally, you should rear all insects destined to be fed to your iguana on a
poultry laying ration (usually containing 8-12% calcium) for at least 1 week
before they are sacrificed.  Add slices of sweet potato to the mealworm or
insect container to provide necessary moisture.  Crickets and mealworms may
also be lightly sprayed with an aerosolized vegetable oil and then dusted
with a vitamin-mineral supplement just before they are offered to the
iguana.

Intestinal Inoculation

A fairly recent discovery has provided a probable explanation for the
premature deaths of young iguanas dispite apparently adequate diets.  In the
wild, young iguanas obtain needed intestinal bacteria and protozoa by eating
the feces of adult iguanas.  The microorganisms acquired this way are
essential for digestion of plant material.  Baby iguanas are not born with
these microbes, so young iguanas reared in captivity never acquire them.

All newly acquired, domestically raised (not wild caught) iguanas should
receive fresh feces from a healthy, parasite free adult iguana (preferably
wild caught).  One dose should inoculate the iguana for life.  Some
veterinary hospitals are prepared to assist new iguana owners with this
process.

Hygiene

Next to adequate nutrition, no other aspect of husbandry for captive
reptiles is more important than sanitation and hygiene.  Many bacterial and
fungal diseases of captive reptiles result from their daily exposure to
fecal contamination and a damp, filthy environment.  In the wild, reptiles
have acres of land and water over which their feces and uneaten food can be
scattered.  They rarely, if ever, come in contact with this material.  This
is not the case with captive reptiles.  Owners of captive reptiles engage in
a continual struggle to prevent bacterial build-up caused by continual
deposition of waste products and uneaten food.

An iguana's cage floor or aquarium bottom can be covered with clean
newspaper (unprinted preferably) or butcher parer.  The next best material
is indoor- outdoor carpeting.  Paper towel squares can also be placed end to
end to cover the entire bottom of the enclosure.  When one of the squares
becomes soiled, it can be easily removed and replaced without disturbing the
entire floor of the enclosure.  Under no circumstances should pea gravel,
corn cob material, wood shavings, sand, kitty litter or sawdust be used.
None of these items promotes adequate cleanliness, and they may be eaten
while the iguana is feeding, resulting in intestinal impaction.

Iguanas are frequently displayed on moss.  Even though this is visually
attractive, it is a poor husbandry practice because this material remains
continually damp, promoting serious skin infections.

A captive iguana's environment must be kept fastidiously clean and dry.  Any
object that becomes soiled with feces or urine should be removed and cleaned
or replaced as soon as possible.  The enclosure should be set up so that it
can be easily cleaned.  Human nature dictates that the more time it takes to
clean the cage and the more complicated the task, the less often it will be
done.  Make the enclosure functional rather than beautiful.

Reptiles are highly susceptible to poisoning from pine oil cleaners, such as
PineSol and Lysol.  These household cleaners must be avoided.  [ Best to use
a solution of bleach and rinse well - Dave ]

Visual Security

A hiding place into which a captive iguana can retreat and be free from
constant visual scrutiny should be provided.  Visual security can be
provided by supplying cardboard rolls (from toilet paper or paper towels)
for small iguanas or cardboard boxes for large iguanas.  Optimal visual
security can be provided, however, by strategic placement of artificial
plants.  Because iguanas like to climb and bask, some of the branches and
artificial plants provided should be arranged to allow this activity above
the floor of the enclosure.  Silk artificial plants are visually pleasing
and easy to clean and maintain, and also withstand the use of disinfectants.

Focal Heat Source

All reptiles require a warm environmental temperature to raise their body
temperature and increase their metabolic rate and activity level.  The
optimal environmental temperature to provide for captive iguanas in their
enclosures is between 85 and 103 degrees F.

Sunlight and Artificial Sunlight

Captive reptiles rarely receive adequate exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light,
especially when they are housed indoors.  Captive reptiles, especially
iguanas, must receive direct sunlight [ or see below - Dave ] to benefit
from its UV component.  Ultraviolet light is necessary to properly absorb
dietary calcium.

Window glass and plastics filter UV light.  Consequently, reptiles must be
housed in screened or wire enclosures during the time they are to be exposed
to direct sunlight.  Also, a shaded area must be provided so the iguana can
avoid heat stroke from overexposure to sunlight.

An alternative to direct sunlight for reptiles housed indoors is an
artificial UV light source, such as a Vitalite (Duro-Lite Lamps, Lyndhurst,
NJ 07071).  [ better yet go to a light bulb supply house and get a
florescent bulb ending in "BL" for 1/3 the price!  also, shield the UV
source from human eyes to prevent serious damage or blindness - Dave ] To
approximate a natural photoperiod, it is best to supply 10-12 hours of
daylight and 12-14 hours of darkness each day, with a gradual increase in
the number of hours of light supplied in the spring and a gradual decrease
in the number of hours provided in the fall and winter months.

Water

Water can be made available to captive iguanas in a variety of ways.  A
standing water source, such as a filled ceramic dish, can be available for
bathing and drinking.  Spraying water on artificial plants and allowing the
Iguana to lap up this moisture is another suitable strategy.

The bathtub is a wonderful and practical recreational area for a pet iguana.
Swimming is great fun to observe and provides excellent exercise for the
iguana.  The tub is also a practical, relatively escape proof "holding area"
for the iguana while its en- closure is being cleaned.  The tub should be
filled so that its shallowest portion allows for submersion of about 2/3 of
the iguana's body.  The water should be warm and of a temperature
comfortable for a human bather.  Iguanas may be allowed to occasionally swim
in chlorinated swimming pools as long as the activity is closely supervised
and the iguana is thoroughly rinsed off with fresh water afterwards.

Cage Mate

A cage mate for an iguana is not advisable.  Iguanas are not particularly
sociable animals and are quite territorial.  The addition of a cage mate
invites unnecessary aggression and fighting.