Green iguanas are herbivores which means that they eat plant matter. In the wild, iguanas eat leaves, flowers, and some fruits.
Like many other reptiles, an iguana is an exotic pet that many animal lovers find amusing. There are so many unusual things about this reptile that may have enticed their owners to look after them. They do not look adorable like other household pets that we have come to know and see all around us. They are also quite huge for a pet. They can grow as long as more than 6 ft, have a particular body form such as the iguana’s dewlap (the skin flap found under the reptile’s chin), its tail that can grow or heal after being cut or broken, and its third eye (located at the top of its head). They also show unusual behavior to show either authority or submission. Nonetheless, these peculiar things about them also drive their keeps crazy for them.
If they are not provided with the right husbandry, they may soon display unnecessary behavior or may even fall sick. In case you would like to consider having this exotic animal as a pet, you need to be ready and well-informed of the things that will keep it healthy and happy. These include the right food and diet that will satisfy their hunger.
Iguanas are herbivores. This means that they live on a well-balanced diet food of greens, vegetables, fruits, as well as some other foods. You may see them occasionally feeding on insect, snail or bird’s egg, also. You need to make sure that you offer a variety of foods to your pet iguana. More of the greens and other vegetables should be provided for them and not protein-rich foods as these foods can damage the reptile’s liver. Most of the foods that you should be provided your pet iguana are easily available in local grocery stores as well as from pet stores.
Greens, Vegetables, and Fruits
Your reptile’s diet should consist more of fresh greens and vegetables. The food that you offer should be cut in small pieces or chopped so that your pet will find it easy to digest whatever you will feed it. Greens such as collard, mustard, dandelion greens, turnip greens, kale, and romaine lettuce, are some of the more common greens that your pet iguana would love to feast on. Your pet reptile will also be grateful if you offer shredded carrots, green beans, peas, and other beans, bell peppers, and even squash.
In case you would run out of fresh food to serve to your iguana, you can pick any frozen vegetable as well. But this should only be done during special cases. However, you need to make sure to warm the frozen vegetables to room temperature before offering them to your pet iguana. You may want to thaw the vegetable s first by running warm water over the frozen food.
If you toss in some fruits for your iguana, it will not complain. There are some fruits that your pet iguana actually enjoy. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, apples, and cantaloupe are just some of these fruits. You need to chop the fruits before serving to your pet, however, as this will make eating easier.
Commercially Prepared Foods For Iguanas
To make serving food a lot more convenient for many pet owners, there are many sellers who have also packed commercially prepared best food for iguanas. If you can find the best brands of these iguana foods, you can stock up on them and make a nice addition to your pet reptile’s diet. These alternative foods usually come in pellet form. They can be mixed with other foods that your pet eats. To make them more palatable, you may need to moisten them first before offering to your pet iguana. These commercially prepared iguana foods should not be considered as the primary diet of your pet, however.
Bread and Grains
Your pet iguana will also occasionally chew on pieces of bread and grains. Serve the reptile some cooked pasta, cooked rice, or whole grain bread and it will be totally grateful for that. As always, you need to make sure that the food you will offer to your pet is finely chopped for easy eating.
Insects
Pet reptiles like an iguana also like to munch crickets and mealworms. This is quite true for most iguanas, except for the green specie. Green iguanas are pure herbivores and do not prefer eating insects at any time.
Even adult iguanas do not need to feast on small insects. Whatever protein that their bodies need, they can get from greens and vegetables. Too much of this protein may, in fact, be harmful to an iguana.
Water
Even though your pet reptile may be absorbed most water from the food it eats, it will still need a good water source. To allow your pet iguana to have the needed water, fill a heavy bowl that will be difficult to spill with fresh water and place inside your pet iguana’s enclosure.
Supplements
Even with the nutritious greens and vegetables that your pet iguana eats each day, it may still need some supplements. This will help ensure that your pet will get all the vitamins and minerals that its body needs to be always at its best. Calcium and vitamin D3 supplements can be added to whatever you will serve your iguana several times per week. You can find a good reptile multivitamin online or in local stores. Add these supplements to your pet’s food about once a week.
The supplements made available in the market are usually in powder form. They can be easily sprinkled onto your pet iguana’s food. You will only need to sprinkle a small amount of the vitamin supplement on the food that you will offer to your pet. Just make sure that you add only enough. Too much of anything can be worse than nothing at all.
So there you have it, the basic guide when it comes to providing an adequate diet for your pet iguana. Just a reminder, however. You need to make sure that your pet’s enclosure, as well as anything in it, are always clean, including your pet. Remember that unsanitary living condition will not only affect your pet’s health. It can also cause microorganism-causing diseases to grow on them and may also be transferred to you or your family. Always keep your pet’s cage thoroughly cleaned and sanitized for you and your family’s safety as well.